No, that looks normal. Sweet bike! I was referring to the links-style housing. Isn't that what got called "compressionless" originally? Anyone still use it? I haven't seen it much lately.
I just googled, got
this Jagwire hit, is that similar to what you use? It has steel inside, and it is helical, just at a shallower helix angle than trad stuff. Is that what all the fuss is about?
They say 30% less weight, which of course would depend on what you're comparing it to. It's gotta be heavier than CLB alloy housing, right? Since brake housing weight is such a negligible part of bike weight, a 30% weight reduction doesn't interest me.
I dislike and avoid modern derailer housing that has that same low-helix angle steel strands — too stiff. So I probably wouldn't like it in a brake housing either.
Ha, just noticed Jawire sells spiral-wound "
EZ-Bend housing segments" to go from the brake lever to the end of the HB tape. Presumably because "difficult bend" compressionless housing causes problems for that segment? Yuck. On a centerpull, that would mean most of the length of your front brake housing would be Ez-Bend, almost none of it would be compressionless. <yawn> Tempest in a teapot if you ask me.
I'm aware that I'm inflexible. I literally avoid trying anything new on my bikes. I still haven't ridden any bike with brifters, not even a test ride around the block — not interested. At my age, it's my right! I do try new things sometimes when it has a "story" that entices me, but I just can't get excited about removing some of the mush from my lever feel. I like some mush.
Luckily I'm well-stocked with "compressionful" spiral-wound housing, for both brakes and derailers, so I'm OK with the bike industry leaving me behind.
Mark B