Originally Posted by
jadmt
curious why does there seem to be an issue with the cable breaking? looking at it there is no odd bends or extreme angles and cable seems to flow nice and smooth. It has way less angle than my deore mtb 1x11 rd and I have about 5500 miles on that with the original cable with no signs of wear or tear. saying that it will probably break tomorrow but so far so good.
Shimano cable routing that used to be external was a dead straight line and the wrap that the cable experienced thru shifting(it would click in a circle) would bend the cable in a less severe manner.
Current gen Shimano shifting does route the cable smoothly on initial installation, but the actual shifting use does bend the cable a lot more in a tight circle compared to the old shifting design. Also, the internals of Shimano mechanism are metal, so its metal on metal and I would guess that would cause some wear.
SRAM used(uses?) a plastic internal setup, for what its worth.
Yes, Shimano cables can fray at the head and do fray more now when compared to the old style of shifting. No, it isnt some massive widespread issue that everyone needs to constantly worry about and plan their entire drivetrain around. All drivetrains require maintenance, even electronic drivetrains. We are talking about basic maintenance here, and infrequent maintenance at that(every 3000mi at shortest?). Also, if you dont shift frequently, that significantly reduces the concern since cables break from use and not from just existing inside the shifter body.
This comes to mind when I see or (regrettably)participate in conversations over the potential for a shift cable eventually breaking- some keep perspective and others consider so many possibilities that even the potential for a cable fraying at some point after 3000mi is too much.
