Thanks for the quick responses!
Originally Posted by
Aubergine
Yeah. I don't like that either. What I do is exit the brake housing just below the brake levers, where there is a more or less natural opening in the bar tape. Let's see if I can find a pic . . . . Ah! You can see here how the cable is taped to the bar. And how the cable exits the bar just under the brake lever.
Originally Posted by
merziac
I made the big silver Merz analog for Eroica last year, switched it to SunTour barcons and plain brake levers. Made the cables a little short but they work and look pretty good to my eye. I always used to exit at the brake lever but haven't been able to get the look right now days. With the super slick cables we have now, some have had good luck wrapping to the top of the bar, doesn't work for me but seems like it can be ok. I think fancy robust casing is hard to get right with them. Length especially and exit are critical to how they "sit". The old bare casing always seemed to work ok and look right but is also inelegant. I have some casing from Serbia that is very good, looks like the original but has plain clear casing that is perfect to me, I need to try and get some more, its what I used on the Merz.
Originally Posted by
daka
I don't have a photo but I've wrapped a number of bars with end shifters for the Bike Exchange. What I find works best is to wrap the housing under the tape up to the bottom of the brake levers, similar to Aubergine's illustration. That helps keep the cables from getting mixed up with fingers that are trying to use the brakes. Your existing housings may already be long enough, just try rewrapping the bars keeping the housing under the tape up to the levers.
I just grabbed the bike and pulled the cable/housing up to the brake lever; looks like a "probable" using the existing cables/housing. If not, yet another Velo Orange order...
I guess that's OK.
Originally Posted by
merziac
Forgot to add a critical for me note. I always lock the cable to the bar with electrical tape, full wrap to the exit and 2-3 at the exit so it stays put and doesn't mess with the actual bar tape. It can squirm around under use and make mess where it exits.
I have plenty of electric tape, and am not afraid to use it!
Originally Posted by
bikingshearer
I just run the cable along the flat of the "drops" and straight out from there. It makes for the smoothest cable run and I'm okay with the look, even if it isn't the most elegant visual ever.
If the shift cables were not so close to fouling the front brake, I'd leave it too! I should get the owner's input.
Originally Posted by
bikingshearer
It appears Rik van Looy ran his all the way up to the top of the bars, as shown in the photos.
I definitely cannot do that with the existing cables! Does that impact the quality (a) of shifting, or (b) of the steering?
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Larry:1958 Drysdale, 1961 Gitane Gran Sport, 1974 Zeus track, 1988 Masi Gran Corsa, 1974 Falcon, 1980 Palo Alto, 198? Vitus 979. Susan: 1976 Windsor Profesional.