Originally Posted by
TiHabanero
Although the hbar bag is forcing the cable and housing to follow a sharper curve, it is unlikely the cause or contributor to the failure of the cable. It is an age old problem that has no relief with the current design of brifters and the shifter shown in the original post.
Have to disagree. The shift cables in Shimano's early 9- and 10-speed STI shifters lasted far longer than the cables in the later versions with the cable housing routed under the handlebar tape. It's the abrupt, small-radius bend at the lever's exit point that's the culprit.
The OP might consider using a much smaller front bag or some other workaround. But installing high-quality, supple inner cables frequently is the simplest fix.
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