Go look up the Berm Peak guy on YouTube about headset routing. He has a very good piece on how it adds significantly to the cost of repairs. One example is of someone who damaged a dropper post cable that was a $30 part but required somewhere around $600 in labor to replace it. I’d pass.

I’ve used handlebar bags on various bikes from traditional handlebars to a Revelate Design harness. to a metal rack that replaces a spacer on the steer tube. All of them work and I’ve never really had an issue with the cables. I don’t (nor would I) own a bike with internal routing of any kind. I especially don’t want one of the headset routed bikes.

Here’s some examples. Early on I tried using V-brake noodles on 9 speed shift cables. They worked but the cables eventually twisted through use.



Here’s a Revelate Design harness that just presses down on the cables. Never was an issue but it doesn’t feel right.



I found this rack on Etsy. I did reroute that yellow cable behind the rack.




Here it is in use with a Revelate Sweet Roll bag.



Same set up with a different bike.



And this is how I use my handlebar bag on my road touring bike currently. I just have slightly longer shift cables than would normally be used.




All of these methods work and I have zero issues with the cables. Even the Revelate that squishes the cables down a lot has never interfered with shifting nor braking.

I don’t use a light while touring and my bikes for commuting were set up differently so I never had any issues with shadows with lights.