I compose this post with some fear and trembling, as the bike in question is neither 'classic' nor 'vintage' but simply 'getting old.'

I am cleaning up an early 90's Schwinn Traveler for my wife's birthday present. The rear brake cable needs to be replaced. A friend I was talking to said that the rear brakes on mixte frames have a lot of problems because the cable forms a deep 'U' on its way to the brake, allowing water to seep in and pool inside of the cable housing.

As I prepare to buy the cables and housing for this project, do you have any advice about how to avoid such 'pooling' inside of the brake cable in the future? More generally, what cable/housing combination would you recommend?

Thanks--