Originally Posted by
nickdu
I'm new to bike mechanics. I'm building up a frameset and need to purchase derailleur cabling and housing for my deore XT derailleurs. So far in searching a couple sites I don't see any shimano XT cabling but I do see XTR. Can I use XTR for my XT components?
You don't need group-specific cables, as much as Shimano would like to convince you otherwise. No reason to get it from Shimano at all, really.
Tellyho's right. Unless you're going extra-fancy, a basic stainless cable and lined housing is fine. Couple of dollars for each cable, and about $1/foot for housing is reasonable online. Shop will charge you more.
I'd also heartily recommend getting stainless or plastic *ferrules*, which are the little caps that go over the end of the housing where you put it in the cable stop. I've had a stainless cable seize up because of corrosion at a non-stainless ferrule (dumb move on my part).