I just replaced my front shifter cable, both inner and housing. That's done, it's fine, but I was looking at the result and wondering why it doesn't run directly to the drive side of the seat tube. As it stands now, which is the way it came on the bike when I got it, it makes a complicated curve with at least one inflection point in it, which I read is a no-no, looping from the left side and around the back of the seat tube before ending up on the right and dropping down to my top-pull FD. The terminating braze-on is on the drive side anyway.

1. Any reason not to reroute to run from under the top tube directly to the drive side instead?

2. Is there a theoretical right way this should have been done? Or did they already use the best route?

3. Would you expect any practical difference if I changed routing?

Current, routed on left side:

Right side of the bike:

Looks like the cable stops were designed for the cable to go on the drive side. The only downfall to redoing it is damaging the inner wire form removing and reinstalling the anchor bolt. It's not really a huge deal to leave it as is though.

The loop back is because the housing is a bit too long...a centimeter+. It appears that the stop is angled to take the housing coming in from the left side of the bike.

I like the "form follow function" idea here. I'm sure the rider will impress the club with perfect smooth shifting.

OP: If you stay with the cable-stops, leave as is. Next time yo can consider drilling them out and use full-length housing. Not sure why cable stops ever were a thing, too many holes to introduce water and dirt. Yes you can clean them easier, but with full housing you never have to.

I would shorten that housing just a smidge and run it drive side. Just below the rear der cable.

Thanks for the perspectives y'all. I'm going to wait a little bit for the inner to stretch however much it's going to stretch then take a cm or two off the housing and readjust at the pinch bolt.

The cable stop is unfortunately canted to the left as [MENTION=421412]wschruba[/MENTION] pointed out (it's funny how you can have a bike for years but never notice a thing like that because you just never had a reason to look at it before) making it awkward to come in from the drive side so I'm probably staying on the left. If the cable stop were vertically oriented I'd go for it.

I honestly can't tell if the full-length housing suggestions are a joke or not though. (ETA: A little googling around shows that's for real. Today I Learned.) I guess you gotta design for conditions ...