Bell cable kits
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: May 2008
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From: ohio
Bikes: Surly long haul trucker, Surly steamroller,Huffy Catalina, Univega Alpina 501. Gravity deadeye monster, Raliegh sport , Electra loft 1
Bell cable kits
I was going through my parts box. Since I am getting back to riding. I have a couple of these in my box. I know some people here will look down on them simply because they are Bell and inexpensive. But I have found them to be serviceable . A good way to get a bike working until you decide if you want to do more to it. They are great to fix a bike for a kid to get them back on the bike. What are your thoughts?
#2
Facts just confuse people




Joined: Jul 2017
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From: Mississippi
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
For kids bikes anything goes. They'll either have torn the bike completely up or out gown it in a few years.
I use Bell's inner tubes since I can get them locally and cheaply. They are only a few grams heavier than than the Continental tubes I've used and they've lasted longer.
They make decent stuff at an inexpensive price. I'd buy their helmets if it wasn't for the emblem emblazoned on the front making me feel like Teal'c from Stargate SG-1.
I use Bell's inner tubes since I can get them locally and cheaply. They are only a few grams heavier than than the Continental tubes I've used and they've lasted longer.
They make decent stuff at an inexpensive price. I'd buy their helmets if it wasn't for the emblem emblazoned on the front making me feel like Teal'c from Stargate SG-1.
#3
Really Old Senior Member


Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds. 2019 Giant Explore E+3
OK for "beginners".
If you fix a lot of bikes, you can probably buy Shimano cables & housings in bulk and be as competitive price wise and hopefully have better quality.
If you fix a lot of bikes, you can probably buy Shimano cables & housings in bulk and be as competitive price wise and hopefully have better quality.
#4
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: May 2008
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From: ohio
Bikes: Surly long haul trucker, Surly steamroller,Huffy Catalina, Univega Alpina 501. Gravity deadeye monster, Raliegh sport , Electra loft 1
Anything I am building up for myself I get good cables from LBS . It's been a while since I worked on anything except for kids bikes. They used to be $6.97 at Walmart . I have used them to get a bike rideable and upgraded later. Once I decided I was going to keep a bike
#5
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Don't let the name stop you, in helmets, it's a good name.
#7
Really Old Senior Member


Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds. 2019 Giant Explore E+3
Anything I am building up for myself I get good cables from LBS . It's been a while since I worked on anything except for kids bikes. They used to be $6.97 at Walmart . I have used them to get a bike rideable and upgraded later. Once I decided I was going to keep a bike
It's just that if you work on a lot of bikes, you can accumulate pieces of housing & used cables that also fill that niche.
When you buy 10 packs of cables, you can get them pretty inexpensively, so a $buck for a cable and some used but serviceable housing is adequate for the task.
You can often find a length of housing that's "close enough" and avoid having to mess w/ ferrules. Rear cables can be shortened and become front cables.
#8
Clark W. Griswold




Joined: Mar 2014
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From: ,location, location
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Not useful for much except maybe a short used kids bike that is probably not going to be passed down anywhere or for a similar BSO used in a similar manner.
For things like cables and housing I always recommend getting the absolute best you can because it can greatly improve shifting and braking for less cost then the other associated parts. I recommend nice slick stainless cables (ideally polished and always uncoated) and good quality housing and especially for brakes, compressionless housing works wonders. My favorite way to go is the Jagwire kits, Pro and Elite are the best way to go but even the Sport kits can be an upgrade for some bikes and you generally have a lot of leftover stuff so it is easy to re-use it for other builds.
I would also never use galvanized cables for anything and shops who purchase them are doing their customers a big disservice all the shops I have worked at don't stock it and if they ever had some it was usually purchased accidentally or was a panic buy from some novice buyer who may not know parts as well.
Bell is a helmet maker that is what they are best at and really all they do. I would not want them making other parts to use. I know they do have branded stuff at wally-mart and maybe they make it but I wouldn't want to use it unless in a desperate emergency.
For things like cables and housing I always recommend getting the absolute best you can because it can greatly improve shifting and braking for less cost then the other associated parts. I recommend nice slick stainless cables (ideally polished and always uncoated) and good quality housing and especially for brakes, compressionless housing works wonders. My favorite way to go is the Jagwire kits, Pro and Elite are the best way to go but even the Sport kits can be an upgrade for some bikes and you generally have a lot of leftover stuff so it is easy to re-use it for other builds.
I would also never use galvanized cables for anything and shops who purchase them are doing their customers a big disservice all the shops I have worked at don't stock it and if they ever had some it was usually purchased accidentally or was a panic buy from some novice buyer who may not know parts as well.
Bell is a helmet maker that is what they are best at and really all they do. I would not want them making other parts to use. I know they do have branded stuff at wally-mart and maybe they make it but I wouldn't want to use it unless in a desperate emergency.
#9
Droid on a mission


Joined: May 2018
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From: Palm Coast, FL
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Best part that Bell makes that we do use is their Bell 100 Kickstand. Great on kid's bike after the training wheels come off, easily fits 12 to 18" bikes. and I can still get them at about $5 each on-line. Tubes are not bad if we get them for the right price.
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#10
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If you're talking the housing, it's a pretty good deal, but i stopped using their inner wires when one head popped off the cable and screwed up a "new old stock" 1991 deore LX left hand shifter.
Bad part is that Bianchigirll warned me of it. I learned the 80 dollar hard way.
#11
Clark W. Griswold




Joined: Mar 2014
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From: ,location, location
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
It's actually Huffy licensing the Bell name.
If you're talking the housing, it's a pretty good deal, but i stopped using their inner wires when one head popped off the cable and screwed up a "new old stock" 1991 deore LX left hand shifter.
Bad part is that Bianchigirll warned me of it. I learned the 80 dollar hard way.
If you're talking the housing, it's a pretty good deal, but i stopped using their inner wires when one head popped off the cable and screwed up a "new old stock" 1991 deore LX left hand shifter.
Bad part is that Bianchigirll warned me of it. I learned the 80 dollar hard way.
In terms of pretty good deal, I am confused? It is super cheap stuff that I wouldn't want on any of my bikes except in an emergency. Cables and Housing are pretty cheap upgrades so downgrading that much when I could even have a Jagwire Basics kit just seems odd unless again in an emergency.
Sucks you screwed up a nice LX shifter. That is why Jagwire or Shimano cables exist you can get cheapie stuff which I wouldn't use for LX but it will be a heck of a lot better than wally-mart.





