In frame brake cable
 

Hi all: This is my first post. here's my question: I have a new Trek Madone with rear brake cable routed thru the frame. Do they have a tube insert in the frame in order to route cable replacement? Otherwise, how do you get a cable out the hole at the other end of the top tube?

i had a 97' cannondale super v 700 full suspension mountain bike that had a carbon fiber rear swing arm that had a internally routed rear gearshift wire. when my rear derailleur cable snapped and i had to replace it, i realized my swingarm had NO routing guide and i had to realy on my smarts, mac guyverisims and "the force" to get that cablewire back thru the swingarm. sting, ductape, wire... good luck if your isnt supported by an internal routing guide.

If the cable is still in the frame slide a cable housing or a piece of cable housing liner over it and through the frame. Extract the old cable leaving the liner in place. Now simply slnde your new cable through the cable housing liner.

My old Tarmac had the rear cable routed throught the top tube. It really isn't very difficult to get the cable routed. When you pull the old cable out if you can tie a peice of line to it you simply pull the new cable through with line. Still, I have a Cannondale Prophet and the rear derailleur cable enters the front of the swingarm and runs inside the full length to the rear. I just hunted and pecked with the brake housing until it came through. Still not hard to do. If nothing else, you could ask at your local shop or email Trek and ask them.

Mike

It is pretty simple. Just route the cable into the frame on the front. It'll push through the TT. On the other side, by the seat mast. You will notice that the gromet is removable with a hex wrench (I think 1.5mm - not sure - at least on my 09 Madone it is metric but on my early 08 it was, ASE!: 3/64" or 1/16", I recall it not being metric @ 1, 1.5 or 2mm though.). In good lighting, wiggle the cable around and catch it either with a small pair of needlenose pliers, or a rubber band inserted into the frame. Don't forget to feed the cable back through the gromet again. Carefully tighten the bolt down again before sliding the housing back on the cable.

Retro Grouch's suggestion of using cable housing back through the TT from the rear works great too and avoids having to remove the gromet. For me though, when I am pulling brake cables, I am almost always stripping the frame too, and never remember to tape off the frame with the housing in place. It is good for an inplace cable change, but I am usually stripping the frame when the brake cables are coming off, so other work on the bare frame before I even think about putting new cables back in.

HTH
zac

I'm now faced with the same problem on the same bike mentioned here.:cry:

Yeah there is a long thin stainless tube running the whole way through the tube. How do you like the madone? those are nice bikes!

Routing internal cables is not that hard... you can use a shifter / brake cable to pull the new housing through by inserting it into the housing and guiding the cable through the frame to the exit point.

I use a spoke that has a hooked end like a crochet needle to fish the cable out if it does not come through on it's own accord and then pull the housing through, remove the shifter / brake cable and finish the install.