Cable installation questions
 

Hi,

I am going to install some new cables soon, but I have a few questions.

1) The cables currently are bare all along the downtube to the bottom bracket, I was wondering if it would be ok to use a cable housing here to better protect the cable, or is this not necessary?

2) I hear differing opinions on whether or not to grease the cables where they go into and come out of the cable housing, should I or shouldn't I?

Thanks

Daven

1. Don't bother. Just make sure you clean the bike well. A full housing is going to make your controls seem sluggish.

2. I use a little squirt of chain lube on these surfaces.

Question 1. Unless there are any specific problems with the current setup, leave it. I run similar segments on bare cables on all my bikes and they are fine - even the off road bikes.

Question 2. I always use a little white lithium grease when putting the cables through the housings.

thanks :) I have some finish wet chain lube would this be ok? I assume I just squirt a little inside the housing?

Daven

Bare cables are fine; the less housing you have, the better the cables perform. In the past, before the days of lined cable housings, we used to have problems with dependent loops of housing collecting moisture and rusting solid (usually happened with FD housing and rear brakes on mixte frames), but modern lined housing doesn't have this problem.

Yup. I've switched from grease to light oil with very good results. Grease tends to dry up and get gummy. If the oil is light enough it will wick down the cable quite freely. My favorite all-around lube is Triflow, but the Finish Line lubes are dandy, too.

I find that wax-based chain oils like Rock and Roll get gummy, though.

I'll second the Tri-Flow - in liquid form. I put some on a paper-towel and pull the cable through it. And pour a small quantity into/through the housing. Never gums up.

I never use grease on cables. Especially in colder climates, the grease can slow down your shifting dramatically. I use T9 on all cables (or Tri-Flow if that's all we have left).

thanks for the advice all :)

one final question: Do I have to lube the bare cables? I'm guessing not but I'd be happier with a confirmation!