Madrid

I want to put new cables on a old road bike I have. What would be the best place to purchase cable from and the tools?
I have never replaced cable before. I might be posting pictures later.
Thanks

rpenmanparker 

Jagwire kits on ebay. The Pro Road or some such.

Nick The Beard

Local bike shop. Ask other riders in the area which they recommend. They might even be able to give you good tips.

Madrid

$30 is a fair price?

noglider 

Local bike shop. That way, you get exactly what you need, and you are supporting a local business.

rpenmanparker 

For the whole nine yards it is a steal. Inners, outers, ferrules, cable tips, everything you need for a complete job. Slick covered stainless wires, ultra-compressionless shifter outer cables, special easy bending sections for along the curve in the handlebar... You couldn't ask for a better deal.

GravelMN

Like any other component, cables and housings come in different qualities. Most LBSs have bulk housings and stainless cables that will do the job for many applications at a good price and you get the benefit of some good advice along the way. You can spend a lot more and there are performance benefits but you have to decide which price point is right for your riding demands. $30 for the Jagwire kit is a good deal. On an older bike, don't cheap out and just replace cables while keeping the old housings, it is worth it to replace both. Do use the old housings to measure length for new housings unless you need to change the routing or bends for some reason. Above all, DO NOT use the cheap Bell cable kits from WalMart or other big box store. Those $5 kits are suitable only for getting low-end kids bikes back in functional condition or to keep a commuter on the road for someone on an extremely tight budget (last resort).

Take pictures of your current cable routing before starting especially close ups of the derailleur attachments. Make a few notes. 30 seconds with a camera phone and a scratch pad can save you a lot of time and frustration later on. Do get a proper cable housing and cable cutter and avoid the temptation to use electrician's side cutting pliers. Another alternative for the housings is a cut off disk for a Dremel or similar tool. After cutting a housing, take a few seconds to make sure the cut is clean and the lumen is clear, a tiny drill bit can be used by hand to make sure the opening is unobstructed and hasn't been ovalized.

scott967

Any recs for down tube shifting? The inner is mostly exposed except for the small bit at the turn for the RD, so the inner needs to be fairly impervious to corrosion, while friction is really a non-issue. Should I also assume all brake outers will fit into the top tube ferrules used on older bikes?

scott s.
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cs1

I used to think that was high until I priced genuine Campagnolo or Shimano cables sets. $30 seems like a deal. What are you thinking they should cost?

RandomTroll

Walmart sells a set of brake and derailleur cables; I think they call it a 'tune up kit', for about $6 last time I bought one. I would buy them just for the wires; they were cheaper than wires anywhere else. They lasted as well as any other wires I've used.