BTW, just rub it with a cloth? Or is there a more involved process?

If I remember right King Tullio I expressly forbid this in the Diet of Cables and Housings.

I've pretty much stopped using shift housing with friction components, because I've found the tiny housing cables fray through the housing end over time and the shifting gets sloppy. Maybe this is due to using regular brake housing ferrules instead of the smaller ones specific to shift housing, I dunno. Often, the cable stop in the derailleur or frame won't accept a ferrule at all. But I don't have the same problem over time using brake housing.

Hmm, I bought a "kit" for each, might see if there's enough brake housing left over to handle the short section needed for the RD.

Any caveats for cutting any of these types of housing to length? Years ago, I just used diagonal cutters and filed and jagged edges clean. Did buy a cable cutter recently but don't want to "close off" the cut end using it for housing.

I just use my Park cable cutters, trying to snip the housing very quickly. If it gets a little mangled on the end, I use the cutters again on the exposed coiled cable to clean it up. Sometimes (but not often) a needle is used to open the liner afterwards.

...a bench grinder wheel and an ice pick work pretty well to clean up the ends, but not everyone has room to keep a grinder set up. A file works, just works more slowly. If your cable cutter is really sharp, and you don't use it for anything else, you can often get away with just the cable cutter.

Except my cable cutter is not Park, I have all of the above tools. Will report results. Thanks!

Also BTW, is there an ideal measurement for the height of the brake cable loop above the bars? I've always done it by eye, and what I have currently looks a little low.

After about 50 miles, impressed that I so far am not seeing the expected cable stretch. Brakes and shifting both seem firm, and smooth.

Cut with a piece of scrap cable in the housing so it does not collapse. I use Shimano cutters

Actually there is an ideal for this, or there was. Make the rear brake housing as short as possible, with the possibility that the bars are able to rotate fully in both directions until they touch the top tube, without stretching or straining the housing. IOW make the housing as short as you can while still being able to full turn the bars in both directions. Then make the front brake match the rear in height. In practice usually I did the above but added an inch or so, as did most people.

This is another one attributable to Eddy Merckx. He always had crazy short housing. It saves weight...

Then I'm probably waaaay too high.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...042e6271d9.jpg

the old catalogs aren't a bad guide....

https://live.staticflickr.com/8175/2...372006_c_d.jpg


Steve in Peoria

Most of the time, yeah.

On occasion bikes in catalogs can be shockingly wonky, clearly assembled by a clueless photographer.

In that catalog photo, the cables rise above the bars about 1x the amount of drop in the bars; on my bike, I'm at about 1.5x; some shortening might be in order even if I'm not experiencing any issues while riding.

Dremel rotary tool with a cutting wheel. That makes a nice clean cut that requires no extra dressing aside from a pick to open the inner liner.

Kits are fine, but you pay more per bike. I like buying housing by the foot from Asian sources, and then die drawn stainless inner cables in bulk, same with ferrules and such.

After a few rides, impressed on how little cable stretch I experienced. BITD, I recall needing to readjust brake and derailleur cables after only one ride. Indeed, working in shops, part of assembling a new bike was really leaning on the brake levers trying to pre-stretch.

Brilliant idea, and the Dremel was within reach the entire time.:bang:

100% certain you are right about the cost.

Yikes, you could accidentally hang yourself just riding an aggressive position...

Heh, I run my cables to the left of the stem.
:foo:

I had a Jagwire sport (LEX-SL) rear shifter cable fray on my vintage Razesa. Hard to see in the photo, but it's in the middle of the bend. I didn't think the bend was too tight (see bottom photo), but the brazed cable guide location makes it a difficult run.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...18f12f1a4d.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3f15d9dcfc.jpg

The step down ferrules were once ubiquitous. You really do need to get a baggie of them to work on vintage bikes. SIS housing should not be used without ferrules. I always use ferrules even with traditional housing. SIS housing will work just fine with friction shift derailleurs. The stresses on the housing don't change because of the click.

FWIW, VO has or at least used to have the plain stainless coiled housing that was traditionally used for the RD.

My Masi has 40 year old cables and unlined housing, and it works fine. Without all the extra bends, cables didn't tend to fray. If they aren't frayed, I see no reason to replace. I prefer the feel of the original thick campy brake cables. While this bike is in semi retirement, I wouldn't hesitate to ride with the old cables.