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Using Jagwire with C&V Campy?

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Old 07-22-19 | 08:12 AM
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Using Jagwire with C&V Campy?

Well, on my daily-rider Palo Alto, all the cabling is between 21 years old (when I bought the bike online) and 39 years old (when it was built). No reason to complain, nothing is broken, but as I switch everything over to the Masi frame (another topic here at C&V), probably not a bad time to replace them — and I am contemplating changing the housing color.I see a lot of posts here about Jagwire, so I took a quick look online, including Jagwire’s own site. Especially on the shifting, I read it works with Shimano and Sram… but I am running Campy Nuovo Record shifting (downtime levers) and Record (non-aero) brakes. I left them a message about whether the #’s below would work, and did not hear back. Is anyone here using Jagwire w/Campy, any pitfalls? Leaded ends fit? Length OK? Etc?Shifting, PK507https://jagwire.com/products/diy-cab...-pro-shift-kit
Braking, PK207https://jagwire.com/products/diy-cab...-pro-brake-kit
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Old 07-22-19 | 08:44 AM
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...I use it on about 20 different bikes equipped with Campagnolo NR. the derailleur cable ends are small enough to fit just like the old Campy specific cables. No issues I can think of. The lengths are all long enough to fit every one of my bikes, with plenty of room to shorten them. I buy it in bulk, and I buy the mid range stuff (plastic lined housing and stainless die drawn smooth surface cables). Don't buy their cheapest stuff, because the mid range is not that much more expensive and it does work a little better.
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Old 07-22-19 | 08:49 AM
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Jagwire does make Campy spec inners because the ends do have different dimensions than Shimano type. Shimano sizes are just big enough to sometimes cause problems, but not always.
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Old 07-22-19 | 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
...I use it on about 20 different bikes equipped with Campagnolo NR. the derailleur cable ends are small enough to fit just like the old Campy specific cables. No issues I can think of. The lengths are all long enough to fit every one of my bikes, with plenty of room to shorten them. I buy it in bulk, and I buy the mid range stuff (plastic lined housing and stainless die drawn smooth surface cables). Don't buy their cheapest stuff, because the mid range is not that much more expensive and it does work a little better.
That's comforting to read. However...

Originally Posted by Kuromori
Jagwire does make Campy spec inners because the ends do have different dimensions than Shimano type. Shimano sizes are just big enough to sometimes cause problems, but not always.
... so I head back to Jagwire's site. Pro series only lists for Shimano/Sram, the Sport series adds Campy. Fitting seem identical except Pro comes with more options. their Small Parts pages lists all kinds of fittings, none Campy-specific. The only sizes mentioned are 4mm for shift, 5mm for brake. Seems like I'm no closer to knowing.
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Old 07-22-19 | 09:04 AM
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I’m pretty sure housings are the same, just the inners that are different, and it’s only sometimes a problem. I don’t see much reason to buy expensive housings, especially with C&V which tends to have gentler cable routing. Even the base level stuff with slick stainless inners is fairly good.
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Old 07-22-19 | 09:17 AM
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+1, I also have Jagwire on several Campagnolo-equipped bikes.

Btw, you can rub off the Jagwire lettering/logos from the housing for a more classic look.
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Old 07-22-19 | 09:24 AM
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Same I've used shimano/sram jagwire with campy and it's been fine.

I've also emailed Jagwire and have never heard back from them. Glad it's not just me.

I have a sealed shift kit--which is basically just full-length cable liners--on my gravel bike because otherwise the cables start squeaking after about 0.38 seconds on dusty gravel. But I also have Campy Potenza on that bike and Jagwire doesn't make a Campy-specific sealed shift kit.

So I just buy the sealed shift kit and buy Campy cables separately. It all works swimmingly.
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Old 07-22-19 | 02:13 PM
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I've used Jagwire Teflon-coated brake cables when using unlined (vintage) brake cable housing. I'm sure there's no problem with their housing and shift cables. I tend to just grind down Shimano-sized shift cable heads to fit Campagnolo levers. (Oddly enough, I just mounted my first set of Campagnolo "Doppler" shift levers recently. I was ready to take out the Dremel, but found they were sized for Shimano cable ends!)

As for changing housing colors, I find the selection at Porkchop BMX hard to beat, and last time I bought from them they sold housing by the foot.
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Old 07-22-19 | 02:21 PM
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OK, sounds like it's time to order.

Originally Posted by gaucho777
Btw, you can rub off the Jagwire lettering/logos from the housing for a more classic look.
That's a good hint!

Originally Posted by smontanaro
I tend to just grind down Shimano-sized shift cable heads to fit Campagnolo levers.
Well, that's easy enough.
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Old 07-22-19 | 06:08 PM
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At one time, the Teflons had both ends, you just cut off the end you didn't need. The little things counted. Then.
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Old 07-22-19 | 06:28 PM
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I have Jagwire in my Canpy equipped Allez works perfectly
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Old 07-23-19 | 09:27 AM
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Well, I'm not a Jagwire fan. The steel wires in the casing run parallel to the length, instead of coiling like classic housing. On a recent ride, that enabled my rear derailleur cable to actually slice through the side of the casing. That disabled the derailleur. I was able to lock it into one gear and finish the very hilly ride shifting just my three chainrings. Yes, I admit quite a bit of fault in the failure: I didn't use proper end caps on the casing, and I didn't lube the vintage derailleur adequately and it became tough to move. I also used the Jag casing in an area requiring a tight bend, and it doesn't like to bend like that. All in all, though, I installed it just as I would have installed classic casing. I replaced the damaged section with vintage spiral casing, and everything works great again. Bike is my 1970 Mondia Special 650b conversion.
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Old 07-23-19 | 09:33 AM
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[MENTION=304894]drpaddle[/MENTION]

you do know Jagwire actually makes both types the old school coiled cable housings and the compression-less cable housing. For what it’s worth that would not have happened had you used a cable end on the cable .

i had the same thing happen cause I failed to put a cable end on the cable
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Old 07-23-19 | 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by drpaddle
Well, I'm not a Jagwire fan. The steel wires in the casing run parallel to the length, instead of coiling like classic housing. On a recent ride, that enabled my rear derailleur cable to actually slice through the side of the casing. /// Yes, I admit quite a bit of fault in the failure: I didn't use proper end caps on the casing
Originally Posted by SamSpade1941
[MENTION=304894]drpaddle[/MENTION] For what it’s worth that would not have happened had you used a cable end on the cable . i had the same thing happen cause I failed to put a cable end on the cable
Thanks for illustrating that! I'll ensure that I use the ends, regardless of how much Dremelling I need to do to make them fit.

Ordered Pro series shift and brake kits a few hours ago, I'll need to report back on results.
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Old 07-23-19 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by tiger1964
Thanks for illustrating that! I'll ensure that I use the ends, regardless of how much Dremelling I need to do to make them fit.

Ordered Pro series shift and brake kits a few hours ago, I'll need to report back on results.

They do have cable ends that step down to fit the cable stops on your stays ..
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Old 07-23-19 | 01:30 PM
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I did not know that Jagwire makes a coiled housing. Honestly, "If it's after '82, I have not a clue". I usually keep my bikes in period-correct housing.

I rode a self-contained tour in the Canadian Rockies last year with Adventure Cycling. One of the guys was riding a stock Surley Long Haul Trucker. His "compressionless" shift cable housing pulled through the silly plastic end ferrule. I replaced it for him out of the leader's spare parts, and it pulled through again.
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Old 07-23-19 | 02:08 PM
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I was confused reading the comments in the email sent to me (no pix). What are illustrated in [MENTION=435212]SamSpade1941[/MENTION]'s post aren't cable ends but ferrules (housing ferrules, I suppose to be totally pedantic). Those are, specifically, step down ferrules. When the talk was of "cable ends" I was envisioning the little aluminum caps which are crimped onto the end of the cables to keep them from fraying. I couldn't understand how lack of that allowed the cable to slice through the housing.
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Old 07-23-19 | 02:47 PM
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Originally Posted by drpaddle
Well, I'm not a Jagwire fan. The steel wires in the casing run parallel to the length, instead of coiling like classic housing. On a recent ride, that enabled my rear derailleur cable to actually slice through the side of the casing. That disabled the derailleur. I was able to lock it into one gear and finish the very hilly ride shifting just my three chainrings. Yes, I admit quite a bit of fault in the failure: I didn't use proper end caps on the casing, and I didn't lube the vintage derailleur adequately and it became tough to move. I also used the Jag casing in an area requiring a tight bend, and it doesn't like to bend like that. All in all, though, I installed it just as I would have installed classic casing. I replaced the damaged section with vintage spiral casing, and everything works great again. Bike is my 1970 Mondia Special 650b conversion.
...your photo of the damaged housing is "indexed" derailleur cable housing, If you're mostly doing friction shifting and brake cabling, you should be using Jagwire brake cable housing. It's a sprial wound steel coil housing, and can also be had with a plastic liner. It's much more flexible, and it won't asplode like that, even if you put it together without housing ends.

REally, the only reason you'd want to use housing like the stuff in your photo is for indexing derailleurs One possible exception is Campy NR rear derailleurs, which in ancient times required quite a bit of overshifting to change gears. But that was mostly due to the spiral wound chrome housing that came with most of it as original, which is wildly compressible, and is not real user friendly in terms of a positive shift. On those, even regular spiral wound housing is an improvement
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Old 07-23-19 | 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by smontanaro
I was confused reading the comments in the email sent to me (no pix). What are illustrated in [MENTION=435212]SamSpade1941[/MENTION]'s post aren't cable ends but ferrules (housing ferrules, I suppose to be totally pedantic). Those are, specifically, step down ferrules. When the talk was of "cable ends" I was envisioning the little aluminum caps which are crimped onto the end of the cables to keep them from fraying. I couldn't understand how lack of that allowed the cable to slice through the housing.
I don’t disagree you are being totally pedantic .

They are placed on the end of the cable hence my saying cable ends.
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Old 07-23-19 | 03:52 PM
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They are placed on the end of cable housing so they are really cable housing ends.
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Old 08-01-19 | 01:22 PM
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Related issue, but I recall someone else here at BF had a similar problem. Yellow is not always yellow. The Jagwire "yellow" is a bright, pure yellow. I ordered handlebar tape of a brand I've used before and the yellow was more like chartreuse, a horrible mis-match. Back it went and I got Cinelli, their yellow is a good match.
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Old 08-01-19 | 04:07 PM
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Originally Posted by tiger1964
Well, on my daily-rider Palo Alto, all the cabling is between 21 years old (when I bought the bike online) and 39 years old (when it was built). No reason to complain, nothing is broken
Do your brakes actually stop you any more? IMHO, cables and housings need to be replaced periodically because 1) if you are using unlined housings the metal interior and cables get corroded or badly worn so the frictional drag becomes so significant that most of your hand pressure goes into overcoming friction instead of pushing the brake pads against the rim; or 2) if you are using lined cables the low friction lining eventually gets worn through, leading to the same excessive drag and poor braking performance.

Personally, I go one step beyond using Jagwire and use rather pricey Dura Ace brake cables. I found an article summarizing testing of a number of cables a few years ago and those had by far the lowest frictional drag of any cable brand/model. Upon changing to those cables my braking performance was vastly improved.

Also, regarding shift cables, most of the new ones are much skinnier than the old ones and don't work as well. My local bike shop sources large diameter cables for Campagnolo NR shifters that seem to be more positive. I believe those are available through Boulder Bicycle.

Last edited by davester; 08-01-19 at 04:10 PM.
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Old 08-01-19 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by davester
Do your brakes actually stop you any more?
Yeah, sure, they stop. Just taking a precautionary measure... and changing housing color, just for fun.
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Old 08-01-19 | 07:18 PM
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Works fine with Campy 50th and Confente
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Old 08-01-19 | 07:51 PM
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This is the first I've heard of indexed shift housing not being good to use on friction drivetrains.
I'll count my blessings I haven't had an issue...or
I'll keep setting up housing with caps and not think about it again.
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