Last night, as I was building up the Pinarello, I realized that I need small plastic tubes to protect the BB shell from the DR cables. Is this a speciality item or is there a hardware store fix?

Thanks

RFC

I think you're being kind of obsessive. Just run the cables and don't worry about it. When the bike is ready for a repaint it won't be because the derailleur cables touched the bottom bracket.

Me, obsessive?

I use brake housing liner.

maybe yes, maybe no...but if you do go this route, all you need is a few inches of the teflon liner from inside a lined cable.
Job done, and time aplenty to obsess about other things .

My tandem has steel blocks brazed across the bottom brackets as guides, I used a piece of sleeve that I pulled out of a lined shift cable. Now I don't have to worry about sawing my BB shell in half

Now the dumb question: Is there an easy way to get the liner out?

Hmmm, I'm on the edge of my seat. I need to get some liner out!

I had scored some tubing from McMaster/Carr and it was just a bit too big in the OD to get into the guides of my Pinarello.

Thinking of a repaint after my DT got scratched to all heck, so I'll be needing something by the time I paint.

Just go to the LBS and buy some cable liner. It is commonly used for exposed cables on mtb's. I use it on all my bikes that have exposed cables running under the BB shell. It is cheap, it is easy to do, and it is good policy to do so. Why? Once I was on a ride, and the RD shifter would no longer shift - the cable was locked up. Upon inspection, I found that some road grit had mixed with moisture (perhaps performance drink residue), migrated into the cable tunnel on the BB shell, and cemented everything in place. I was unable to clear it without removing the cable.

I cleaned it thoroughly when I got home, and installed a section of liner that extended about 3-4" on either side. Friction holds in place, it does not effect shifting, and the tunnel can no longer get jammed up with debris.

It's not obsessive - it is A Good Thing To Do.

You can get it here, but any LBS will have it:
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=413114

Looks like this:

After prompting from OFG, I tried short (well, just long enough) lengths of leftover derailleur cable housing with lining. Works like a charm! I used Campy, of course.

Road "never obsessive!!!" Fan

Not dumb at all. I needed some in a hurry, did not feel like going to LBS. I tried to remove some from brake housing . Don't do that. OTOH, it is very easy to split some derailleur housing, use one of the metal wires inside to keep splitting the outside plastic, You will be left with a bunch of wires and the inside liner. You can even re-purpose used housing as long as you cut away the first few inches at the ends.

I also use this most of the time, but wonder if it's a bad idea for a bike you use in the rain. I see that there is nowhere for the collected water to go, since this liner makes a U shape, the pooled water (however little) may stay in and corrode the cable. Maybe force some grease into the liner, or am I being paranoid?

Okay, I guess it's normal to use little tubes. Sometimes I obsess about not getting caught up in those kinds of minor issues. Maybe therapy would help.

I don't think it's any harder than picking one's nose......
Ahhh!!,.......... just go "borrow" your wifeGFsister's precious tweezers and do it quickly in the garage when they're not looking.

Chombi

Who the hell would ride in the rain?

Niagara has a small selection of cable guides here;
https://www.niagaracycle.com/advanced...+guide&x=8&y=7
I've got one somewhere you can have if you can wait for me to find it.

Thanks all.

ok

For the bottom bracket guides, the thicker nylon liners work better and last longer than the thin teflon liners. But I do use the teflon liners, though, slipped into the stainless rear derailleur housing.

Maybe I'm thinking too much into this, but if you have the brazed on cable guides, sure the cables will take off the paint, but the repetitive rubbing of the cables will prevent rust from forming...

And, if you use cable liners, wouldn't they rub just as much?

Yes, you might be overthinking this.
The cable liners will keep the bare cable form contacting the paint and abrading it to expose and start digging into (although it will take a loong time) the BB shel metal.
The Teflon or nylon material of the cable casing liner will act like a lubricant, so wear will be close to negligable or nothing where it meets the paint if it does move back and forth against it. I still recommend though that you clean the BB under the cable casing liners regularly as any grit or dirt thrown up by the front and rear tires that might get trapped between it and the BB will act like the grit on sandpapaer and enventually will abrade the paint.

Chombi

me! actually i like riding in the rain more than.., ugh, riding when its not raining.

Absolutely, but proper obsessives only use stainless cables.

I use Teflon lined housing before stainless cables; but by all means, stainless if and where it can be done/afforded.

-Kurt

A needle-nose pliers generally works for me.