When I bought my Canyon Aeroad two years ago there were several factors involved in my choice. One was price. Another was the cables. I chose the least costly Aeroad CF SL because it was the least expensive and it did not have internal cables. I love the look of internal cables but I am not a fan of the increased maintenance issues. Just wondering if others have had this influence their decisions.

Yes!

I avoid internal cables if possible

And so, electronic shifting was developed…and it was good.

I can't get mine to actually flap, despite being in the breeze!

Agree I do not like internal cables.

Some will say they are not an issue, but people regularly post here with "issues" on internal cables. If I can avoid it, I will never have an internally cabled bike.

I have externally routed cables, and I love the ability to micro adjust shifting on the fly with barrel adjusters up front. But internally routed cables do look good. Has anybody ever invented a barrel adjuster, or something that does the same thing, for internally routed cables? Maybe with a dial or wheel partially exposed on the back side of the handlebar right next to the stem?

Yeah they are pretty much standard issue with internal cabling.

I'll never buy an internally cabled bike. That said, I don't really want to deal with cables anymore in general so I'm going wireless.

We need some clarification here on what constitutes "internally routed". I prefer cables and hoses (A) entering the frame via one or more openings in its down tube, but not (B) routed through the stem, headset spacers, or head tube. This preference led me to choose a Cannondale Synapse instead of several other endurance bikes.

If I understand correctly, A is commonly referred to as "internally routed", whereas (B) is "fully internally routed" or "integrated". If these terms are correct, the Aeroad has internally routed cables.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I built a road bike that has a fully integrated handlebar. I have to admit it was a bit of a b***h routing the cables until I came up with a better way to do it. I thought all the bends in the shifter cables would cause some inconsistent shifting but that hasnt been the case at all and it works fine. I really like the clean look. Having said that, I have a new handle bar that I want to swap, that I've been avoiding doing. TBH though the thought of dealing with bar tape is probably holding this back, I find that a bigger inconvenience to deal with than integrated cabling.

I view them with a burning hatred hotter than the surface of the sun! I hate internally routed hydraulics even more! There is no level of hell low enough for the person who thought internally routing was a good idea.

Depends on the bike. My Look 595 has quite a bit of internal cabling. The rear brake cable runs through the top tube. The derailleur cables run through the downtube and are super easy to change. None of this running cables through the headset. I have changed cables a few time and it was never more difficult than external cables