Cable inner/outer/ends - whats best and where to buy in bulk?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404401374453?var=674343643691

Recently bought this jagwire, seems lovely and smooth/flexible/bendy. I did notice though that my standard ferrules don't fit it, which was a minor complication. I used 2 others i found, then realised later he'd sent me some ferrules that i assume will fit 😀 

I pair it with the Jagwire gear cables.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195221145353?var=494998355996

I just go Shimano stainless and SP41.

While the coated options may be better when new, the cost per cable for stainless means I can change them frequently and not care.

Tip for smooth dropper action is to run the cable in Shimano SLR brake housing, much more flexible. After all, your dropper post isn't indexed 

Posted by: weeksy

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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404401374453?var=674343643691

Recently bought this jagwire, seems lovely and smooth/flexible/bendy. I did notice though that my standard ferrules don't fit it, which was a minor complication. I used 2 others i found, then realised later he'd sent me some ferrules that i assume will fit 😀 

I pair it with the Jagwire gear cables.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195221145353?var=494998355996

You've linked to brake cable outer, not gear.  Which is 5mm not 4mm as (I think) nearly all gear outer.  Which would explain why your cable ends didn't fit.  But also it shouldn't work very well for gear shifting as it's not 'constant length'.

I just go Shimano stainless and SP41.

While the coated options may be better when new, the cost per cable for stainless means I can change them frequently and not care.

Tip for smooth dropper action is to run the cable in Shimano SLR brake housing, much more flexible. After all, your dropper post isn't indexed 

+1 to all that.

There are probably more bling and durable metal ends than shimano's plastic ones, just make sure they're sealed. I usually buy bags of that sort of thing from ali-express along with stuff like valve cores, hose barbs and olives, cable guides etc.  All the small bits that are disproportionally annoying when they hold up fixing a  bike, cost pennies bought in bulk or downright extortionate from a shop 😂

Lower link from Weeksy is gear cable. Presumably the website filled in the image link wrong.

Some jagwire outer is thicker and uses stepped ferrules 

Sp41 on bikeparts.co.uk

Ferrules and end caps from Ali express by the hundred in all colours. 

Best as in smoothest/ nicest feeling or best as in most durable? I have a hunch they're likely exclusive.

I'm interested in the latter after it took me 5 hours to swap the gear outer on my Rise. I should have gone the brake cable route for the dropper while us was at it but but I didn't have any.

I've always used SP41 with standard Shimano stainless inners. The Optislick stuff feels nicer when it's new but worse when it's old. I've always kinda figured that expensive inners/ outers from whichever brand would be the same story. I've never tried though. Maybe I'm wrong?

I was thinking of adding a cable oiler thingy at both ends so I can squirt some lube in there now and then and easily replace the ends of the outers if they get crap in them.

I ran Middleburn cable oilers on my adventure bike. I took them off and I'll not be installing them in anything else. They didn't cause any problems but I'm pretty certain they didn't add anything.

Posted by: irc

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Lower link from Weeksy is gear cable. Presumably the website filled in the image link wrong.

Link is wrong, presumably he was in a hurry as here's the gear outer link from same seller https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175353330515?itmmeta=01JS6BGR6VRT3PD5EBYR5929TN&hash=item28d3df7b53%3Ag%3A-DEAAOSwIz9mNnX4&var=474599023969

Recommended 

https://singletrackmag.com/advert/shimano-sp41-outer-10-meters-for-15/