You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Seen bikes with cables crossed under the down tube (trek emonda being one), any down sides to doing this?
I’ve always done it-gives a better line to the cable guide under the BB that probably makes precisely zero difference in the real world. Never found a downside.
Yeah I usually cross them. Seems to give less tight turns. Doubt it makes any real difference but doesn't do any harm
I experimented with this on my mtbs this summer. Hardtail with bolt on cable guides under top tube for rear shifter and brake, and for dropper on top of down tube. So all cables cross in front of the head tube. I think it’s neater and no detriment to function. The under top tube cables are on the same side on all three guides and cross after leaving the rearmost one. The dropper cable crosses from right to left between the first two.
On my fs I didn’t like it as much and I’ve swapped back. Rear mech cable a bit too short I think. The cable guides are either side of the down tube though.
I've just "assembled" a big chain-store bike for my neighbour, in preparation for Xmas day.
Crossing the exposed inners, under the down tube would have made for much better cable routing from bars to top cable stops.
Didn't have time to correct the issue, at the time, but may do it later
I did it on my gravel bike because it made sense to me. Cables exiting the bartape have to go 'around' the headtube otherwise the angle is a bit too tight. A left hand rear (disc) brake has to cross back over, likewise the (1x) RH gear cabling. Both are full outers though.
On my MTB with wider bars and no tape the cable don't need to necessarily go around the heattube.
Yeah i do it, stops cables from rubbing through the paint on the top tube of a brand new bike eh.
Are you talking about crossing cable housing, or exposed cable? I've crossed exposed cable on the down tube of a road bike before but it all depends on where the cable stops are. If they're too high, it will cause the cable to touch the tube and slowly saw through it each time you shift.
Even bikes with internal cabling come designed / are assembled that way - keeps the outer cables away from the head tube. Never seen a cable frayed due to crossing-over
Quite honestly it never occurred to me to do it any other way.
Depends on the bike. Not really a hard and fast rule. Normally depends on the position and angle of the cable stops (some frames the cables will cut into the frame if crossed, some cable stops are angled, some straight etc, sometimes just customer preference (some customers want short cables down the side of the head tube, some want longer cables that dont touch the head tube)
@onzadog
I’m assuming we’re talking about the outers.
Unless I’ve got the wrong end of the stick of course
It was just the "under the down tube" on a road bike rather than in front of the head tube that got me thinking.
Current Emonda seems to be internal routing anyway.
Yes. But new bike has internal cables with little adapters in the downtube that can’t be swapped over so I couldn’t cross at the head tube.
You get a more gentle curve by crossing so seems the best way of routing imho.