[Closed] How the hell did I only just discover cable oilers

companies need us to buy more stuff, not less.

Oh them. I found them years ago, used them for a bit then gave up.

I found they introduced a sort of a kink into the cable run so didn't get on with them.

These on the other hand are great.. Used them on motorcycles forever and for years on push bikes too. Slacken your cable, slip them into the device, cinch it up then spray. You can see the oil coming out of the other end when it's through.

Used to be made by Middleburn... thing was, they didn’t seal well enough, so let in more crap, particularly with full length outers, which kind of defeated the object of them really.
Best use I found for one was when i changed to vbrakes on a cross bike and didn’t have a long enough piece of outer - the oiler served as a join so I could use 2 short pieces.
Aside from that they sat in the toolbox.
(Oh, and disc brakes, of course, rendered the brake ones pointless)

Interesting idea but I'd imagine they will allow in more muck and water than you'd get in an otherwise straight piece of cable outer.

I used to slacken off gear cable by leaving the chain on a large rear cog and change it down without moving, then drop a few squirts of oil directly into the cable outers.

Took all of two minutes a go and eventually worked its way down the cables.

Nowadays I don't think I've lubed a gear cable in the last 10 years of owning bikes, just never feel the need to. Must be better cable routing with full length outers on most bikes.

I use them and do not find any of the issues as above. All my bikes have them except the most recent as I thought they were no longer made. Its just a part of my maintenance routine - 5 seconds to squirt some lube in

No issues with muck getting in or cables kinking

As above - all my bikes have/had them. I stocked up on Middleburn ones when I heard they were stopping making them. Takes less than a minute to flush a cable.

Put Your bike in first gear. Then change to the lowest cog without pedelling. This gives you enough slack to be able to spray oil down the cable. You can do it at the opposite end.

No need to complicate things

Great little piece of kit; again, all my bikes have them and I've not had to change a single cable inner this year, nor an outer. Properly fitted, they're well sealed and used occasionally they will preserve a cable for many years. Depending on how clean your outer cable cut is, you may find it helps to carve off a tiny piece of plastic right in the last mm of outer to help snug them all the way into the alloy body of the oiler.
My commuter 29er is out in all weathers, all year; the rear cable is at least 4 years old and shifts as well now as ever. I know some folk fit two on a rear cable but I've always found one enough, except on the tandem where the continuous run of outer is quite long.

Partly I plan to use them so I can leave the outers under bar tape with drop bars, which could turn out to save a hell of a lot of faff...

Some good advice here though: I may try to fit them between two cable mounts on the from to avoid kinking

Put Your bike in first gear. Then change to the lowest cog without pedalling. This gives you e

Have you got this the right? First gear and lowest cog are the same thing! Do you mean largest cog to smallest cog?

kayak23
Oh them. I found them years ago, used them for a bit then gave up.

This +1, I found full length cables (on bikes where they were meant to have short cable covered sections... this was a few years ago) just more reliable.

I got some Middleburn ones years ago, then made some more out of ali rod from B&Q. This ended up a well tight fit on the outers, so no leaks there. A piece of tubing round the thing seals the little hole as well. Used with full-length outers, definitely extends time between new cables needed. Don't necessarily play nicely with coated cables, probably best to stick with plain ones.

I've got a couple in the spares box (red ones) & thought they were great until I realised they were pointless.
Free to a good home as theyr'e taking up LOADS of space. 1st come 1st served.

I've used the motorcycle cable oiler and graphite spray lube to great success on motorbikes in the past.

Full length outers make the cable oiler things totally redundant.
The more joints you have in a cable the harder they are to set up/ keep clean.
I also have a pack of three of them in a tool box somewhere...

I use 'em on full length outers with no detriment and always have lovely free running cables that last years. I just do not get the objection.

To me like mudguards and bells they are a no brainer. Benefits without detriment or cost.

Stu - I'll have your "packet of three" 😉

Middleburn ones are on ebay here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162525452073

I use them on my full-sus. Useful for splitting the cable run.

I just do not get the objection.

There's no "objection", it's just, like many things, they work for some and not for others. Maybe you squirt lube more often, maybe you're just amazing at fitting them. Just because they work for you, doesn't make you right. They haven't exactly been so brilliant that they're a standard fit, have they.

TJ.
You're welcome to them if I can find them.
I'll PM you after i've had a rummage.
Not sure if they're 4 or 5mm but they'r Middleburn ones.
Only time I have cable problems now is when the outers do that weird thing when a few strands end up poking up higher than the rest of the outer and cause inconsistent tension.
SP41 never needs any lube.

I think they are great and suit my bikes with full length cable outers. It's plenty wet riding in the Lake District and these keep shifting slick, stopping them getting rusty and sticky.

use ’em on full length outers with no detriment and always have lovely free running cables that last years. I just do not get the objection.

I used to use them....but then stainless cables and teflon liners became the norm rather than the exception . Meaning the cable oilers were just heavy unrequired items

A solution to a problem that doesn't exist IMO, also, see Scotoiler.

I used to have one on one bike; I used to move the o-ring aside, lube the cable then forget to put the o-ring back so they probably did far more harm than good!

Thinking about it I don't remember actually removing it, so maybe it's still there, I just haven't used it in ages...

I'm with nobeerinthefridge.

Left overs of a by gone age, when it was necessary to repeatedly lube cables to stop them corroding due to water penetration from stupid split sections and gaping holed ferrules and cable stops.

Sealed ferule full length hose with corrosion free stainless cables slide acceptably well and require no attention for at least a couple of years. If you want to fancy them up you can squirt some silicone Lube down the empty housing, once, prior to assembly.

You use cable oilers because you think you should, not because you need to.

Used them for years and have most definitely prolonged my gear cables from how long they used to last, particularly full length outers. Takes only a few seconds to flush the cables after the bike's been wet or washed.