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I have always thought it seems like a good idea, mainly for aesthetic reasons I guess, as well as making your bike easier to clean I suppose. However, there seems to be several posts recently relating to the ballache that internal routing can cause.
So, is it a good thing, bad thing, or just a good design idea that doesn't translate well to the real world? Or maybe it's better suited to certain types of bikes?
Looks good
Hassle to change
Can be noisy
Easier to clean
Pays ya money...
Always found it a faff on my 5
Depends how it's done. The new Intense and Santa Cruz carbon frames have guides run internally, so the cable outers just thread straight through.
Other bikes just have entry and exit points and you have to fish around in the frame. Bit of a pain but not the end of the world - after a couple of times it gets easier!
I like it but it's a pia to do (build) on a lot of frames. I'm not a fan of inner cables running internally. All my frames (ok, a few exceptions) have a stainless or brass insert and take the full outer cable. Can look clean and if you use frame bags it can help simplifying fitting those too.
i have semi internal routing on my transition, seems fine, was a doodle to fit, keeps it cleaner, less cable to rub on the frame, looks nicer, seems like a win if the routes are good and can take full outer housing.
Done well it's good. Done badly it's orrible. Seems to be often done badly.
whatever you do don't pull the old cable out without checking if there is a guide...
Personally I prefer full/continuous outers for mud/weather proofing but there are a few internal routes that look good. The real downside for me is as I'm now 1x and full sus all the cables have to come out and run along the stays anyway so it sort of defeats the point.