[Closed] Internal routing tool kit recommendations?

It's essentially just a rare earth magnet and a steel bit that goes into the end of some 'string' no?

Could you fashion your own?

I've got a few bits:

Some string
A sacrificial (but clean) gear cable without an end
Thin plastic tubing that can go over a gear inner (but is narrower than an outer)
The Red Tool you get with Reverbs <-- The most useful thing

A magnet tool with an adaptor end that will attach onto both gear inners, brake hoses and string would be great. But not for £65.

Vacuum cleaner, thread.
Feed the thread into the hole and the vacuum cleaner will suck it out the other end. Attach end of thread to cable and slowly pull it through.

lifeline do one, i got one from wiggle ok reviews, CRC not so.
not had chance to use it, but seems ok, and i didnt fancy trying to fish the cable through my frame it was a right ballache
birzman also did one but was £35-40

J-bend spoke has always worked well for me. Perfect size and shape and strong enough to hook the cable through the wee hole and guide it where you want it.

Maybe I've just been lucky so far though - but it's not failed me yet on 3 or 4 different bikes.

If I'm putting a new cable in and having to put the anti rattle foam over it as well, I will drop the forks out. Makes the routing a doddle then, no fishing about with magnets and bits of string, the cable ports are usually within reach of the headtube. I will always route from the back of the bike forward, most brakes are crimped at the caliper end (Shimano, Formula, Sram)

Oh and internal cable routing can get in the sea, completely pointless on an mtb.

Lifeline one seems pretty good, a mate has one and says it does the job as well as the park one. Maybe it isn’t as durable but it’s cheap enough to be replaced.

If I am replacing old cables I tie a bit of thread to the end of the old cable before removing it and dab it with a tiny bit of superglue, pull it through with the old cable then do the opposite to run in a new one.

If it’s full length outers, the reverb red thingy is great, they tend to bend though if you are having to route around awkward runs or sharp corners.

Hammer.

Dictionary of profanity.

Tissues to mop up bitter tears of futile rage.

I've had success using a zip tie, fastened to make a loop which I feed into the frame, then pull the cable to the hole once it's fed through the zip tie. Also used a magnet to pull through an inner.

I’ve done dozens of internal routes, both just inners and the complete cables. If it’s your own bike you’ll develop a method without buying a special tool to use once a year. I’ve used the methods described by superficial and euain but never needed to use magnets.
The Reverb barb is good for outer cable but push the new through don’t pull! I have used some very thin blue tubing from a plumbing neighbour that I believe comes with new boilers. Cut the ends off the original inner, slide this tubing over until it emerges at the other end, secure, slide old inner out and new inner in, remove tube. Another useful tool on a variation of the J bend spoke is various hooked tools made from the thin strips of stainless steel in windscreen wipers. Keeping tension on bare inners can be important in some frames otherwise they can end up in a proper tangle inside the tubes - especially if poor carbon lay up with lots of obstructions. And if all that fails then lie underneath the workstand with a torch and a hook whilst your partner feeds it backwards and forwards mm by mm! I’m so pleased that I’m done with all that and just have to do my own, externally routed bikes.
Hope this helps.

No need for any of this nonsense. Just purchase a frame with TITS (Tubes In Tubes System) or similar. Poke it in one end and it comes straight out the other 👍

Alternatively I stick it in one end and hook it out the other with the smallest allen key available. For replacements I gorilla tape old outer to new and push/pull through.

But if you’ve not got a bike with T. I.T.S - sounds like another unnecessary acronym to me - the above information from contributors might help?

found the easiest way on the road bike was just shoving it backwards and forwards until it popped out the right hole.

But if you’ve not got a bike with T. I.T.S – sounds like another unnecessary acronym to me – the above information from contributors might help?

Always has to be someone that misses the joke on here. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/tranisition-carbon-patrol-video-2015.html

Sorry I missed the joke. I don’t think I missed a joke, just didn’t read that article back in 2015. Even if I had I would’ve forgotten by now, I can’t even remember things I read last week! Stay safe and good luck with the standup tour....

Sorry I missed the joke.

To be fair, it's not always easy to tell.

Whoever did the graphics for the Whyte E150 thought it's two most significant features were Quad link suspension....OK.....and "SCR".

What ground-breaking, presumably proprietary, feature could SCR be.....

Yes, it's "Single Chain Ring"

Anyway, OP, did my post help you save money? I can send you some blue pipe if you can’t source any.

Park Tool is OK but not up to regular workshop use - the hydro hose 'Johnny' splits really easily and can't be replaced.

I used to loathe things like Specialized Venges where the whole bike comes in kit form and you had to thread the hydro hose through the frame, fork, stem and handlebar and had to be cut pretty well exactly to length. Had someone buy one and came back a week later - can you put a 20mm spacer under the bars FFS? 🤬

Its a ball ache no doubt, but never ever worth the price of them tools unless your doing it every day. child labour with little fingers is good for this!

Where theres will, theres always a way. I always tie some string to the end and pull it through when removing cables if im selling the frame, or attach the new cable with the fabled red bit. New frames generally come with that long plastic straw stuff. so a bare naked frame is rare.