[Closed] What cables?

Usual STW rules of responding with "what I have is..."

I've used Uberbike kits on all my bikes and have liked them

A bit of comparative analysis would help 🙂

I've always been into the Ride-On cable idea, and they've worked very well for me in the past but they're no longer made.  However it seems the Jagwire Elite ones are the same concept.

So what's the difference between Elite Road and Elite mountain, except for the 50% price increase for the mountain version?

I've used Shimano, Jagwire, Goodridge and a few others. I reckon Jagwire if you want bling but Shimano SP41 still works perfectly.

Shimano SP41.

Do SP41 have the little rubber seals in the end caps?

Another vote for SP41, Teflon (the black coated) inners and the little end caps on full runs. Personally, though I'm not a fan of them (full runs that is) as I don't think they stay cleaner that trad stops, they can give really poor shifting (see patriots...and many many other bikes.)

was Jagwire that did the sheathed inners? Christ they were crap

BTW Molly, I've loads of the little end caps, if you want some, I'll happily pop them in the post for you.

I bought a Shimano Optislick kit from wiggle for about £22 - includes the SP41 and some fancy cables.

Only just replaced "regular" shimano cables but so far it's much better.

The end cap seals seem like a good idea from a point of view of keeping crap out but I've found that they can cause additional cable drag. It's worth trying them but be prepared to do without.

If you have a tight cable loop going into the rear mech then consider fitting an inline cable oiler before the loop. That means you can replace that short section as it wears internally without having to do the whole cable every time.

Hmm.. Optislick looks nice, but I've already bought the Clarks dirtshield ones on the basis they have an outer shield and they were even cheaper than SP41.  Not convinced they'll be great but they were cheap so I'm prepared to replace if they are no good.

You need the Shimano end caps that have three stripes on them. The three stripe end caps have seals...

was Jagwire that did the sheathed inners? Christ they were crap

Avid Flakjackets were like this and IME were very effective.. The trick was to put some grease in the joins of the outer sheath and the ferrule so it was sealed.

was Jagwire that did the sheathed inners? Christ they were crap

Ride On did them first and they were brilliant if you fit them correctly. No lube when fitting and you could forget them for years. Have some on the Salsa since it was built three years ago, never given them any attention and they are still smoother and slicker than normal cables. However they divided opinion which is why I think they stopped making them.

IIRC with Flakjackets they shear was too fragile and would crack and splinter, spoiling the concept.

I follow the opposite approach. I have a box of Clarks outer (the stuff with the plastic insert) and a drawer full of Shimano inner cables and I change them frequently - twice a year, normally. Cheap as chips and when it's changed this often, it never gets to the point where shifting degrades. For comparison, a full box of Clarks outer is a similar price to a single Jagwire kit.

All of the MTBs in the garage are either one-piece outers, or have been converted to one-piece and this makes a huge difference in grim conditions.

Edit: One tip for getting clean, reliable shifting is to make sure you take great care in the preparation and finishing of the outer cable ends. If you just cut them and install, you'll likely get sloppy shifting. I will always make sure that the ends are filed perfectly square and that I cut back around 5mm of plastic outer to be certain that there's nothing touching the end-cap but the metal of the outer cable. Also use an awl to open the centre of the cable to make sure nothing can drag on the inner. Simple stuff, but makes a huge difference to shifting quality if not done.

Cheap as chips and when it’s changed this often, it never gets to the point where shifting degrades.

I could say the same about Ride On given how long they last.  And there's no work involved.  I have 5 bikes with cables so changing them twice a year would mean a cable replacement at least once a month.

I could say the same about Ride On given how long they last.  And there’s no work involved.  I have 5 bikes with cables so changing them twice a year would mean a cable replacement at least once a month.

I'm not the one complaining about poor shifting 😉

It was more a general note - I've used expensive cables in the past (Ride On, Jagwire, Goodridge) and found that I always tended to extend the life of them a little bit too much because, in my mind, they were an expensive component of the bike and not a disposable commodity item. Since I moved to "cheap and cheerful and more frequent", I've had no issues with dodgy shifting or broken cables as the whole lot is much fresher all of the time. Oh, and my bar tape is also looking better too, as noone replaces cable outers without also replacing the bar tape 🙂

Your point on number of bikes is a good one - I've got a lot more than that lurking around here and not all get this level of service. Some get replaced every two years, one of them every 3-4 months (winter CX yey!) as it's all based on use, but I definitely replace far more frequently than I used to. Won't work for everyone, but a gear cable change is only 30 minutes' work and lovely to ride on once done.

 follow the opposite approach. I have a box of Clarks outer (the stuff with the plastic insert) and a drawer full of Shimano inner cables and I change them frequently – twice a year, normally. Cheap as chips and when it’s changed this often, it never gets to the point where shifting degrades. For comparison, a full box of Clarks outer is a similar price to a single Jagwire kit.

I could say the same about Ride On given how long they last.  And there’s no work involved.  I have 5 bikes with cables so changing them twice a year would mean a cable replacement at least once a month.

I follow the same philosophy as Daern.... (unless you ride all 5 at once  😀  your frequency will be lower)

I buy good outer in 10m lengths last being Jagwire (you get way more effective length this way as only cut what you need and its cheaper per m) and cheaper teflon inners in packs of 10 or so.

Optislik lasts longer BUT its freakishly expensive and its not that unusual to swap over a rear mech or dropper remote for me then I hate cutting the expensive cable.  I've never used cable supplied with droppers either...

For me it's like a bike equivalent of a 'valet and new car smell spray' except much cheaper..  when done as part of something else it takes minutes... and after the dropper/trigger feels "like new"  (or something close)

I’m not the one complaining about poor shifting

That bike never had ride on cables fitted 🙂  you don't hear me asking about cables for the Salsa or the road bike do you? 🙂

Won’t work for everyone, but a gear cable change is only 30 minutes’ work and lovely to ride on once done.

In my experience, Ride On are better than even brand new normal, and they stay that way for many years.