Internally Routed Cabling

[Sydguy]

Hi all,

I'm looking around at road bikes with a view to getting one in the next couple of months. What are people's thoughts on internally routed cables? I note Giant's new TCR, the 2012 range will likely have this feature - or maybe just the top model shown in link below?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/06/ ... -prototype

Is it just easier to clean or are there other benefits? Should/would it be a deciding factor all else equal or just a gimmick?

Cheers
JM

[dobby]

It is probably a "zenith" more aero and there are some reported shifting improvements (very subjective) - but to be honest it just looks tidier and makes the bike look finished to my eye.

[Sydguy]

Cheers - I thought that might be the case.

[fly spray]

I used to hate internal cable & also setting it up, I have now become a fan of it.
It looks neater & also keeps the inner wire out of the weather (especially the cable guide under the BB) & away from snags for if the bike is parked. (I've seen cable lugs caught & ripped off frames before)

Some companies make it easy to thread the cables through with built in cable guides inside the frame, Some don't.
I built a Scott plasma time trial bike with internal di2 last week (not for me). I wanted to jump off a cliff! You need to thread the di2 cable & brake cable through the bottom bracket shell- out the head tube- THROUGH the fork steerer tube- through the stem and then through the bars. What a headache.

[Myddraal]

Like others have said, it looks great once it's done but threading the cables can be a serious headache. You'll probably want some frame protectors where the cables enter and exit or they'll gradually wear the paint away.

[eeksll]

From a looks point of view (my opinion obviously) I really wanted internal cables initially, but after checking out a few bikes with internal cabling, its still "busy" at the front where the cables go into the frame and in general does not seem to look as clean as I think it would.

Although the routing through the bars and stem sounds like something I'd want not so much the tt bike though.

[HAKS]

If its anything like my FSA bars it a F'ing headache . But as someone said, depends on what frame you get. Bikes like the top of the line Focus I believe have internal guides the whole way so are easy to feed through where others simple have the holes in the frame and what the cable/housing does inside is up to you

[nayfen]

If you have access to a compressor feed some soft string into the required entry hole a little bit longer than the the distance of the cable run. tape up all of the exit hole bar the one you want the cable to exit. hold on to the end of the string and fire compressed air down the enty hole along side the string. the air shold force the string out the hole at the other end. then tape the gear/brake cable to the emerged sting and pull back through.

[greyhoundtom]

If you have access to a compressor feed some soft string into the required entry hole a little bit longer than the the distance of the cable run. tape up all of the exit hole bar the one you want the cable to exit. hold on to the end of the string and fire compressed air down the enty hole along side the string. the air shold force the string out the hole at the other end. then tape the gear/brake cable to the emerged sting and pull back through.

What an excellent idea!

[winstonw]

I fell for the 'cleaner look' soft sell too.
But sensing the tension in and pulling on external gear cables (under the down tube) is handy when tuning the derailleurs.

The older I get, the simpler a setup I want. God help me if I ever slink to DA Di2

[ValleyForge]

If you have access to a compressor feed some soft string into the required entry hole a little bit longer than the the distance of the cable run. tape up all of the exit hole bar the one you want the cable to exit. hold on to the end of the string and fire compressed air down the enty hole along side the string. the air shold force the string out the hole at the other end. then tape the gear/brake cable to the emerged sting and pull back through.

What an excellent idea!

A vaccuum cleaner is even easier. Done several internally routed frames - all pretty easy, only the Ridley Noah needed the vaccuum cleaner. Now the concealed cables under bar tape - now that can be a HUGE pain.