Do you have any hacks to make internal cable routing easier? Share them in the comments below 🔧

@girlsdrinkfeck

5 жыл бұрын

was just thinking about this for my DIY Ebike build to hide most of the brake and throttle power cables ( hi tensile steel frame so safe AF )

@jochem1986

5 жыл бұрын

The cables that I route fully internally (which includes threading it through the headset) are never actually cables. They are either hoses or wires. Because of the sharp bends for shifting.

@thomasvmanning

5 жыл бұрын

I have aero handlebars which can make the cable routing a faf. I use hemostats to pull them out the exit hole. It's incredibly efficient. Highly recommend, much wow

@TheWaxChainFanClub

5 жыл бұрын

I have trained my pubic lice to route the cables - works a treat.

@christophecarriere5895

5 жыл бұрын

Hello, I own a bike with internal cabling for less than a year. Last winter I changed handle bar to a Zipp SL 70 Aero and so I was forced to remove cables. As dedicated kits from Parktools are very expensive I though a lot and imagined a hack hoping it was a good one. And it is working ! Buy heat srinkable tubes usually made for electric cables. (I bought 3x1,5m for 3 €) Before removing cables from bike frame/handlebar, insert the cable into the tube and push tube just before it disappear into frame. Then use a lighter to srink the tube very close to the cable on 5 centimeters/2 inches. Then try to push tube as far as possible. If it is blocked try to push on both cable and tube. At some moment it should exit the frame at the right place. Pull the tube few centimeters/inches more to have it going thought the frame. Then you can remove easily the cable leaving the tube inside the frame. Later before trying to insert back the (new) cable, cut the srinked part of tube to ease insertion.

Jon - next time you are on a factory tour, can you find out how this is done on the production line? You could record a few of these things, e.g. how handlebar tape is done in a factory. There are tiers of how these things are done, bike workshop skills make it 10x quicker than the guy at home, factory production line techniques must be 10x faster and more consistent than bike shop ways. It would be good to have a show showing these ultra-ultra slick ways of doing things.

I've found that a long string of explicatives while pushing the cables often helps.

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Hahaha, that certainly is one technique...

@ToreTharaldsen

3 жыл бұрын

Try a long string of magnet next.

@purpleicu_840

Жыл бұрын

I bet ur right

Before removing the old inner cable superglue some fishing line or thread to the end. When you pull out the old cable the fishing line comes through the frame with it providing a trace for the new cable. All you do then is cut the fishing line from the old and glue it to the end new cable now just pull the new cable through the frame with the line.

@mikehunt8375

Ай бұрын

FUCK I HAD TO READ THIS AFTER I ALREADY PULLED THE DAMN THING OUT!

My mrs's is a Dr and holy moly whenever I am redoing cables I bribe her to give me a hand because these gals are trained to push and pull bits of muscle, ligament whatever inside us and that translates into being dam good at routing cables too.

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Transferrable skills eh?!

@DouglasJamesyoutubechannel

5 жыл бұрын

GCN Tech she’s amazing at electrical tasks too

THIS is the kind of video I need! As a part time mechanic at the LBS I’m learning all kinds of tricks. The idea of going in and having one or two of mine own up my sleeve, brilliant.

RULE #1 --- Never ever ever pull the cable out of a properly routed component without running a guide tube in first. Don't put yourself back at square one when there's no need. - Nice DIY cable grabbing pick, Jon... definite hack!

@tito1211

2 жыл бұрын

I wish i would have read your comment before i did exactly that to my mountain bike. A simple install turned into a pain when i decided to pull the cable out without turning my brain on. Hahaha…a good two hours passed before i managed to pull it through. Damn cable kept getting stuck!

@overthere793

8 ай бұрын

Oops....😢

Wow! This video provides major ammunition for The Fellowship of External Cable Routing Lovers.

they make a barb that has the opposite threads on each side, you place it in between the new housing you want to run and the old housing you are removing. use a 2nn hex key to tighten them together, then simply pull the old housing out and the new housing is pulled though. Great little gadget, I believe it comes in sram hydraulic hose set up kits. Obviously this only works with previously installed housing. Being a bike mechanic most of my repairs come with housing already run, and this trick saves me tons of time everyday! Also the slick liners are great for bare wire replacement. I remove all cables with a slick liner and tape it with masking tape to the frame, this prevents you from crossing derailleur cables in the down tube. I do both of these tricks a dozen times a day, both work great!!

Jon is not only a good bike mechanic but he also does gardening. Wow😂

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Anything to get those grubby little hands...

Thanks, Jon, for mentioning that Lasty has mad routing skillz, too. He seems to keep a lot under his hat.

Without a doubt using the Park Tools internal routing kit is probably the best £50 I’ve spent. It makes doing the job sooooo easy.

Great tips. It only takes once pulling everything out the frame completely to painfully learn that there must be a better way and to start looking for better options!!!!

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Oh yes, we've all been there!

Yes! Google 3-Claw Parts Retriever - they are part of computer toolkits and AMAZING at grabbing cables and another things from small places. They grip pretty well!

Thanks. The coiled out brake cable housing trick bailed me out when helping my buddy with his internally routed Giant Defy.

I found a strong magnetic will help pull the cable in the desired direction while pushing it through. Great video

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Nice one, cheers!

@mlanes01

4 жыл бұрын

In pro shops we always just used an earth magnet. Or one of the hundreds of wheel magnets that we had stuck to our repair stands. The more challenging bikes have remnants of the air bladders from production left in them which had a tendency to make guiding cables really difficult. A pro trick is to put a small 30 degree bend on the end of the cable that helps to steer as you try to twist the cable around bb Shells, cage mounts etc. I've also used hemostats (Kelly's and mosquitoes) to reach into the small oval holes to grab cables and persuade them. Sometimes on a straight route you don't even have to fish, just stick the magnet on the hole and slide the cable around until it connects. One final bit, this goes without saying, use gravity to your advantage it's way easier to route down than up, and much easier with a proper repair stand.

I liked this video better than the other internal cable video from GCN

Jon you've saved a life

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Just one?

@RixterNow

5 жыл бұрын

GCN Tech well mine for sure

Great tip with the old brake outer

Remove the wheels and you can then twist and turn your frame for gravity to help it towards the exit hole, also solder the last inch of cable to give it more weight, it won't then twist and turn inside as much.

The magnets can also work on Titanium frames. Ti is weakly magnetic, but generally not enough to stop you from using that technique. However, if it's a raw Ti finish, you may want to put some paper or something between the magnet and the frame to avoid scratches.

Personally, I manage to cope with routing my internal cables via the following method: Step 1 - insert cable into frame. Step 2 - poke around with the cable attempting to find the exit hole. Step 3 - swear repeatedly. Step 4 - give up and get a cup of tea. Flawless method for satisfying results every time, so long as you love a good cuppa 👌

This answer my potential question... No need of internal wiring tool if you just use a normal cable brake/shifting system. All I need is a little home made tool as in the video . Thanks for sharing this.

Nice hack!

I will say from experience, Jon is right about removing the bottom bracket. It may seem like a hassle, but it will save you time and trouble in the long run, and give you absolute confidence the cable was routed properly.

I had to replace the brake cable on my Giant Cross City. It has internal routing where the cable outer runs through the frame. What I did was disconnect the cabling from the V-brake caliper and removed the inner cable from the housing. Whilst the old cable outer was still in the frame I joined the new cable outer to the old end to end with some electrical tape, then gently pulled the old outer out of the front of the frame thus pulling the new housing into place at the same time. One thing to be mindful with this method is how thickly you layer the electrical tape, too thin and it wont hold the end to end join. Too thick and it could get jammed in the frame

Fold a cable tie in half and push it through the hole. If you push it against the inside of the tube it’ll open up and make a big loop that’ll be easy to catch the cable you’re pushing down the tube. Once caught, just pull the cable tie back out and the cable will come with it..

I could watch these for hours. #Lasty

In the Audax world the internals are a nightmare, it's relatively easy to repair external cables at 3am on the side of a road. Internals forget it.

"Piece of Cake" LOL

Wow, thanks for answering my question from last week in this very informative video. You are the best.

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Nice one Gabor!

I just use a thread and a small vacuum........ easy

thank you for this one. i am just about to replace my shifter cables. more of these type videos would be appreciated ! the finer details of being a cyclist... like using moisturizer after shaving, these seemingly obvious things are simple to understand in hindsight !

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Haha yes that's so true j en!

I use a piece of string tied to the end of the cable and get a vacuum cleaner and suck out the string and then pull through the cable and then slide on the outer..works a treat..

This is why I love Chro - Mag bicycles .

Ahh, the vacuum cleaner guy must be an electrician!

Can you run hydraulic hose line internally if your bike is equipped with mechanical disc brakes? I have 2016 Cannondale synapse alloy 105.

I would find it entertaining to watch two or three of you enter a challenge where you each get a similar bike and you have to re cable the whole thing as quickly as possible. maybe each person could use a different technique, and then talk about it to teach the viewer about the benefit and the disadvantage of each method.

Does a frame that has cable going thru the frame have the inner wire cable going thru an outer wound wire that has plastic cover or is it just the inner cable without the wound outer portion?

Is it possible to buy the cable sheath on its own without having to strip it out of a good cable housing? The ones factory fitted inside the frame get manky after 2 or 3 years and really affect shifting

Goes through the whole process of threading the gear cable and then whips out the brake cable.......lol

If, like me, you're a cheap skate then you can buy some neodymium magnets from Ebay which will enable you to drag a cable through the frame. Same principle as the tool mentioned at the end of the video but at a fraction of the cost.

Why did you not show how to route cables through a frame? That what we need to see.

I use semi unbent paperclip to hook and then fish out brake cables from handlebars

Jon be a champ and do routing through a frame, handlebars a re easy compaired to a frame.

Hi Jon, I got that same handlebar and it's a nightmare to fit mechanical shifting and brake cables. It's ok to fit the first housing but very difficult for the second one, have you got any tips?

@kiowa21

5 жыл бұрын

if you need to put two cable outers through each side of the handle bar then get two pieces of old cable to begin (in good condition), feed them through the handle bar and tape one end of the cables down so that the do not fall out, these are your guide. Take your break cable outer and slide that over the first cable guide till it is all the way through, then take your gear cable outer which should be a little more flexible and slide the over the second guide cable all the way through the handle bar. Remove the guide cables and you can then continue your installation as normal. Carbon bars, make sure there are no moulding burrs left on the inside of the holes where the cables exit.

Before you take the cable out, tie off a length of dental floss and pull it through. Use that as the leader for the replacement. Just pull gently.

@casualuserish

2 жыл бұрын

You are a king

Could you possibly soldier the old gear cable to your new one to do the rear mech? So chop the noodle off at the shifter end, do a small and tidy blob of soldier between to the two cables. Then pull the old cable out from the mech end thus pulling the new cable through the labyrinth of turns and internal sheathing? Then when the new cable arrives at the mech, trim the set up, then cut the cable as you would normally?

If that corkscrew hack works, then it's the single best bike hack I've ever learned 🥳

people should watch the video before commenting ... we know there are tools he shows them

I have threaded multiple new rear cables through using that transparent hose and still when I fix to the rear mech (new) the gears shift up the 11sp fine but jump halfway down the cassette from 1 click. Seems to indicate some cable slack? Or a broken shifter (working fine before rear mech/cable change). LBSs keep turning me away due to Lockdown demand so I'm stuck! Have spent days trying/failing. Even tried a new hanger, rear mech guard pipe. The housings are new and I am sure there isn't crossover with the front mech cable (though I did change this as well initially). Should the cable push back/forth from the chainstay smoothly? When I pull it taught, being its last exit point, there is slight spring back upon release. Need to end this misery!

Jon What are the best , most effective and efficient methods to REMOVE Internal handlebar cables / housing ??

My hack: Going to the bike mechanic and pay him :D Saves me a lot of trouble!

How does the gear shifter cable string through from the bars to the derailer I need to know how the shifters little clicker sets back in

So I'm planning to swap the stock handlebars that came on my new bike with a pair of carbon ones with internal routing. Is this the process I need to follow? I assume there is no problem reusing the outers since they are new?

@reginaldscot165

5 жыл бұрын

Mark J.A don't do it... you will regret it! I did it, it's messed up my shifting, it was a pain in the ass for maintenance and the aero bars aren't as stiff as traditional bars and when you sprint they flex all over the place... Aero stuff like that is just for cosmetics it gives zero performance benefit in the real world.

@HeathyRoidz

5 жыл бұрын

Reginald Scot no! It isn’t depends on your weight! I have 3T aero bars, and I weight 56kg and they are FINE

I had a really nasty experience with a Boardman Air 9.2. The front mech cable outer from the bar sits on a frame stop in the top tube, and the inner runs through an internal tube all the way to the exit just below the front mech. This ought to be dead easy to thread through but the inner cable had disintegrated, ultimately blocking the tube at the U-bend under the bottom bracket inside the frame during removal. This all stemmed from an incorrectly cut outer cable from the top tube that had kinked and split at the in-line adjuster, exposing the outer cable strands which had chaffed the gortex inner sheath and frayed the inner strands. The inner was frayed and chaffed at the clamp bolt end too, so no matter which way you moved it, it was in danger of unravelling, which it decided wast best accomplished in the U-bend. I know because any new inner went in so far and stopped. It was gauged by its length to be under the bottom bracket. I had to dismantle the bottom bracket and cut the U-bend out, and run bare inner from the end to the front mech. This was very fiddly, especially cleaning and deburring the cut ends of the tube. Any future replacement can only be done by dismantling the bottom bracket. I think a new U-bend could be made from either car hydraulic brake pipe, or an old V-brake noodle or lead pipe, using the pipe to cable joining tube to join the two bits of tube, but the problem would be anchoring it and sealing it to the frame at the exit. It really is all unnecessarily fiddly, and inaccessibility should never have to rule form in the designing stage.

What handlebars are these?

I opted out of all these "tech " created problems and now ride a track bike on the road. Even more aero!

Best hack for internal cable routing... Electronic gearing

@d.gwebster1109

5 жыл бұрын

Ha, not with Di2 and a 2018 Emonda. Not even Trek knew how the cables ran through the frame. There was nothing online, they couldn't help over the phone and the Trek store was no better. Got it sorted in the end, but it was a headache for a few days.

@sirairness24

5 жыл бұрын

@@d.gwebster1109 lol that sounds awful dude. I will have to amend my last comment then best hack.... take it to a bike shop and let a mechanic do it lol

for internal cables good idea i use gravity

My rear brake cable and shifter cable are both mostly internal. I’m not sure how much of a mess it’d be to deal with either of them.

my bike has an outer(should it just be an inner gear cable) cable all the way internally through the frame. is this wrong as i had a mechanic fit it and now cant get the cable out of the frame.

@bjsr126

3 жыл бұрын

Did you ever find the answer to this question? Because it's the answer I need 😂 I'm building my bike currently, and always planned to run a full length outer cable housing through the bike! Is that wrong?

@yonglingng5640

2 жыл бұрын

@@bjsr126 Not all bikes can run full-length shift housings. The Tarmac SL6 for example, has a shift housing stop at the top of the down tube.

Top tip: Don't buy a Boardman Aero bike. As a someone who works in a bike shop they are by far the worst bikes on the market for this problem. It's like the designer didn't even think about maintenance. Second best tip, don't but a bike with internal cables bike, external are better for at least 7 reasons I can think of.

@mattgies

5 жыл бұрын

Go on then. I'd like to hear all 7 of them.

I’ve got the pro vibe aero handlebars. Is there a hack to get a wahoo mount to fit. There’s not enough 31mm bar before it distorts and goes aero. I’ve had to get a sander to slim the mount down. Even tried the k edge aero mount to no joy

@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1

5 жыл бұрын

I had the same issue and found this aero handle bar mount sorted it. Here's the link to Rutland Cycleswww.rutlandcycling.com/accessories/electronics/giant-combo-mount-for-slr-aero-bar_320391?yotpo_token=6a130013779a1df167a6fbba9025fbe57f818a36&

@jackfryer3617

5 жыл бұрын

SAF1981 fab cheers il check it out

So you run the bike with the inner sheath in place? It's not just a routing guide?

Getting the 1st outer housing through the handlebar is testing, getting the 2nd one through the same hole is life changing and not for the better 😢

Just use a decent magnet, no issues at all as long as you don't drag it along your frame.

Forgot the most important thing! Never bend the new cable while putting it in always try to run it straight in.

Vacuum cleaner on one end, and a good length of thin string (sowing) tied to the end of of a brake/gear cable from the other. wiggle. and you've got it threaded. If you need magnets, you probably don't own a bike to begin with.

I can't figure out how to route an outer cable that is longer than the excess inner cable. Once the outer cover up the inner I can't push it through

Cotton and vacuum cleaner for the win. It's never failed me and takes no longer than 30 secs to route the cable 👏👏👏

@HeathyRoidz

5 жыл бұрын

Jim Bo that’s actually clever

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

Woohoo! An old Lasty special 👌

I wish I had X-ray vision, my life would be so much easier

Tried to fish through an electric wire from my dynamo hub to the front light inside the fork. That fork is miraculous! I've got a string and a hoover. I have attached the hoover to the dropout and stated it. Then i put the string inside on the other end and it was sucked out. Well, almost. It never got out at the drop out...... When i finallyanaged to fish through the string, I attached the wire to it, and the tape failed. What a waste of 2 hours....

Can I fit a 35mm tire on this?

Use a vacuum cleaner (Hoover for you poms) to suck through some dental floss/cotton thread as a tracer. (I've only read this not had to do it myself here)

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

🤣 It's a corker!

my tip, use etap, then you have less cables to mess with

say 'that's what she said' after every sentence jon says

Bit of “cotton” do you mean thread?

I’m enjoying the bike so far kzread.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.

Jagwire make a magnetic too that solves this problem easily ... saves all this faffing around

So I'm about to build my bike which has fully internally wired cables. Why do you not run the Gear outer cable throughout the full length of the bike? Is that a choice or just something you don't do? I was planning to run an outer cable the full length of the bike over the gear cable, and then have a foam dampener over the top to prevent rattling. Is this okay?

'Internal cables hide your cables'. Do you have a subeditor?

Practices on a bar to make it so much easier lol

Park Tools has a kit

@webbo73

5 жыл бұрын

yep - IVe got it and used it - saved me a lot of hassle.

@mattgies

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, and Jon showed it in the video.

@JMcLeodKC711

5 жыл бұрын

: Understood..... why didn't he lead with the Park Tool

@mattgies

5 жыл бұрын

My guess: In consideration of the video title, buying a purpose-made tool kit isn't really a hack, is it?

Internal cables are a complete disaster. Especially in mountain bikes - in water crossings the chassis will be filled with water because of the lower holes and the mud will stay there forever

Whistle While You Work

Drinking straw through the handlebars

thank goodness for marketing departments. due to marketing departments i can no longer find a production carbon frame that DOESN'T have hideous, infuriating, entirely impractical, and anti-simplistic internal routing. good work marketing departments, i will never EVER buy another bike frame with ICR

@julmeissonnier

5 жыл бұрын

Go back to Steel or Titanium. My 1981 Follis (Vitus 971) and my 1998 Litespeed Vortex (Ti6/4) have the little braze-ons below the BB, so when I change the SS cable every 10 years or so it takes me about 2 minutes... and yes it's less aerodynamic but the 1W I lost is nothing compared to the 100+ Watts that have disappeared from the engine since the 80's :) ...

Internal cables: ugh. SMH...

@girlsdrinkfeck

5 жыл бұрын

ugh @ useless opinions

SCREW internal cables BUY external cables

@NewEnglandDirtRoadie

5 жыл бұрын

unfortunately there are no production carbon frames with external routing anymore... thanks to the bicycle industry marketing departments creating a solution to a problem that never existed, pushing an obsoleting trend that nobody asked for, nobody wants, and nobody needs, creating ever more complexity to a system that exemplified simplicity and efficiency

@gcntech

5 жыл бұрын

hahah!

@robbchastain3036

5 жыл бұрын

Another good reason to go retro.

I do not like handlebars with holes in them, especially in carbon... People will go on and on about not buying cheaper carbon parts, but then they buy carbon handlebars that are pre-cracked by drilling massive holes into them in critical locations. My dentist is too expensive. I'd rather buy handlebars with no holes and route the outers below the handle bar tape...

JUST USE A F**N MAGNET ALREADY!

Weed-eater string.

horrific cable. i mean its rusty, or dirty

Very bad idea for a bikeshop

All in the name of marketing. Totally unnecessary, so called "advancements. "

I’m sorry but a handlebar is not a frame, is much much easier, and you’ve got a lot of cable. What if the cable was short?

All this internal cabling is just a gimmick and a nonsense. Nothing wrong with exposed cables, we managed this far with them and they don't look bad at all. All it does is just create massive headaches for setting up a bike. Ridiculous.

You need to start from the VERY beginning - video only somewhat useful :(