Drilling holes in a frame

[Accy cyclist]

I'm wondering about internal and external bike cables. If you have a bike with external cables and you wanted to hide them, could you drill holes in the frame and turn it into a hidden cables frame? For example would it be ok to drill through a £2000 carbon fibre frame?

 

[Flying Dodo]

Is it 1st April?

NO!

 

[Jaykun85]

im Gonna say no, as if you put holes in wrong place would create weak points that could cause fractures and end up breaking the frame if you just start drilling holes into it.
I would say pop into local shop that builds bikes and knows about it they may have ways to convert it, never know till you ask

 

[Accy cyclist]

im Gonna say no, as if you put holes in wrong place would create weak points that could cause fractures and end up breaking the frame if you just start drilling holes into it.
I would say pop into local shop that builds bikes and knows about it they may have ways to convert it, never know till you ask

I'm not after doing it. I was just wondering what would happen if you did.

 

[Milkfloat]

I'm not after doing it. I was just wondering what would happen if you did.

A lighter bike, don't just stop at cable entry and exit points - go all out.

 

[derrick]

Yes as long as you drill them in the right place. I have just done it on a Cervelo but only for wiring Di2. I would not run brake or gear cables through a frame.
The hole i drilled has the grommet in it. The two cables are original, This part of the frame has been reinforced for the cables.

 

[AndyRM]

A lighter bike, don't just stop at cable entry and exit points - go all out.

That must sound like panpipes when you get up to speed!

 

[Crackle]

That must sound like panpipes when you get up to speed!

I would imagine it sounds like shrieking collapsing metal if you get up to speed!

 

[screenman]

Leaving aside the frame weakening issue, how would you get the cable to come through? Frames designed for it have internal tubes that serve the same purpose as cable outer.

There are many ways of getting the cables through.

 

[AndyRM]

I would imagine it sounds like shrieking collapsing metal if you get up to speed!

I had a bit of hunt around the interwebs and apparently that thing sold on eBay for $16... I hope nobody got hurt!

 

[ufkacbln]

A lighter bike, don't just stop at cable entry and exit points - go all out.

Do NOT, and I repeat do NOT Google "Drillium"

 

[steve50]

You can play tunes, if you can ride no hands and get the fingering right.

..........................

 

[ColinJ]

There are many ways of getting the cables through.

All of which must remain secret ...!

I suggest glueing some strong cotton onto a trained flea and get that to take it through for you. Use the cotton to pull something stronger through, and use that to pull the cable through.

If I had to improvise my own method, I would tie the cotton onto a small wad of cottonwool and use a vacuum cleaner to suck that through to the other hole. Pull the cottonwool through with tweezers if the vaccuum cleaner couldn't do it. It might be fiddly, but I reckon that I could get that to work.

I still wouldn't want to be drilling holes in my frame though!

 

[Crackle]

I had a bit of hunt around the interwebs and apparently that thing sold on eBay for $16... I hope nobody got hurt!

Good gawd.

 

[Venod]

When hidden brake cables on the handlebars first became popular we used to drill aluminium bars to route the cables through the bars rather than under he tape, the bars were not recessed like nowadays, I can't recall any breakages, but it must have weakened the bars, I woudn't do it to a frame, although you might do it with less worry if it is titanium.