How to hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

[LemonJuice]

Is it possible to hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

The cables seem to come out of the shifters.

Are those cables the gear cables or brake cables?

 

[slowmotion]

To hide the cables, you wrap handle bar tape over them.

 

[ColinJ]

To hide the cables, you wrap handle bar tape over them.

Having bought the type of shifters that have easily-covered gear cables...





... unfortunately, unlike those!

 

[Seevio]

I cant pretend to be an expert but I've never seen any shifters where cables come out of the side. I imagine they are even rarer where the brake cables come out of the side and the gear cables go under the bar tape.

It looks as if the seller has done a proper bodge job. See if they can send you a close up of the shifters. It may give those more knowledgeable amongst us some idea whether it can be fixed,

 

[chriswoody]

Those cables are perfectly normal there as @ColinJ mentions.

Nobody has bodged anything it's just the way it left the factory.

The cables coming out of the side of the shifter are the gear cables and Shimano produced Tiagra and possibly Sora groupsets like this for many years. These cables are designed to be outside the tape and need to be kept that way.

The brake cables exit the back of the shifter and run under the tape as normal.

Now relax, drink a cup of tea then go out and enjoy riding that bike instead of fretting over cables.

Edit @ 7:39 to say it's the BRAKE cables coming out of the back of the shifter, see the post below. (Reminder to self, don't post before first coffee!)

 

[TheDoctor]

That. Back in the olden days, all STI levers had gear cables like that. Dura-Ace started with the concealed gear cables in about 2010 IIRC, and they've trickled down the food chain since then.

 

[Brandane]

Those cables are perfectly normal there as @ColinJ mentions.

Nobody has bodged anything it's just the way it left the factory.

The cables coming out of the side of the shifter are the gear cables and Shimano produced Tiagra and possibly Sora groupsets like this for many years. These cables are designed to be outside the tape and need to be kept that way.

The gear cables exit the back of the shifter and run under the tape as normal.

Now relax, drink a cup of tea then go out and enjoy riding that bike instead of fretting over cables.

Agreed with all of that, apart from what was obviously a typo - it's the BRAKE cables that exit the back of the shifter. My old Sora shifters with the thumb operated downshifter (down, as in going to smaller ring/cog) were like those pictured, as are the slightly less old Tiagra shifters with the paddle by the brake lever. Don't try putting them under the bar tape, the angles will probably be too steep for the inner cables to run smoothly and therefore won't work properly.

 

[chriswoody]

Agreed with all of that, apart from what was obviously a typo - it's the BRAKE cables that exit the back of the shifter. My old Sora shifters with the thumb operated downshifter (down, as in going to smaller ring/cog) were like those pictured. Don't try putting them under the bar tape, the angles will probably be too steep for the inner cables to run smoothly and therefore won't work properly.

That will teach me to post before drinking my first coffee I did mean brake cables, I'll edit my post to reflect that. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[LemonJuice]

Am I able to buy different shifters so I can hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

Although cables like that obviously wouldn’t bother some people, I think the cables like that look ugly and I want the cables to be under the handlebar tape.

 

[vickster]

Am I able to buy different shifters so I can hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

Although cables like that obviously wouldn’t bother some people, I think the cables like that look ugly and I want the cables to be under the handlebar tape.

Yes but as a minimum you’d also need different front and rear mechs, chain, cassette. Possibly even wheels if you want 11 speed 105. Oh and cranks and better brakes to complete the set

Cost a couple of hundred minimum for a 105 groupset plus fitting on a bike thats worth less than £200

actually a full 105 group set is over £400 plus the wheels
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-105-r7000-11-speed-groupset/

if you're buying an expensive new carbon bike in a month as you've mentioned, which will have 105 or Ultegra, don’t bother changing the Boardman. It’s just aesthetic not functional

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Are those cables the gear cables or brake cables?

You can find out very easily by following the cable to its destination.

I think the cables like that look ugly and I want the cables to be under the handlebar tape.

I suggest putting a few thousand miles on the bike first would be a better use of your time and energy, then decide.

 

[Cycleops]

The OP is obviously not familiar with the different types of STi shifters so maybe we should cut him/her a little slack.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yes but as a minimum you’d also need different front and rear mechs, chain, cassette. Possibly even wheels if you want 11 speed 105. Oh and cranks and better brakes to complete the set

You sure? That seems like the nuclear option, rather than the minimum.

Surely the minimum you need is an (8?) speed shifter with concealed cables and the same pull as the existing Tiagra/Sora(?) ones. Would one of the more recent Claris models do the job?

I don't know - I'm just posing the question. Changing the mechs and moving to 11s seems a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater if all you want is concealed cables.

As to whether it's worth the fuss of changing the shifters just to get concealed cables, and how much the bike is worth - that's all beside the point. The question is: is it possible?

 

[fossyant]

Am I able to buy different shifters so I can hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

Although cables like that obviously wouldn’t bother some people, I think the cables like that look ugly and I want the cables to be under the handlebar tape.

It will cost you. Depends on the number of 'speeds' but you will be looking at second hand for most. Leave it be unless you want to spend quite a bit of money.

 

[vickster]

You sure? That seems like the nuclear option.

Surely all you need is an (8?) speed shifter with concealed cables and the same pull as the existing Tiagra(?) ones. Would one of the more recent Claris models do the job?

I don't know - I'm just posing the question. Changing the mechs and moving to 11s seems a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater if all you want is concealed cables.

As to whether it's worth the fuss of changing the shifters just to get concealed cables - that's not the point. The question is: is it possible?

I don't think any of the sub 105 Shimano are absent the washing lines except maybe 4700 Tiagra? My friend's 2015 Sora does too (and the previous gen Tiagra)

That said, I only ride SRAM none of which have the washing lines (the new to me 4600 Tiagra bike from 2015 certainly does, at least until Saturday when it's getting SRAMmed)

It'll still cost £100 probably to swap to newer Claris on a sub £200 bike

The OP is a self-proclaimed perfectionist so maybe nothing less than Ultegra would do?