Lubricating brake cables

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Okeydokey

Active Member
No idea personally but: I am about to change the cables on a utility cycle ( my utility that is). previously it's rear brake cable ran outside the sheath, through two metal ferules, back into a sheath then onto the noodle, leaving the cable naked inbetween.
Question 1: Why?
Question 2: Given that I have bought six foot of cable sheath and cable, wouldn't it just be better to cable tie the thing to the frame and not expose the cables to the elements?
Question 3: How am I/ do you lubricate the cable either way, and what with?

Many thanks in advance
 

Citius

Guest
more outer = more friction, more weight. There's very little benefit in running full outers. Lube the inner with anything you have to hand, 3in1, WD40, GT85, motor oil, anything.
 
OP
OP
Okeydokey

Okeydokey

Active Member
@Citius, not sure the weight argument is a useful one imho! I did find this though


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYiCm-W-nO0
shows how you can move the outer around and access the cable almost through out itself, makes more sense to me. Re: the weight argument, honestly don't get that and I know you guys do but... physics 101 says to me, weight is mass relative to gravity (or something like that) so it pushes down, not backward, the weight of twelve inches of sheath has got to be pretty much the same as the added features on the frame that enable it?
 

Citius

Guest
The extra weight is minimal and probably not worth worrying about, but it doesn't alter the fact that fully enclosed cables are not needed. And it is easier to maintain open cables anyway.
 
Location
Loch side.
The reason for that disjointed outer cable isn't obvious. However, it is quite difficult and inelegant to run a continuous outer along the top tube. If you want to do that, it has to go through multiple ferrules or bridges in order not to rattle and damage the paint. Soft material like plastic fretting against harder material like paint or indeed the aluminium from a fork crown, invariably damages the harder of the two materials and often quite severely. With an interrupted outer, the inner can be kept taught and away from paintwork. Of course the problem can be tackled differently - by an internal cable for instance, but that rattles and leaves places in the frame where water can enter. However, I see this is becoming more and more popular. With the advent of Di2 the internal cable rattling problem has been solved in such a simple way that you'll slap your forehead when you see it.

I'm all for continuous cable and have converted my bikes to continuous and have been advocating it for ages. My detractors point to the fact that a frame modification will void the frame warrantee. I have a special finger reserved for answering that one. It is my bike and I'll do with it what I like. And, if my frame "modification" did not cause the frame to crack or fail, I would like the manufacturer to contest the fact.

Oh, and I'm of the "cables should never be lubed" school of thought.
 
OP
OP
Okeydokey

Okeydokey

Active Member
I had a look at the Di2 cabling, that looks like a cable conduit and not an awful lot more.

Thanks for the input guys, really helpful.
 
Top Bottom