Outer Cable substitute

[nightofjoy]

Hi.

I'm doing a few bikes up, nothing fancy, just little shoppers. I bought a brake cable and was surprised how much the price has gone up since I was last doing a bike project.

I have a roll of the white cable used to hang net curtains. It certainly looks the same, providing I cap the ends with ferrules, will that do the same job as outer brake cable?

I can get the inners for cheap enough.

Thanks.

 

[screenman]

I would have thought it may compress, which bike cable is designed to to do so.

2 metre of outer cable on Ebay £2.99 25 metre is £9.95.

 

[Tim Hall]

Cutting corners on safety critical equipment to save a few bob doesn't strike me as entirely sensible.

 

[PeteXXX]

Wilkinsons... Inner and Outer brake cable. £1.39.

Probably cheaper than curtain wire and at least it's designed for the job! Wouldn't fit them on Racers/MTB's but for a shopping bike they'd do the job.

 

[themosquitoking]

Stupid question alert. Why is it classified as safety equipment?

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Go to Asda or check Asda online.
Complete replacement cable set - inners and outers £4
Yes... £4 http://t.direct.asda.com/Bike-Parts/80155,default,sc.html?psortb1=price&psortd1=1

 

[green1]

Stupid question alert. Why is it classified as safety equipment?

Cos they help you stop in a hurry.

 

[fossyant]

Stupid question alert. Why is it classified as safety equipment?

Cos stopping is quite important ?

 

[themosquitoking]

Cos they help you stop in a hurry.

Cos stopping is quite important ?

I realise the importance of brake cables in the stopping process but the outers?

 

[biggs682]

the asda deal looks good shame my local asda dont stock them , Wilkinsons do cables at agood price and must admit have used a few and never had a problem

 

[green1]

I realise the importance of brake cables in the stopping process but the outers?

If you outers are knackered the cables don't run properly and the brakes won't be fully effective.

 

[themosquitoking]

If you outers are knackered the cables don't run properly and the brakes won't be fully effective.

See, i knew it would be something obvious that i should have guessed.

 

[fossyant]

Duh.....

 

[Globalti]

Gear cable is designed to be non-compressible so that the inner cable has something to work against. Net curtain tubing would not have the same stiffness and you would probably die quite quickly under a bus.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Gear and brake cables (inner and outer) cost almost nothing.

For any (minimal) saving, you would be condemned to a cycling life of wondering on every steep descent whether you'd made the right decision.

Most cycle parts are very low-tech, but they tend to be designed with their intended use in mind.

I am shockingly slack about tattiness and colour-coordination when it comes to bicycles, but I spend a lot of time fussing over the condition of spokes, rims, tyres, brakes and bearings.