Steel wired Cable

[Johnymak]

Looking at different options for gear cabling (for the rear)

I've seen the wired spiral metal cabling I was just wondering when it was introduced ive seen it on a few classics but wondered was it around in the 60.s to mid 70.s

 

[midlife]

It pitched up during my cycling years so that's the 70's most likely. Poo poo'd by many cyclist's as being a water and rust trap but I'm sure it took seconds off my TT times They go for silly amounts on ebay....

 

[snorri]

The wire spiral in the picture looks very much like the same 'stretchy wire' used to hang curtains back in my childhood home.
When plastics became more widely used, a de luxe plastic coated version became available.

 

[midlife]

I found it in the 1973 Campag catalogue as stainless steel casing, ....

The 1969 and 71 catalogues seem to have the rear mech outer listed ac component 605 covered gear casing.. So covered in plastic I guess for those years.

 

[raleighnut]

You can get 'braided' gear cable outer

 

[rrarider]

My 1984 bike came supplied with a Campagnolo Gran Sport rear mech and a loop like that running from the chain stay to the mech. That mech dumped me on the top tube by slipping every time I got out of the saddle. The good advice I had from the owner of a great bike shop in Acton was to replace the mech with a Shimano 600 one. I've never regretted doing that as I'm still using the Shimano one. I don't know what I did with the Campag one; it would probably sell for lots on e-bay because of the misplaced cachet of old Campag kit. From an engineering point of view the Shimano was a hundred times better and it has never given me a pain in the nuts.