Nashbar Derailleur Cable Housings = Brake Cable Housings

Heyo,
Stupid me, I just recabled my whole bike with cheap Nashbar cables and
housings. Only after I completed the job (with nice dremelled ends, etc) did
I realize that the Nashbar derailleur housings are just brake cable
housings:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

They arent made like SIS cables at all, and from what I can tell, they don't
even have lining in them. THe only difference between the Brake and
Derailleur option is the cable that comes inside the housing. Which means
that the thinner derailleur cable has a lot more play inside the big brake
cable housing as well.

It's not much of a question, but should I get some proper cable and redo it?
I'm assuming the answer is yes..

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com

Mike Beauchamp wrote:
Heyo,
Stupid me, I just recabled my whole bike with cheap Nashbar cables and
housings. Only after I completed the job (with nice dremelled ends, etc) did
I realize that the Nashbar derailleur housings are just brake cable
housings:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

They arent made like SIS cables at all, and from what I can tell, they don't
even have lining in them. THe only difference between the Brake and
Derailleur option is the cable that comes inside the housing. Which means
that the thinner derailleur cable has a lot more play inside the big brake
cable housing as well.

It's not much of a question, but should I get some proper cable and redo it?
I'm assuming the answer is yes..

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com


Go to your LBS and get the right cables. You can get index shifting to
work with brake cables, but it won't work well and you'll probably go
nuts in the process. SIS cable not only has a liner in it, but the
strands that make up the housing run parallel to the cable.

Go to your LBS and get the right cables. You can get index shifting to
work with brake cables, but it won't work well and you'll probably go
nuts in the process. SIS cable not only has a liner in it, but the
strands that make up the housing run parallel to the cable.

Yeah man, I knew this already.. my post was more of a heads-up sort of thing
for anything as stupid as me to think that that the nashbar cables would
actually be good.

As for the LBS thing, I rode over to the 2 on the other end of the city
today but both were closed. The one closest to me has ****ed me off about 10
solid times, the most recently being when I went to buy spokes from them
yesterday.. only to get 8 spokes that all varied in length and guage.

Mike

"Mike Beauchamp" writes:

Heyo,
Stupid me, I just recabled my whole bike with cheap Nashbar cables and
housings. Only after I completed the job (with nice dremelled ends, etc) did
I realize that the Nashbar derailleur housings are just brake cable
housings:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

They arent made like SIS cables at all, and from what I can tell, they don't
even have lining in them. THe only difference between the Brake and
Derailleur option is the cable that comes inside the housing. Which means
that the thinner derailleur cable has a lot more play inside the big brake
cable housing as well.

It's not much of a question, but should I get some proper cable and redo it?
I'm assuming the answer is yes..


You say "recabled" so I assume you finished the job, but you do not say
how it shifts with the new cables. If everything works fine why change it?
Seems like the worst that could happen is it starts shifting not so
smoothly some time in the future, at which point you could say "you know,
all this talk about special shifter cable really is true." and you would
then be an expert on the subject.

Jim Smith wrote:
"Mike Beauchamp" writes:


Heyo,
Stupid me, I just recabled my whole bike with cheap Nashbar cables and
housings. Only after I completed the job (with nice dremelled ends, etc) did
I realize that the Nashbar derailleur housings are just brake cable
housings:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

They arent made like SIS cables at all, and from what I can tell, they don't
even have lining in them. THe only difference between the Brake and
Derailleur option is the cable that comes inside the housing. Which means
that the thinner derailleur cable has a lot more play inside the big brake
cable housing as well.

It's not much of a question, but should I get some proper cable and redo it?
I'm assuming the answer is yes..



You say "recabled" so I assume you finished the job, but you do not say
how it shifts with the new cables. If everything works fine why change it?
Seems like the worst that could happen is it starts shifting not so
smoothly some time in the future, at which point you could say "you know,
all this talk about special shifter cable really is true." and you would
then be an expert on the subject.

Back when I was a mechanic in a LBS I ran across the brake cable instead
of SIS cable problem a few times. My experience tells me everything is
not going to work fine, even from day one. The liner is only part of
the package, the other part is the way the cable housing is constructed
to minimize compression during shifting.

Right, it is made up of strands instead of a spiral..

The shifting DOES infact work. it isnt' smooth and it isnt' pretty.


"Threeducks" wrote in message
...
Jim Smith wrote:
"Mike Beauchamp" writes:


Heyo,
Stupid me, I just recabled my whole bike with cheap Nashbar cables and
housings. Only after I completed the job (with nice dremelled ends, etc)
did
I realize that the Nashbar derailleur housings are just brake cable
housings:


http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...9&brand=&sk u
=2164&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

They arent made like SIS cables at all, and from what I can tell, they
don't
even have lining in them. THe only difference between the Brake and
Derailleur option is the cable that comes inside the housing. Which
means
that the thinner derailleur cable has a lot more play inside the big
brake
cable housing as well.

It's not much of a question, but should I get some proper cable and redo
it?
I'm assuming the answer is yes..



You say "recabled" so I assume you finished the job, but you do not say
how it shifts with the new cables. If everything works fine why change
it?
Seems like the worst that could happen is it starts shifting not so
smoothly some time in the future, at which point you could say "you
know,
all this talk about special shifter cable really is true." and you would
then be an expert on the subject.

Back when I was a mechanic in a LBS I ran across the brake cable instead
of SIS cable problem a few times. My experience tells me everything is
not going to work fine, even from day one. The liner is only part of
the package, the other part is the way the cable housing is constructed
to minimize compression during shifting.

Threeducks wrote in message ...
Back when I was a mechanic in a LBS I ran across the brake cable instead
of SIS cable problem a few times. My experience tells me everything is
not going to work fine, even from day one. The liner is only part of
the package, the other part is the way the cable housing is constructed
to minimize compression during shifting.

If it minimizes compression better than regular brake cable, wouldn't
it be better for brakes, too?

papercut wrote:
Threeducks wrote in message ...

Back when I was a mechanic in a LBS I ran across the brake cable instead
of SIS cable problem a few times. My experience tells me everything is
not going to work fine, even from day one. The liner is only part of
the package, the other part is the way the cable housing is constructed
to minimize compression during shifting.


If it minimizes compression better than regular brake cable, wouldn't
it be better for brakes, too?

Never do it. That's the recommendation, though I've never experimented
with shifter cable outers on brakes and will never do so.

As long as the plastic covering (outside of the cable outer strands)
always holds, you should of course get great breaking. But brake
pressure can cause it to rupture, with the strands buckling outwards.
Result can well cause the brake handle to bottom out on the handlebar
before you get braking power. Very nasty.

The forces require to move a derailleur are much less than those
required to activate brakes. Derailleur cable outer is designed to
maintain shifting accuracy - and it does that very well - but not to
withstand high compressive forces.

If you see anyone trying this stunt, warn them . . .

BR /Robert

Dude, don't try derailleur cables for braking..

The loads are way different, and the construction of derailleur cables is
such that strands of steel that run lengthwise are held together basically
by the outer plastic casing. When you put a lot of pressure on it, for
braking.. that can easily split, and your cable goes bye-bye.

Brake cables however are made of a spiral (or rings) of steel that can't
split like that.

"papercut" wrote in message
om...
Threeducks wrote in message
...
Back when I was a mechanic in a LBS I ran across the brake cable instead
of SIS cable problem a few times. My experience tells me everything is
not going to work fine, even from day one. The liner is only part of
the package, the other part is the way the cable housing is constructed
to minimize compression during shifting.

If it minimizes compression better than regular brake cable, wouldn't
it be better for brakes, too?

"Mike Beauchamp" wrote in message
...
Heyo,
Stupid me, I just recabled my whole bike with cheap Nashbar cables and
housings. Only after I completed the job (with nice dremelled ends, etc) did
I realize that the Nashbar derailleur housings are just brake cable
housings:


http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

They arent made like SIS cables at all, and from what I can tell, they don't
even have lining in them. THe only difference between the Brake and
Derailleur option is the cable that comes inside the housing. Which means
that the thinner derailleur cable has a lot more play inside the big brake
cable housing as well.

It's not much of a question, but should I get some proper cable and redo it?
I'm assuming the answer is yes..


http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html