Nokon cables

[Carl Sundquist]

Trying to inject some new life into an older drivetrain (Campy 9 speed) and
to resolve a rear brake issue due to a tight bend, I bought the Nokon sets.
Most comments I have Googled have to do with price justification and keeping
the aluminum bits from corroding under the handlebar. Haven't tried to put
on the shifting set yet, but tried to do the brake set, only to find that
the brake cable was too big to fit inside the liner. Anyone else have that
situation? Also, if the big point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum
bits, why do they include a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit
into your brake levers?

 

[Lou Holtman]

Carl Sundquist wrote:
> Trying to inject some new life into an older drivetrain (Campy 9 speed)
> and to resolve a rear brake issue due to a tight bend, I bought the
> Nokon sets. Most comments I have Googled have to do with price
> justification and keeping the aluminum bits from corroding under the
> handlebar. Haven't tried to put on the shifting set yet, but tried to do
> the brake set, only to find that the brake cable was too big to fit
> inside the liner. Anyone else have that situation? Also, if the big
> point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum bits, why do they include
> a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit into your brake levers?


Nokon cables are one the most hyped bicycle **** IMHO. They gave my
brakes a squeeshi (is that correct English?) feeling and I never could
adjust my rear derailleur perfectly due to that too soft liner. Besides
that they creak whenever you move you handlebar.
I threw them off and replaced them with quality Campy housing and
cables. In doing so I weighed them both and guess what, the Nokon weight
'advantage' was only 25 grams.

Lou

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Apr 29, 3:22 pm, Lou Holtman <[email protected]> wrote:
> Carl Sundquist wrote:
> > Trying to inject some new life into an older drivetrain (Campy 9 speed)
> > and to resolve a rear brake issue due to a tight bend, I bought the
> > Nokon sets. Most comments I have Googled have to do with price
> > justification and keeping the aluminum bits from corroding under the
> > handlebar. Haven't tried to put on the shifting set yet, but tried to do
> > the brake set, only to find that the brake cable was too big to fit
> > inside the liner. Anyone else have that situation? Also, if the big
> > point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum bits, why do they include
> > a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit into your brake levers?
>
> Nokon cables are one the most hyped bicycle **** IMHO. They gave my
> brakes a squeeshi (is that correct English?) feeling and I never could
> adjust my rear derailleur perfectly due to that too soft liner. Besides
> that they creak whenever you move you handlebar.
> I threw them off and replaced them with quality Campy housing and
> cables. In doing so I weighed them both and guess what, the Nokon weight
> 'advantage' was only 25 grams.
>

25 grams here, 25 grams there, pretty soon it weighs as much as a 1/4
bottle of water!!! ;-)

 

[Carl Sundquist]

>> > Trying to inject some new life into an older drivetrain (Campy 9 speed)
>> > and to resolve a rear brake issue due to a tight bend, I bought the
>> > Nokon sets. Most comments I have Googled have to do with price
>> > justification and keeping the aluminum bits from corroding under the
>> > handlebar. Haven't tried to put on the shifting set yet, but tried to
>> > do
>> > the brake set, only to find that the brake cable was too big to fit
>> > inside the liner. Anyone else have that situation? Also, if the big
>> > point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum bits, why do they
>> > include
>> > a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit into your brake levers?
>>
>> Nokon cables are one the most hyped bicycle **** IMHO. They gave my
>> brakes a squeeshi (is that correct English?) feeling and I never could
>> adjust my rear derailleur perfectly due to that too soft liner. Besides
>> that they creak whenever you move you handlebar.
>> I threw them off and replaced them with quality Campy housing and
>> cables. In doing so I weighed them both and guess what, the Nokon weight
>> 'advantage' was only 25 grams.
>>
>
> 25 grams here, 25 grams there, pretty soon it weighs as much as a 1/4
> bottle of water!!! ;-)
>

Guys, thanks for sharing but you'll notice that I didn't mention anything
about weight. Glad I could provide a forum for you to vent, though. Do you
feel better now?

 

[Antti Salonen]

Carl Sundquist <[email protected]> wrote:

> Haven't tried to put
> on the shifting set yet, but tried to do the brake set, only to find that
> the brake cable was too big to fit inside the liner. Anyone else have that
> situation?

I had exactly this problem with the set of Nokons I ordered two months
ago. It seems that the liner has wrong inside diameter. I replaced
it with some older Nokon liner which I happened to have around, so I
never bothered to complain to the manufacturer.

> Also, if the big point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum
> bits, why do they include a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit
> into your brake levers?

I guess it makes the product cheaper and the 7" section isn't visible.

I still think Nokons are a fine product. The initial cost is a bit
steep compared to Campagnolo cables, but if you run the cables inside
the plastic liner all the way it lasts a long time without any
maintenance. And when you finally want to replace the cables, all you
need to replace is the cables and the liner, both of which are cheap.

Antti

 

[Bill Westphal]

"Carl Sundquist" <[email protected]> writes:

> Trying to inject some new life into an older drivetrain (Campy 9
> speed) and to resolve a rear brake issue due to a tight bend, I bought
> the Nokon sets. Most comments I have Googled have to do with price
> justification and keeping the aluminum bits from corroding under the
> handlebar. Haven't tried to put on the shifting set yet, but tried to
> do the brake set, only to find that the brake cable was too big to fit
> inside the liner. Anyone else have that situation? Also, if the big
> point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum bits, why do they
> include a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit into your
> brake levers?

I didn't have this problem. I had them a couple of years on the
rainbike, and just got sets of the clear plastic replacement liners
that go inside the aluminum segments. I just grabbed the replacement
liner, and stuck brake cable in to confirm, (Campy brake, and Quality
brake, and Torelli Campy brake) and they fit just fine, but a little
tighter on the campy cable than the Quality or Torelli. The Campy
cable is definitely a little thicker. Maybe the uncut cable is a bit
wider at the end. Cut a short piece of the casing, an ergo Centaurs
cut the end of the cable and try it, or just force the small piece of
test plastic liner beyond the end of the cable and see if it slides
easily then. I don't use the campy because 1. they cost more, and
2. it's a little snug, and perhaps giving a little resistance.

But in general the Nokans work really well and when I get the
powdercoated frame back, and pop on the newly
dissassembled/reassembled w/ grease ergo Centaurs (and without
replacing any springs or other parts), I'm sure it will be good for
another 2 years of serious rain/mud/snow/gravel dust.

It's kind of nice having the very flexible casings, but I'll probably
not buy another set, because they work just as perfectly as standard
cables/casings. No better, no worse. ANd they cost too much. ANd
it's a hassle getting them installed the first time fitting all those
pieces together.

But they might just do the trick with your tight bend.

Bill Westphal

 

[Lou Holtman]

Carl Sundquist wrote:
>
>>> > Trying to inject some new life into an older drivetrain (Campy 9
>>> speed)
>>> > and to resolve a rear brake issue due to a tight bend, I bought the
>>> > Nokon sets. Most comments I have Googled have to do with price
>>> > justification and keeping the aluminum bits from corroding under the
>>> > handlebar. Haven't tried to put on the shifting set yet, but tried
>>> to > do
>>> > the brake set, only to find that the brake cable was too big to fit
>>> > inside the liner. Anyone else have that situation? Also, if the big
>>> > point of Nokon is the compressionless aluminum bits, why do they >
>>> include
>>> > a 7" section of old style, wound housing to fit into your brake
>>> levers?
>>>
>>> Nokon cables are one the most hyped bicycle **** IMHO. They gave my
>>> brakes a squeeshi (is that correct English?) feeling and I never could
>>> adjust my rear derailleur perfectly due to that too soft liner. Besides
>>> that they creak whenever you move you handlebar.
>>> I threw them off and replaced them with quality Campy housing and
>>> cables. In doing so I weighed them both and guess what, the Nokon weight
>>> 'advantage' was only 25 grams.
>>>
>>
>> 25 grams here, 25 grams there, pretty soon it weighs as much as a 1/4
>> bottle of water!!! ;-)
>>
>
> Guys, thanks for sharing but you'll notice that I didn't mention
> anything about weight. Glad I could provide a forum for you to vent,
> though. Do you feel better now?


OK fair enough. Next try.
Yes, you can bend them in a small radius, so it could solve your brake
problem.
No I hadn't have the problem of a to small liner, although it was a
little tight.
A wound housing is cheaper and easier to install under the bar tape.
Compressionless? That's no problem with any other quality cables and
housing, so it's no big point of Nokon like the claimed weight advantage.
Like Bill Westphal said, they work no better. In my case the worked worse.
Yes, I feel better now ;-)

Lou