Plastic sleeves?

I have decided to replace the brake and shifter housings and cables on the mountain bike as they are
in rather sad shape.What I was wondering about were those plastic sleeves that some bikes have on
the bare cable between the guides.I actually have them on a less expensive rigid fork bike.It would
seem like a good idea to protect the paint.Do they defeat the pupose of having the cable bare or are
they just not cool or unnecessary. Would using them be the same as putting reflectors on? Is there a
valid reason why some bikes have them and others don,t? The bike does not have them and I didn't
plan on using them.I am just curious about this.

Thanks for any input. Fredzep

 

The plastic sleeves do protect the paint as does the more common approach of putting 3 or 4 little
rubber donuts more or less equally spaced on the bare cable. The plastic sleeve protects the paint a
bit better because the little donuts can get slid together and let the bare cable contact the paint.
However that ability of the donuts to slide together also means you can slide the cable housing back
and fourth thus exposing the bare cable so you can put some lube on it. The plastic sleeve won't let
you do that. Any bike shop will have the little rubber donuts. You can get your bike shop to order
cable housing liner from Quality Bicycle Products. It comes in a roll 20 meters in length or
something like that. You can just cut a piece of the stuff that's long enough to cover most of your
run of bare cable. But, as stated above, it makes it harder to lube the cable.

Bob Taylor

 

Electronic supply house, heat shrink tube (but don't shrink it on!), various colours, various inside
diameters. Pick one. OR from the same source, insulating sleave, tougher material, (not heat shink
material) usually clear or black PVC or teflon.

Steve

"Robert Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The plastic sleeves do protect the paint as does the more common approach of putting 3 or 4 little
> rubber donuts more or less equally spaced on the bare cable. The plastic sleeve protects the paint
> a bit better because the little donuts can get slid together and let the bare cable contact the
> paint. However that ability of the donuts to slide together also means you can slide the cable
> housing back and fourth thus exposing the bare cable so you can put some lube on it. The plastic
> sleeve won't let you do that. Any bike shop will have the little rubber donuts. You can get your
> bike shop to order cable housing liner from Quality Bicycle Products. It comes in a roll 20 meters
> in length or something like that. You can just cut a piece of the stuff that's long enough to
> cover most of your run of bare cable. But, as stated above, it makes it harder to lube the cable.
>
> Bob Taylor

 

I wonder if you mean something like the Avid flackjackets I use for the brakes and shifters on my
bikes used for long expeditions/tours? The red plastic sleeves you see covering what would otherwise
be bare cable, also have inners which fit into the sleeving and special cable stops to seal the
system and prevent the steel cables and the inside of the cable outers being contaminated by water
mud or grit. They are more expensive than ordinary cables but they do work even in extreme weather
and conditions. They avoid cable maintenance plus give longer cable life and continued smooth
shifting and braking. There is a picture showing the joint parts at
http://www.fastload.net/two/pages/index.html in the section headed "Cables" retep

----- Original Message ----- From: "Fredzep" <[email protected]> Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 5:06 AM Subject: Plastic sleeves?

cut .......... I was wondering about
> were those plastic sleeves that some bikes have on the bare cable between the guides.
cut ........ Is there a valid reason why some
> bikes have them and others don,t? The bike does not have them and I didn't plan on using them.I am
> just curious about this.
>
> Thanks for any input. Fredzep

 

Thanks for the replies. I read that modern housings don't need lube except maybe for something light
on the cable.Personally I like to use a dry lube on the cable before running it through the housing.
Maybe with split stays and donut things you could keep the cable performing like new for longer
through relubing the cable. I'll have to try that.

Fredzep