Sturmey-Archer AW cable routing

[Luigi de Guzman]

Is there a "correct" way to route the cables to a Sturmey-Archer AW hub?

I'm putting a wheel with an S-A AW hub on an older road frame, and I've
been thinking about cable routing. Can I use a downtube cable stop and
run the cable underneath the bottom bracket--the same way as I would run a
shift cable to the rear derailleur? Or must I run the cable along the top
tube and use housing stops and/or pulleys?



--
Luigi de Guzman
http://ouij.livejournal.com

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article <[email protected]>,
Luigi de Guzman <[email protected]> wrote:

> Is there a "correct" way to route the cables to a Sturmey-Archer AW
> hub?
>
> I'm putting a wheel with an S-A AW hub on an older road frame, and
> I've been thinking about cable routing. Can I use a downtube cable
> stop and run the cable underneath the bottom bracket--the same way as
> I would run a shift cable to the rear derailleur? Or must I run the
> cable along the top tube and use housing stops and/or pulleys?

You probably need to use a pulley to minimize friction preventing proper
shifts an ending up in "neutral" between gears. Most S-A folks run the
cable along the top tube to a pulley on the seat tube and thence down
the seat stay to the hub.

 

[Marcus Coles]

Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> Is there a "correct" way to route the cables to a Sturmey-Archer AW hub?
>
> I'm putting a wheel with an S-A AW hub on an older road frame, and I've
> been thinking about cable routing. Can I use a downtube cable stop and
> run the cable underneath the bottom bracket--the same way as I would run a
> shift cable to the rear derailleur? Or must I run the cable along the top
> tube and use housing stops and/or pulleys?
>
>
>

Never tried it, but I don't think it should matter as long as the
selector chain is pulled and there is not too much cable friction which
would cause slow or no shifts and possibly a bit of neutral style
spinning of the pedals.

IIRC Ladies bikes sometimes routed the cable along the downtube with the
pulley at the base of the seat tube or alternately used a full length
casing with a chainstay stop.

Marcus

 

[landotter]

On Jul 21, 11:35 pm, Marcus Coles <[email protected]> wrote:
> Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> > Is there a "correct" way to route the cables to a Sturmey-Archer AW hub?
>
> > I'm putting a wheel with an S-A AW hub on an older road frame, and I've
> > been thinking about cable routing. Can I use a downtube cable stop and
> > run the cable underneath the bottom bracket--the same way as I would run a
> > shift cable to the rear derailleur? Or must I run the cable along the top
> > tube and use housing stops and/or pulleys?
>
> Never tried it, but I don't think it should matter as long as the
> selector chain is pulled and there is not too much cable friction which
> would cause slow or no shifts and possibly a bit of neutral style
> spinning of the pedals.
>
> IIRC Ladies bikes sometimes routed the cable along the downtube with the
> pulley at the base of the seat tube or alternately used a full length
> casing with a chainstay stop.
>
> Marcus

yup. Ladies gets a cable stop where a downtube shifter would be, and a
pulley at the bottom bracket. Would work great on a diamond frame as
well.

Here's an example:

http://www.bikeworldusa.com/product_info.php/products_id/995

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article <[email protected]>,
landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Jul 21, 11:35 pm, Marcus Coles <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> > > Is there a "correct" way to route the cables to a Sturmey-Archer
> > > AW hub?
> >
> > > I'm putting a wheel with an S-A AW hub on an older road frame,
> > > and I've been thinking about cable routing. Can I use a downtube
> > > cable stop and run the cable underneath the bottom bracket--the
> > > same way as I would run a shift cable to the rear derailleur? Or
> > > must I run the cable along the top tube and use housing stops
> > > and/or pulleys?
> >
> > Never tried it, but I don't think it should matter as long as the
> > selector chain is pulled and there is not too much cable friction
> > which would cause slow or no shifts and possibly a bit of neutral
> > style spinning of the pedals.
> >
> > IIRC Ladies bikes sometimes routed the cable along the downtube
> > with the pulley at the base of the seat tube or alternately used a
> > full length casing with a chainstay stop.
> >
> > Marcus
>
> yup. Ladies gets a cable stop where a downtube shifter would be, and
> a pulley at the bottom bracket. Would work great on a diamond frame
> as well.

The caveat would be frame flex under pedaling, which would have the
possibility of pulling your hub into "neutral." I think that's why the
cable run is usually along the top tube.

 

[landotter]

On Jul 22, 10:33 am, Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
>
>
>
> landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Jul 21, 11:35 pm, Marcus Coles <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> > > > Is there a "correct" way to route the cables to a Sturmey-Archer
> > > > AW hub?
>
> > > > I'm putting a wheel with an S-A AW hub on an older road frame,
> > > > and I've been thinking about cable routing. Can I use a downtube
> > > > cable stop and run the cable underneath the bottom bracket--the
> > > > same way as I would run a shift cable to the rear derailleur? Or
> > > > must I run the cable along the top tube and use housing stops
> > > > and/or pulleys?
>
> > > Never tried it, but I don't think it should matter as long as the
> > > selector chain is pulled and there is not too much cable friction
> > > which would cause slow or no shifts and possibly a bit of neutral
> > > style spinning of the pedals.
>
> > > IIRC Ladies bikes sometimes routed the cable along the downtube
> > > with the pulley at the base of the seat tube or alternately used a
> > > full length casing with a chainstay stop.
>
> > > Marcus
>
> > yup. Ladies gets a cable stop where a downtube shifter would be, and
> > a pulley at the bottom bracket. Would work great on a diamond frame
> > as well.
>
> The caveat would be frame flex under pedaling, which would have the
> possibility of pulling your hub into "neutral." I think that's why the
> cable run is usually along the top tube.

Nah, even your standard DL-1 runs it on the down tube. Frame flex
could theoretically pop you into neutral, but it's never happened on
my DL-1, and I don't tend to hammer my flexier drop tube AW equipped
bike. Down tube looks clean, and is easy enough to change if Luigi
manages to flex the frame enough.

 

[Luigi de Guzman]

On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:35:58 +0000, landotter wrote:


>
> Nah, even your standard DL-1 runs it on the down tube. Frame flex
> could theoretically pop you into neutral, but it's never happened on
> my DL-1, and I don't tend to hammer my flexier drop tube AW equipped
> bike. Down tube looks clean, and is easy enough to change if Luigi
> manages to flex the frame enough.

In its 12-speed incarnation, I ended up having to tighten the friction
shifters quite a bit because of frame-flex induced
autoshifting--especially while standing.

I'm most concerned about dropping into neutral while in "low" on the
AW--since that's the gear that would most likely see me standing on the
pedals up hills. Would running the cable under the bottom bracket cause
me to drop into neutral in this gear?



--
Luigi de Guzman
http://ouij.livejournal.com

 

[landotter]

On Jul 22, 6:00 pm, Luigi de Guzman <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:35:58 +0000, landotter wrote:
>
> > Nah, even your standard DL-1 runs it on the down tube. Frame flex
> > could theoretically pop you into neutral, but it's never happened on
> > my DL-1, and I don't tend to hammer my flexier drop tube AW equipped
> > bike. Down tube looks clean, and is easy enough to change if Luigi
> > manages to flex the frame enough.
>
> In its 12-speed incarnation, I ended up having to tighten the friction
> shifters quite a bit because of frame-flex induced
> autoshifting--especially while standing.
>
> I'm most concerned about dropping into neutral while in "low" on the
> AW--since that's the gear that would most likely see me standing on the
> pedals up hills. Would running the cable under the bottom bracket cause
> me to drop into neutral in this gear?
>
> --
> Luigi de Guzmanhttp://ouij.livejournal.com

Traditionally, on (not too ancient) Raleighs it's run on a roller
above the BB--though Tim got me curious, and I guess we're both right,
as here is an example of a top tube run:

http://www.bikecult.com/works/archive/05bicycles/raleigh24K.html

I like it because it's so simple. One short length of cable, a stop,
and a roller. It's a nice low friction system, whether or not you
choose to have the roller down or low.

I can't predict if low mounting would be a problem, but if you've been
autoshifting, then might as well go with roller top. Do be aware that
SA hubs can slip into neutral if adjusted wrong and you get just a wee
bit of tension change on the cable. I avoid standing with such hubs
for that reason, as I've slipped into neutral while seated a couple
times on a poorly adjusted bike. Having it happen while standing--
Yikes!

 

[[email protected]]

On Jul 22, 9:06 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Jul 22, 6:00 pm, Luigi de Guzman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:35:58 +0000, landotter wrote:
>
> > > Nah, even your standard DL-1 runs it on the down tube. Frame flex
> > > could theoretically pop you into neutral, but it's never happened on
> > > my DL-1, and I don't tend to hammer my flexier drop tube AW equipped
> > > bike. Down tube looks clean, and is easy enough to change if Luigi
> > > manages to flex the frame enough.
>
> > In its 12-speed incarnation, I ended up having to tighten the friction
> > shifters quite a bit because of frame-flex induced
> > autoshifting--especially while standing.
>
> > I'm most concerned about dropping into neutral while in "low" on the
> > AW--since that's the gear that would most likely see me standing on the
> > pedals up hills. Would running the cable under the bottom bracket cause
> > me to drop into neutral in this gear?
>
> > --
> > Luigi de Guzmanhttp://ouij.livejournal.com
>
> Traditionally, on (not too ancient) Raleighs it's run on a roller
> above the BB--though Tim got me curious, and I guess we're both right,
> as here is an example of a top tube run:
>
> http://www.bikecult.com/works/archive/05bicycles/raleigh24K.html
>
> I like it because it's so simple. One short length of cable, a stop,
> and a roller. It's a nice low friction system, whether or not you
> choose to have the roller down or low.

Yes, using a roller seems to be the best way to set these up, due to
what you mention above. And I prefer the top tube routing - I had an
SA 3-speed on my winter bike for a while, and this route kept the
cable from getting gunked up with salt and slush. The same bike now
has a Nexus 7-speed hub, but I kept the same routing:

http://drumbent.com/photos/bikes/winterbike/114_1450.JPG

My 1972 Raleigh Superbe came stock with the top tube run:

http://drumbent.com/superbe.html (I really need to take a better
photo of that bike...)

Mark