Brake and gear outer cables.
- Thread starter Paulus
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
They are not the same, and since this is a 'safety issue' not sure that 'your thoughts please' is appropriate. Companies suggesting 'universal outers' are talking utter and dangerous BS.
Sheldon
Gear cable outers need to resist compression so the metal strands are longitudinal. Brake cable outer (metal element) is a tightly wound helix. Use of a brake cable outer for a gear cable will screw up the indexing. Use of a gear cable outer for a brake cable may result in failure and an ineffective brake
.
Also different inner cable diameter.
Mexhanical (and hybrid (mech/hyd) disc brake cables benefit from 'compressionless' outers to improve performance.
Sheldon: "Warning: Since compressionless housing relies on plastic to hold it together, it is not as strong as conventional spiral housing, and should never be used for brakes! The loads applied to brake cables can easily cause compressionless housing to rupture and burst, causing a complete and sudden loss of brake function. "
Sheldon
Gear cable outers need to resist compression so the metal strands are longitudinal. Brake cable outer (metal element) is a tightly wound helix. Use of a brake cable outer for a gear cable will screw up the indexing. Use of a gear cable outer for a brake cable may result in failure and an ineffective brake
.Also different inner cable diameter.
Mexhanical (and hybrid (mech/hyd) disc brake cables benefit from 'compressionless' outers to improve performance.
Sheldon: "Warning: Since compressionless housing relies on plastic to hold it together, it is not as strong as conventional spiral housing, and should never be used for brakes! The loads applied to brake cables can easily cause compressionless housing to rupture and burst, causing a complete and sudden loss of brake function. "
Last edited:
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Don't bother with universal outers.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Universal outer is OK on 6 speed indexing but crap if you have any more gears than that.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I always buy the ones specific to the job anyway and I've got no experience of using "universal" ones, so I have nothing useful to add to the thread. However, I won't let that stop me ...
I thought universal ones were just compressionless ones made from tougher materials to avoid the catastrophic failure that @Ajax Bay refers to? But I've only read about them, never used them.
Am I wrong but weren't they the same thing back in ye olden days? But compressionless gear outers became necessary for fussy indexed gears?
Usual caveats apply. I don't have a clue what I'm on about.
I thought universal ones were just compressionless ones made from tougher materials to avoid the catastrophic failure that @Ajax Bay refers to? But I've only read about them, never used them.
Am I wrong but weren't they the same thing back in ye olden days? But compressionless gear outers became necessary for fussy indexed gears?
Usual caveats apply. I don't have a clue what I'm on about.
Last edited:
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
I think 'fussy' indexed gears have been around long enough and sufficiently ubiquitous to become the norm - since perhaps late 1980s. Friction shifters are now massive outliers (though I still enjoy riding my bike so equipped occasionally).
As said by @Slioch above the diameter of the cables are different with brake cables being thicker (5mm vs 4mm) meaning that if you try to use brake outers for gears then they won't fit the derailleur. Add to this that brake cables themselves are thicker than gear cables (they need to be to handle the higher loads for braking) and you have a recipe for crap performance.
Some gear cable sets are marked as "Universal" but what is meant by that is that they have two ends to the inner cable - one for hybrid/MTB type shifters and one for road shifters. You need to cut the "wrong end" off to use them - but you also need to be careful that you do this right or you will have to buy a new inner.
The best solution is to get a gear cable set and a brake cable set for road bikes or hybrids depending on the bike that you have. They are not expensive - Wiggle sell complete sets for a relatively low price and Halfords supply Clarks cables for a similar amount it's not worth it to get any "Universal" sets.
Some gear cable sets are marked as "Universal" but what is meant by that is that they have two ends to the inner cable - one for hybrid/MTB type shifters and one for road shifters. You need to cut the "wrong end" off to use them - but you also need to be careful that you do this right or you will have to buy a new inner.
The best solution is to get a gear cable set and a brake cable set for road bikes or hybrids depending on the bike that you have. They are not expensive - Wiggle sell complete sets for a relatively low price and Halfords supply Clarks cables for a similar amount it's not worth it to get any "Universal" sets.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Yes ... I raised the point about ye olden days as I couldn't remember it being a "thing" in my youth ('70s). I'm pretty sure Richard Ballantyne would have told me about it if it was.
Last edited:
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Handlebar mounted gear shifters cause some of the problems, with a spiral type (brake) outer as you bend them the outer will become slightly longer and as you straighten them slightly shorter* this beggers up indexing.
* as you brake thereby putting more pressure on the outer it will try to straighten you can see this on MTBs especially or on road bikes where the cable isn't under the bar tape.
* as you brake thereby putting more pressure on the outer it will try to straighten you can see this on MTBs especially or on road bikes where the cable isn't under the bar tape.
