Front Gear Cable Swap on a Carbon Frame - Help!

[gazza1286]

Hi

I'm having some difficulties replacing the gear cable on the front mech of my carbon Scott Solace 20 and hoping for some guidance!
The images below show the relevant access points to the frame. The insert at the headstock is a twin plug for both the front and rear derailleur.
The plug at the base of the frame is a single moulding for the cable guides for front and rear.






Unfortunately the inner for the front mech has been fully removed so the only way to proceed will be a partial dismantle.

My thoughts are as follows:-
The design appears to indicate that both the front and rear cables will need to be replaced at the same time.
In order to fish the cables from within the frame the bottom plug will need to be removed. But as the plug is a one-piece the rear cable will also need to be undone at the mech to provide enough slack.

Unfortunately to provide sufficient slack the inner rear will need to pass through the outer at the derailleur and will undoubtedly fray meaning that I may as well replace that one too...

I've never replaced cables on a carbon frame before and would welcome some confirmation that I'm on the right track. Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
I've seen a couple of videos on YouTube but there are so many different designs there doesn't seem to be a definitive solution.

Many thanks

Gary

 

[lpretro1]

I have a Scott Solace - on your second pic if you remove the little torx screw on the side of the frame where it says FD RD you can then lift that bit out and access there to slot cable through - it is very clean inside so no probs fettling it down the tube. Be careful with the screw it is quite delicate. On the first pic - ignore/don't try to take off that access panel. I found it easier to Just pop the cranks off & bb out and then you can easily fettle the cable through

 

[Roadrider48]

Just wondering mate, but what is the other cable for?

 

[gazza1286]

Thanks @lpretro1 - but won't removing the cranks and bottom bracket require a press to put things back together? That I don't have.

Is that bottom cable guide clipped-in or bonded? I can't see any adhesive - it must just slip into the frame?

@Roadrider48 - the cable is from a wired Cateye Strada Cadence.

 

[Roadrider48]

Thanks @lpretro1 - but won't removing the cranks and bottom bracket require a press to put things back together? That I don't have.

Is that bottom cable guide clipped-in or bonded? I can't see any adhesive - it must just slip into the frame?

@Roadrider48 - the cable is from a wired Cateye Strada Cadence.

Thanks mate, was just curious, that's all.

 

[lpretro1]

Thanks @lpretro1 - but won't removing the cranks and bottom bracket require a press to put things back together? That I don't have.

Is that bottom cable guide clipped-in or bonded? I can't see any adhesive - it must just slip into the frame?

@Roadrider48 - the cable is from a wired Cateye Strada Cadence.

It is just pressed in not glued. You can get it out but need to be careful and it's a pain getting it back in. Don't use a screwdriver or similar on your carbon frame.You'll need to slack off the rear gear cable as well to remove it

 

[gazza1286]

Some lateral thinking required to replace these cables.
Feeding in the new gear cable just wasn't working as the end always ended up above the BB! I was also concerned that there was also a possibility that the front and rear would potentially wind around each other and I had to be sure this was avoided.
The solution was this. Two 70cm lengths of earthing sleeve taped to a few cable-tie tails to provide rigidity. The rear inner was threaded into the sleeving which was then slid into the frame from the bottom base plate up to the head-stock access point - the new cable then inserted into the other earth sleeve Works perfectly.

 

[Roadrider48]

You can buy an internal cabling installation kit from Park tools. It works using magnets.