How to hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

[si_c]

Depends on the gears on your bike currently, what do the derailleurs/shifters have written on them and how many gears does your bike have front and rear

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I don't think any of the sub 105 Shimano are absent the washing lines except maybe 4700 Tiagra? My friend's 2015 Sora does too (and the previous gen Tiagra)

That said, I only ride SRAM none of which have the washing lines (the new to me 4600 Tiagra bike from 2015 certainly does, at least until Saturday when it's getting SRAMmed)

It'll still cost £100 probably to swap to newer Claris on a sub £200 bike

The OP is a self-proclaimed perfectionist so maybe nothing less than Ultegra would do?

Not sure about all the gruppos, but I've got 9 speed Sora triple without washing lines, installed a couple of years ago. Enables use of a bar bag, a much underrated accessory.

 

[vickster]

Not sure about all the gruppos, but I've got 9 speed Sora triple without washing lines, installed a couple of years ago. Enables use of a bar bag, a much underrated accessory.

Maybe upgraded since 2015 - friend's Cannondale certainly has them and that's a triple

 

[vickster]

Depends on the gears on your bike currently, what do the derailleurs/shifters have written on them and how many gears does your bike have front and rea

There was a massive long discussion about his rear mech in another of his threads - I think the conclusion was that it said Claris on it
Spec here https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/boardman/road-sport-2013

 

[si_c]

There was a massive long discussion about his rear mech in another of his threads - I think the conclusion was that it said Claris on it
Spec here https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/boardman/road-sport-2013

Thanks @vickster hadn't seen that thread.

In that case you'll need a set of Shimano R2000 shifters to move the cables underneath the bar tape, this will give you an improvement in aesthetics but it won't perform hugely differently.

My suggestion would be to look on eBay for a second hand Sora R3000 or Tiagra 4700 groupset as the cost of the full set second hand may not be much different than a set of new shifters would be alone.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not sure about all the gruppos, but I've got 9 speed Sora triple without washing lines, installed a couple of years ago. Enables use of a bar bag, a much underrated accessory.

I thought that was the case. A little voice in the back of my head tells me that I've read that other lower end Shimano groupsets now have concealed routing. I may have read that somewhere. Or I may have made it up.

Question is - would they have the right pull ratio for the mechs on this bike? I can't tell from the photo whether it's an 8 or 9 speed. But it's definitely a possibility.

Edit. Didn't see @si_c 's post above. That's what would be required.

 

[snorri]

I don't doubt anything @chriswoody has said, but thought the following sentence was particularly worth repeating.

Now relax, drink a cup of tea then go out and enjoy riding that bike instead of fretting over cables.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’d worry about pedals first. Your bike isn’t going anywhere till you have some.

 

[vickster]

Thanks @vickster hadn't seen that thread.

In that case you'll need a set of Shimano R2000 shifters to move the cables underneath the bar tape, this will give you an improvement in aesthetics but it won't perform hugely differently.

My suggestion would be to look on eBay for a second hand Sora R3000 or Tiagra 4700 groupset as the cost of the full set second hand may not be much different than a set of new shifters would be alone.

It will cost more to get the full groupset fitted by the LBS though than just the shifters with the same number of gears

 

[Brandane]

OP, you could make the existing cables look neater and stop them rattling together while riding. All it will cost is a few pence for a plastic zip tie and use it to tie them together where they meet, in front of the stem.

 

[Globalti]

The shifters you have are the best system because they exit straight off the reel inside the shifter and take a gentle curve. Shifters after this had cables following a more tortuous route and the shifting is stiffer and less precise. All in the name of fashion.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

All in the name of fashion.

And the fitting of bar bags, which I'm sure was high on Shimano's list of priorities...

 

[matticus]

The shifters you have are the best system because they exit straight off the reel inside the shifter and take a gentle curve. Shifters after this had cables following a more tortuous route and the shifting is stiffer and less precise. All in the name of fashion.

I think you mean "style", sir. Not everyone knows the difference, of course ...

Signed,
A Campag User.

 

[MichaelW2]

Campagnolo gear cables have always exited the shifter at the rear, under the bar tape. When I changed from Campagnolo Mirage 8 to Shimano Tiagra 9 that was one of the compromises I had to make to switch to a system where compatible rear sprockets were available in bike shops.

Flying cables don't play well with bar bags, you need unfeasably long bits of cable to route around.

 

[Fab Foodie]

View attachment 528819

Is it possible to hide the cables under the handlebar tape?

The cables seem to come out of the shifters.

Are those cables the gear cables or brake cables?

They are the gear cables.
Leave alone and go ride around, they'll soon become less bothersome. If you like cycling chances are you'll be angling for a better bike anyhow which is a better way to spend your money :-)

Looks nice! Get out there....