Internal cabling - first time DIY

Alanbt

Hi All.

Hoping for some guidance on internal cable routing for a frame I bought. Looking to do this build myself, and first time dealing with internal routing.

Rear brake cable goes down top tube and exits at rear under integrated seatpost (as pictured). Nothing too complex there I would imagine.

Rear derailleur routing also goes along top tube but then proceeds down driveside seat stay, exiting a few inches above the derailleur.

What is the best way to manage internally cabling? And specifically getting cable down the seat stay? Any handy tools/trick to help?

Any help appreciated.

Cheers

magicbastarder

one trick is to feed a thread in one end and suck it out the other end with a vacuum cleaner, and then use it to pull the cable through. there's a couple of videos online about it.

David6330

Since you mention the frame has an integrated seatpost I'd try the following:

1. Feed the gear cable in through the seat stay and place a small sized long handle allen key in the brake cable hole to guide/force it into the top tube.

2 Feed the brake cable in from the back and that should go straight into the top tube.

For the tope tube holes towards the head tube, if the holes are not too small, I'd try using the L bend on an allen key to fish the cable ends out. If that doesn't work you might need to drop the fork out so you could get your fingers or a tool into the top tube that way.

David6330

David6330 wrote: »

1. Feed the gear cable in through the seat stay and place a small sized long handle allen key in the brake cable hole to guide/force it into the top tube.

If the allen key idea doesn't work for the above, I'd try using something long that will fill up the seat post to where the seat stays are with the idea that it will force the cable to go into the top tube.

Everything Italian

That's interesting, I've never noticed an RD cable routed internally along the top tube other than CX frames where it is generally external. Surely there must be an internal sleeve or tube of some sort in the tubing, otherwise how does the cable navigate the route into the seat stay without snagging on the angle? For standard internal routing the inner cable generally (I think ?) exists at the BB and through a cable guide before re-entering the chain stay. If there is an inner liner, it should make the vacuum hoover trick easy to deploy, just use the cotton thread as a pull-wire for the cable inner.

ckeego

I’ve cabled quite a few internal routings in the last few years and it can be hit and miss at times-some days it just happens-every thing just works; other days you’re tearing your hair out.

What changed things for me and made it a breeze were a magnet kit and a hooked pick.

It can be done cheaper but I’d recommend the Park tools kits IR 1.2 is the internal cabling kit, UP is the pick set.

If you are anywhere near me, you are welcome to borrow mine.

Plastik

ckeego wrote: »

I’ve cabled quite a few internal routings in the last few years and it can be hit and miss at times-some days it just happens-every thing just works; other days you’re tearing your hair out.

What changed things for me and made it a breeze were a magnet kit and a hooked pick.

It can be done cheaper but I’d recommend the Park tools kits IR 1.2 is the internal cabling kit, UP is the pick set.

If you are anywhere near me, you are welcome to borrow mine.

Very handy to know that you have one of those kits

Alanbt

ckeego wrote: »

I’ve cabled quite a few internal routings in the last few years and it can be hit and miss at times-some days it just happens-every thing just works; other days you’re tearing your hair out.

What changed things for me and made it a breeze were a magnet kit and a hooked pick.

It can be done cheaper but I’d recommend the Park tools kits IR 1.2 is the internal cabling kit, UP is the pick set.

If you are anywhere near me, you are welcome to borrow mine.

Cheers. I’ll have a look at those kits online first. Don’t think you’re a million miles from me (think you bought something off me, or vice versa, and was able to meet near old office in Dundrum). Will let you know

Alanbt

Everything Italian wrote: »

That's interesting, I've never noticed an RD cable routed internally along the top tube other than CX frames where it is generally external. Surely there must be an internal sleeve or tube of some sort in the tubing, otherwise how does the cable navigate the route into the seat stay without snagging on the angle? For standard internal routing the inner cable generally (I think ?) exists at the BB and through a cable guide before re-entering the chain stay. If there is an inner liner, it should make the vacuum hoover trick easy to deploy, just use the cotton thread as a pull-wire for the cable inner.

I’m going to seek some more information from the previous owner on the cable routing. I was assuming there is some sort of guide for the cable to make the turn down seat stay without rubbing/damaging the frame.
I have never seen this way of routing either. Should be very clean looking when done though (will be my poser bike so have dura ace 9000 and fulcrum zero to stick on it)
This is the bike (http://www.donhoubicycles.com/sparkys-road-bike/) and builder has good rep, so assuming the practicalities of such routing thought through. Just looks like a challenging process!

07Lapierre

You sure the RD cable doesn’t route along the chain stay to the BB and then out at the top of the down tube?

As mentioned, the park tool magnet kit makes it a much easier job.

Alanbt

07Lapierre wrote: »

You sure the RD cable doesn’t route along the chain stay to the BB and then out at the top of the down tube?

As mentioned, the park tool magnet kit makes it a much easier job.

Positive. Only one hole on downtube for front derailleur. 2 on the top tube (rear brake and derailleur).

From the makers listing “ The other main feature of this bike is the internal cable routing, with the rear brake cable exiting the rear of the seat tube, the rear derailleur cable exiting the bottom of the seat stay and the front derailleur cable coming straight out the back of the bottom bracket shell“

07Lapierre

Fair enough what frame is it? Have you tried looking on YouTube to see if their is a video showing how this is done on your specific frame?

Alanbt

07Lapierre wrote: »

Fair enough what frame is it? Have you tried looking on YouTube to see if their is a video showing how this is done on your specific frame?

http://www.donhoubicycles.com/sparkys-road-bike/)
Was a custom build (for someone else, but measurements ok for me) so not a lot of info available. I’ll probably have to go back to original owner who I bought frame from to see if he has advice

07Lapierre

Nice frame! Actually maybe it’s a bit easier than I first thought. To me, it looks like you just feed a full length outer gear cable housing through the hole in the top tube and feed it down through the seat tube.

Alanbt

07Lapierre wrote: »

Nice frame! Actually maybe it’s a bit easier than I first thought. To me, it looks like you just feed a full length outer gear cable housing through the hole in the top tube and feed it down through the seat tube.

Waiting for cables to be delivered. Will try out a few methods

iwillhtfu

Have you tried feeding in a brake/gear cable or similar? I'd imagine there's tubes in there otherwise the cables will be pinging off the frame. Perhaps that's the real reason it was sold

Alanbt

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Have you tried feeding in a brake/gear cable or similar? I'd imagine there's tubes in there otherwise the cables will be pinging off the frame. Perhaps that's the real reason it was sold

Ah now, don’t be saying stuff like that
Have some cables on way and will see what’s there if ever arrive from Germany.
Will confirm with orig owner that guide is there, hopefully!

iwillhtfu

Alanbt wrote: »

Ah now, don’t be saying stuff like that
Have some cables on way and will see what’s there if ever arrive from Germany.
Will confirm with orig owner that guide is there, hopefully!

Be grand :cool::eek:

It'll probably fit me and you like selling me nice frames

ckeego

Lovely frame. That’ll be a real head turner as there are not too many Donhue bikes around.

There was a great article on them as frame builders in Cyclist magazine.

For those (like me!) who don’t like shelling out 8 or 9 bucks for a magazine, but f you have a library card, you can download an app called RB digital and there’s loads of titles there for free. Downloadable to read off line too...

Alanbt

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Be grand :cool::eek:

It'll probably fit me and you like selling me nice frames

Ha! Still using that BMC?

boomdocker

Have done it a few times on my Giant TCX
A complete pain in the ar$e
Last time I couldn;t get the cable through the chainstay, so I gave up and brought it to the LBS
Think if I was doing it again I'd buy the Park Tools kit for sure

iwillhtfu

Alanbt wrote: »

Ha! Still using that BMC?

She's a beaut it'll never leave the stable