I was wondering if anyone is using Nokon brake and/or shifter cables. How good are they for internal routing?
I agree with Trigeek13. They really can imporve shift/brake perfromance especially on some bikes with sketchy cable routing or very large frame sizes.
The installation is very different from normal cables and takes a little extra time, but is worth it. Also, the installation kind of compells you to get the correct cable housing length and that is good.
A bit pricey but a nice system.
You praised the internal routing on the Blade, so would DA be good enough? Will Nokon even work on the Blade?
The only time I feel you should use Nokons is on frames with very poor routing. Otherwise, it is not worth the extra cost and frustration. Also, my Nokons began to corrode after only a couple month’s use (and I keep my bikes clean). I switched back to Campy housing and didn’t notice any decrease in shift or brake quality at all. Regular housing is much cheaper and much easier to install/maintain. Oh, and it hold your handlebars straight too. That Nokon stuff is so wimpy- you have to be VERY careful when leaning your bike against anything. It looks very cool and is said to be somewhat lighter, but I’ll never use it again.
they work fine for internal routing, basically they work exactly the same as standard cables do for for internal routing. actual cables are pretty much the same as any other cable except they use brake cable diameter (larger) cabling for both shift and brake.
They are slightly lighter than stock
they take longer to install
they look bitchin (main reason for them)
wipe them down with tri-flow or similar light oil once in a while or they’ll corrode
can’t tell any difference in shift or brake performance, they are just cool so I have them
I’ve got them on my last two tri bikes…mainly because I had some extra money and my LBS guy hadn’t dealt with them before my bikes…
Yes, as everyone says, they work, and are, indeed, better than the stock cables.
But at the end of the day, I don’t think they are so much better that they are worth four times the cost of standard cables.
I think if you have the $$ and you want them, fine…they are great. But if you don’t have a lot of $$ to spend on your bikes…save it…there are better things you can do to improve your bike…Like better tires and tubes…