OK what’s the secret for getting the cables from point A to B?
Its pretty easy actually. I have switched out mine many times and there is only one way to save yourself the frustration of tilting the bike up and trying to fish them through, which the only hard ones are the toptube and downtube.
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Do NOT pull out the old cables in the beginning…REPEAT do not!!
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Duct tape the ends of the old cables to the new cables and be sure they hold pretty snug.
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Slowly guide them through the downtube/toptube pulling slightly on the old cable, while pushing the new cable so as to seperate them. If they do come apart then you need to resort to fishing them through.
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Go ahead and insert your wiring through the cables.
After that you should then be able to make your adjustments and your done!
Also note that before you start, cut your old cables from the shifters (and put your new cable through the sti shifters) which will create the ends of the old cable for the new cable to attach to. When removing and installing, it seems that you want to work from the front of the bike to the rear.
Email me if you want me to help explain it clearer.
1. Do NOT pull out the old cables in the beginning…REPEAT do not!!
OK, assuming someone has foolishly already done that, what is the next step?
patience, a LOT of patience. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes, sometimes an hour. thicker (sacrificial) cable that you can bend a bit helps, and remove the BB if youre going through it.
There is no hole in the top of the bottom bracket, or is there? I though I checked that.
I’d suggest utilizing the old cable to get an idea of the length required, perhaps cut your new one just a bit longer. Then you need to “bend” the cable, so that it ends up in a semi-arc shape. This seems to make it easier to fish it through the holes (you can control the end inside the frame better).
Like previously mentioned, sometimes it may take awhile, sometimes you get the “touch” and can do it in a couple of minutes.
Is this a KM-40 airfoil?
Kestrel recommends using a length of welding wire with a kink at the end to poke through the frame and then feed cable housing onto the welding wire. Basically any thin stiff wire will do, like an unraveled coat hanger or just going to the hardware shop to pick up a piece of stiff wire on the way home. -That’s Kestrel’s official response in their manual.
I’ve done it before with just a bent spoke to fish out the shift/brake cable out of the second hole (poking the cable into the entry hole and feeding it to about the exit). Once you get good at it, it only takes a couple of minutes to do.
Talon
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There is no hole in the top of the bottom bracket, or is there? I though I checked that.
I believe there is on the Talon.
no need to remove the BB then. I usually end up with the bike ‘ended up’ (handlebars/fork facing down, working underneath the wheel) from the back. Cut a length of stiff wire about 4 inches longer than you’ll need; otherwise it’ll go past the opening and bend around the head tube. Put a slight kink upward on it, sight down the hole in the downtube and keep pushing/pulling until the wire pops out the top. Smack your head the first time it comes out and you pull it back in because you’re going too fast…
So are you getting the Talon set up as a road bike or did you dump the titanium QR for a carbon tri bike? Be sure to post your thoughts since I’m still thinking about picking up a used Ti QR. What did you not like about your ti experience? Oh and sorry I can’t help with the cabling, I hear it’s a big PITA.
GO BULLPUPS!!!
attach a long string to the end of the cable…insert string into hole…go get your vacuum cleaner or shop vac and suck the string out from the other hole…pull string through with the attached cable…your welcome.
once you get them all set up, how on earth do you keep them from squeaking? none of my buddies ride with me anymore because it sounds like my frame is about to split. mine squeak like crazy at the entry points.
Thats not what I wanted to hear.
your talon? really? mine doesn’t squeek at all. When you hit the brakes the housing hits the inside of the top tube, but that happens on all internally routed bikes
squeeking? really? are you sure the brass cable stops are in properly? You only use them for the shift cables, nothing on the rear brake.
Hope that you got the cables in. It takes a bit of time, and usually a lot of swearing.
Once they are back in, got to the LBS and get the cable guides that the Kestrels come with.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=737883;search_string=cable;#737883
Jeromy
Can you buy the brass cable stops at any bike shop or all they proprietery to Kestrel? I mangled one up trying to get it out.
-the brass stops are a Kestrel-specific part; I wouldn’t expect a shop to carry them unless they did a lot of Kestrel business. If you call or email Kestrel they will send you a bunch of them (at least they were kind enough to send some to me)
-for the guy with noise problems a the cable entry points, the brass stops corrode and get covered with gunk and start making noise when they move around. keep them clean and spray some lube on them - it will help with the noise
-For future reference, leave the cables in the frame (cut them off of the shift and brake levers), slide a piece of old cable housing over the cables inside of the frame, pull the cables out of the housing. leave the old housing in the frame, slide the new cable through the housing, slide the old housing off of the new cable, and then slide the new housing (cut to size) over the new cables (if necessary, i.e. for the rear brake, depending on your model year). don’t forget to feed the cables through the shift or brake levers and any external housing before putting it through the frame. and don’t forget the little brass things - you’ll have to pull everything and start over if you do. trust me, its annoying. Assuming the old housing was cut to size correctly, use it to cut the new housing to size - the Kestrel talons are a pain with the little bits of cable housing all over the place, it saves a lot of time if you don’t have to re-measure for the new housing.
-For now, take an old piece of brake cable housing, longer than you need to make it through the frame, feed it in the bottom hole down by the bottom bracket and push it up through the frame. You’ll have to have the cranks off of the bike to do this (obviously). When enough length is inside the frame that the end of the housing should be around the exit hole, start rotating the housing along its axis while moving it back and forth - the natural bend in the housing combined with the rotation should act to eventually bring the housing end close to the exit hole. when you can see it, grab it and pull it out - a flashlight and pair of tweezers, forceps, needle nose pliers, etc. are helpful here. Once the housing is out, feed the new cable through it, pull the old housing, and feed the new housing over the cable (if necessary, i.e. for the rear brake, depending on your model year). Make sure you put the cables through the shift lever/brake lever and any necessary additonal housing before you feed it through the frame. Don’t forget to put on the annoying little brass stops that turn green with sweat corrosion after 6 months.
-make sure you get the right shift cable through the right hole. The top hole by the BB goes to the front derailleur. This should come out of the left side of the down tube (I think).
-Be patient! this takes practice, and getting pissed doesn’t make it go any faster, believe me.
Kestrels, especially talons, are a bloody pain to work on. especially that little bit of cable behing the chainrings going to the front derailleur - you have to take the cranks off of the bike to change the cables. how annoying is that? I charge $15 extra as an annoyance fee when I overhaul Kestrels.
good luck,
J