I run the Hed carbon bar. Never have been able to get the cable to run nice and smooth through on the rear brake. I’m running it through the right places (i.e., down the gap, then through the loop, with enough slack to ensure there aren’t any really tight bends).
I get juuuuuust enough friction so as to prevent the rear brake, which has a weak return spring (XLabs), from having that nice crisp return. They always feel like they are dragging or about to. I use standard Shimano casing, like you’re supposed to.
I don’t get it. Any better casings out there I should switch to?
Do you lubricate your cable? Don’t! If you have housing that has any grease in it, clean it out and get teflon cables. No lube. Might also be the return spring on the brake is weaker than Shimano.
Nope, no lube, straight as it came out of the box (Shimano MTB cable).
I just ordered Shimano 105 brakes. Hope they spring better. At the very least, they will be dual pivot. I am so sick of trying to get the single pivots to center correctly. Yuck.
One more option…try running a “shift cable” as a brake cable. The return is super fast!! : )
I haven’t used brake cables in years. I use 4 shift cables when building all my bikes. I still use the brake housing though. The shift cables run super smooth through the brake housings.
The Hed bar needs MTB cables anyway, so I wouldn’t try a shifter cable. If the 105 calipers have a solid return spring, that may be enough to do the job. Right now the brake lever doesn’t return fully, though. Very annoying.
I don’t know if it’s the case with the Xlab calipers, but the Cane Creek calipers suffer from a pathetically weak return spring. Seems to have less than half the return power of the springs Shimano uses. I think I’ll try fitting a Shimano spring in the Cane Creek calipers - since they’re lighter than the Dura Ace calipers.
Teflon cables are great too - I’ve been running Gore cables on my MTB for years - never needed to adjust gears since fitting them.
No offense intended Aztec, but your namesake cables SUCK! I won’t buy Aztec cables again. Corrosion due to sweat seems to be a big problem for me!!
I’ll take your word for it, but I’ve had plenty of panic stops over the past few years without a problem. I ride in traffic everyday and the cables and brakes have been put to many a test…its passed them all. Knock on wood!! : )
I’ll take your word for it, but I’ve had plenty of panic stops over the past few years without a problem. I ride in traffic everyday and the cables and brakes have been put to many a test…its passed them all. Knock on wood!! : )
Again this is only with shift cable housing (the kind with longitudinal wires wrapped in plastic, not any kind with a coiled or woven metal wrap). It doesn’t happened often but its not uncommon, and with braking how many panic stops with falied brakes is one too many (the answer is 1).
Try this take some spare housing and slice it with a razor blade look at the cross section. The thin plastic liner and thin plastic outer cover is what is actually holding your cable.