Pro tip: Internal cable routing got me second-guessing everything

I was talking to a guy at my local bike co-op in Portland last Saturday, and he said something that stuck with me. He claimed that internal cable routing is actually worse for most riders because it traps moisture and makes adjustments a nightmare. I've always thought it looked cleaner and was the way to go, but he showed me 3 frames where the cables had rusted inside the tubes after just 2 years of wet commuting. Now I'm debating whether I should steer customers toward external routing frames for durability sake. Anyone else had clients come back with gunked up internal cables that were a pain to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_dylan18d ago

Use a lined housing kit and some gentle persuasion, usually works for me.

riley_bell18d ago

Guy I ride with had to cut his frame open to get a seized cable out.

ryand2618d ago

Hacksaw through a frame seems excessive when some cable lube and wiggling usually does the trick.