Bullet-proof Kevlar® mesh renders our compressionless Flak Jacket cable housing lighter, more flexible and impervious to thrashing. Ultralow-friction Teflon® coated cables make for smooth, effortless control. And the Shield-Lock liner slip over the Shield-Lock ferrules to seal the entire system from mud, grit and grime.
Submitted by
nutz
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2010
Strengths: smooth shifting, little to no drag/resistance, looks, design and they last
Weaknesses: dificult to install, speciality tools (good cutters) needed
Bottom Line:
these are great wires, I got a set of brake wires in '02 from Avid and installed em on my (then new) XC bike. I noticed the feel imediatly after installing em, the plastic tubes (while faded bad now) have kept the rear wire in great shape, I blow em out every season with some compressed air thats it. I believe 99% of the problems listed above were from install errors and lack of proper tools...if you are not a bike mechanic or dont have acess to some quality tools take em to the bike store to get installed
Submitted by
skijunky720
a Weekend Warrior
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2010
Strengths: Bombproof, Bulletproof, Weatherproof, and all over amazing.
Weaknesses: Slightly harder to install than bare cables.
Bottom Line:
This is a great cable housing setup. BUT!! If you dont take the time to install them properly, then you're gonna have a bad time. I have put these on two bikes i've built, and they have held up perfectly for the last 2 years. I use these in all kinds of conditions, ranging from Oregon summers and downhill/AM use, to North Dakota winters riding through snow slush and 0 degree temps. IMHO, any problems with this setup is because the end user did not spend the time to install them correctly. With a very small amount of mechanical skills and a sharp pair of cutters, these are not difficult to do very well. I do suggest to use a touch of vaseline or grease on the ferrule/housing and ferrule/stringer connection, to completely seal them from the elements. My room mate also uses these on his XC bike as an upgrade from stock wire setup, and it was like a whole knew bike after the change. His bike has been ridden more than mine and still looks like it was installed yesterday. This is a great product and definately does NOT deserve the bad reviews that have been posted for it.
These metal braiding is not bonded to the housing. On housing installed with a bend in it the metal wires kept creeping out of the housing and pressed against the shifter cable making shifting difficult. I trimmed up the wires a couple of times in 3 months before ditching this product for Shimano XT cable housing....much better.
Submitted by
IF52
a Cross Country Rider
from Northeast Ohio
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2008
Strengths: They are just a nice basic cable and housing set
Weaknesses: The strands wound into the outer jacket are a pain to cut cleanly, but the clean up with scissors so no worries
Bottom Line:
I've had no problems with these cables and housings other than the aforementioned issue with cutting the outer jacket cleanly. I think you pay a little more for these than for Shimano cable/housing sets, which impacts the value rating since these perform no better. They look pretty cool I guess.
Similar Products Used: Shimano, Dia Compe, Jagwire
Bike Setup: 9 bikes, too many to list
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
fisher_rider05
a Cross Country Rider
from Welaka, Fl, USA
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2008
Strengths: smooth shifting, keeps mud and dirt off cables, looks nice
Weaknesses: doesn't last, pain to install
Bottom Line:
This cable set made a nice gift but it was a pain too install because it was impossible to make a clean cut in the housing. Now the housing has given up and lost its compression and starts to make sharp creases when shifting. It was fun while it lasted but I wouldn't buy another set.
Similar Products Used: avid straight jacket, stock cable/housing set
Bike Setup: Custom Gary Fisher Hardtail, sram x7 drivetrain
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike N.
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2008
Strengths: Unknown
Weaknesses: Parts don't fit, instructions incomplete.
Bottom Line:
Purchased for maximum power to BB7 rear brake. Instructions inadequate and incomplete. Instructions refer to parts by name, but do not list or describe those parts. Silly tubes seemingly designed to catch and hold dust, etc. SRAM ferrules too big for frame's cable stops; prefer not to drill my frame for silly ferrules. Read reviews on MTBR: uh oh! Put instruction sheet and ferrules back into package, and returned to REI for exchange for good old jagwire cable. Mountain biking: as addictive as cocaine, but more expensive!
Similar Products Used: Shimano, Jagwire standard cables, housings
Bike Setup: G.F. Sugar 292
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
dbruning
a Cross Country Rider
from Richfield, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2008
Strengths: Matches Avid's Full Metal Jacket Brake systems.
Weaknesses: After 2 and a half rides, cable housing shifted as in other post. This messed up my shifting and left me with a useless bike for the holiday on a mtb specific trip (thank goodness for the SS backup!) Problem as described in other accounts!
Bottom Line:
Was hoping for the best and got the worst. I will replace with stock cable housing and return to REI under 100% guarantee satisfaction.
Similar Products Used: stock cable housing (no problems after many installs and years (yes years, Avid!) of use.
Bike Setup: Diamondback V-Link 3.o full suspension. Fox 90RL fork, Fox "custom" built rear shock by SHOCKSPITAL. XT/LX der, FSA crank, FSA carbon seat post, handle bar, thomson stem
Strengths: cable completely sealed off from the elements, very stiff outer
Weaknesses: very stiff outer.
Bottom Line:
As stated these cables are Thick! You need sharp cutters before attempting to fit them. Once cut, I bent the outer by about 90 degrees between my fingers, this caused the wires running down the cable to poke out of the end. I then filled these back, and when I straightened the outer they disappeared back in to the sheath. I have had no problems with these cables and can only think people are leaving them too long, as when they flex the inner is trying to push out of the end, cutting them a bit shorter will allow them to flex and slide in to the ferrules. I had enough cable and outer in my kit to do the whole bike with some left over
The only problem I have encountered on my bike is that I have a hinged drop-out on the rear, and the outer is so thick/strong it will not "kink" as the bike would like it to. I would also recommend some sticky pad protection where the cables may rub as the outer is very thick and could damage paint work
I would definitely buy these cables again given the choice
Submitted by
Daniyar
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008
Strengths: Smooth
Weaknesses: Hard to cut, plastic sleeve started cracking after only 6 months, and most importantly, metal wire in this so called compressionless housing started poking through the ferrules that were supplied with these cables.
Bottom Line:
This is by far the worst cable I have even used, and has to be the worst product made by SRAM. At the very least they should have supplied steel ferrules so that they wouldn't brake under pressure from the housing.
Weaknesses: As other reviewers have found,Cable outer pulls itself apart. Cheap red "sealing system" that doesn't work.
Bottom Line:
Must be some kind of inconsistency in manufacturing because these seem to work for some people, but Avid need to sort this out. Just wasted 23 hard earned english pounds, as these cable outers just pull themselves apart within a ride. Have been fitting cables for 15 years... like everyone else here i know how its done - this is definitely a fault with the product.
Really badly conceived and constructed product, shouldn't be for sale.
Submitted by
Andrew Bass
a Cross Country Rider
from Albury NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2007
Strengths: It looks cool.
Weaknesses: Just like all the other bad reviews the inner wires came out of the ferules and the result was inconsistent shifting. I used a brand new park tool cable cutter.
Bottom Line:
I read the reviews after purchasing the product and would not have done so. Sram should take the flak jacket off the market.
Similar Products Used: I replaced the cables with Shimano XTR and the shifting is perfect
Bike Setup: Giant Anthem 0 (2007) with Sram XO
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester, NY USA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2007
Strengths: Excellent ferrules and outer shield system.(though I wish red wasn't the only color..clear or black, and sell the ferrules and shields seperately! please!)
Weaknesses: As other reviews described, the inner shield wires migrate out of the inner tube and jam into ferrules. Also had a piece of the inner teflon sleeve migrate into the rear derailler shifter pod housing!! I too thought this was a fluke and reinstalled sections after carefully trimming and opening the inner sleeve etc, I use Shimano pro cable cutters...but after 3 times I've had it. Too many ruined rides from bad shifts at the worst times! Enough! I switched to using some housing that came with XT pod shifters with the Avid ferrules and red tube system and this combo has been trouble free. I don't hose the bike down, I let mud dry then brush off or use damp rag. Have ridden in rain and still the tubes are clear. The Turner's cables run on top of the top frame tube so are exposed to everything (but still a better place than on the front of the downtube!)
Bottom Line:
I installed several cable sets to date, this is the first one to have these stupid issues of repeatedly migrating inner wires. The outer 'woven' wires are fine, it's the non-bonded 22 ga. wires which surround the teflon cable tube that are the problem! The Gore were the best even with the crazy 'creaking' noise they made...somebody re-issue them or fix the Flak inner jackets! I'm a reasonable guy but this is the definition of a 'defective' product.
Submitted by
Rogier
a Cross Country Rider
from Amsterdam-The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2007
Strengths: Black
Weaknesses: Durability, protection against dirt, merely everything I guess...
Bottom Line:
Well, this was a once-and-never-again experience!!! What a crappy cable system! Only the mounting was OK, but then my worries about the cheap plastic BRIGHT RED cable covers became true: they absolutely do NOT keep the dirt out of the cable system (and after Gore-experience I know this is possible...)
Moreover, every two weeks you have to adjust your gears (if you're lucky), because the cable housing starts changing dimensions due to some of the steel wires that start sticking out of the cable housing looking like an umbrella that did not survive a storm. I first thought I did not cut the cables properly or that I did not put the end cap on the cable housings, but the problem keeps occurring after installing new cable housings for three times already! (I use a Park Tool cable cutter which never gave me trouble with installing any other cable set!)
I'm heavily disappointed and now consider buying either XTR or SRAM cable set (unfortunately, Gore has stopped producing the übergreat Ride-On series!). Boys and girls, save yourselves some misery and DO NOT BUY THIS CABLE SET!!!!!!
Submitted by
Matt Daily Commuter
a Cross Country Rider
from Lost in Oklahoma
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2007
Strengths: Solid design, hard to wear out.
Weaknesses: Unskilled riders who do NOT
Bottom Line:
If you use the right tools and FILE THE HOUSING END AFTER YOU CUT IT, and SMOOTH OUT THE INNER OPENING BEFORE YOU STICK A CABLE INTO IT, it works fine. NO ISSUES. Cables are very attractive and bomb-proof. My objetion to almost all of these bad reviews is the lack solid, correct install proceedures. YES XTR/DURACE cables are EASIER to cut and install but keep in mind you are trying to cut KEVLAR (Bullet proof vests anyone), you just can't "melt the ends or trimthem with out some fraying, period. I USE THESE CABLES ON ALMOST ALL MY BIKES AND I RIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH NO ISSUES !
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