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What is the best shifter cable?

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dochou

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I decided to to with the SRAM X0 shifters. What is the best shifter cable out there?
What are my shifter cable options?
Are all they all the same?
Do most people recommend lubricating the shifter cables or not?
Thanks!
:cool:
 
#2 ·
New

New ones are the best! But seriously, I never paid much attention to them until I bought Teflon coated cables from Giant. I noticed the difference right away. I use full cable housings and do not lubricate them unless they are going bad and I need to get through a ride or two. Water freezing in the housing in Winter is the worst culprit. WD40 works for that.
 
#9 ·
Gore ride on cables were great when I had them, but they're expensive. I think their biggest advantage is being able to negotiate tight bends with less friction than traditional lined housings and cables.

Nowadays, I just buy cheap cables and housings in bulk and replace them frequently...the bikes always shift great and I think I still come out ahead financially.
 
#13 ·
shimano dura-ace stainless cables with shimano 5mm shift housing. You can buy the shift housing in bulk too, I think it is 30ft or so. Also before inserting the inner cable lube the housing with a thin lube, I use Dumonde Tech Lite. I run full housing and my cables last for ever it seems including riding in wet and sloppy conditions, the housing usually gets damaged before I need to replace the cables.

good luck.
 
#17 ·
#18 ·
Cables all work the same even the Teflon coated ones. There are better housings available, but honestly I've tried them all and the cheap stuff works just as well as the over priced stuff. If you're not running full housing all the way down your bike eventually dirt and moisture will get inside the housing and will cause the shifting to get rough and you will have to replace the hole thing anyways regardless of which brand you get. It's up to you if you want to lube the cables, I never bother but if you do don't use an oil based lube since it will attract dirt. Use either a teflon or wax based lubricant.
 
#19 ·
Non-frayed ones :D

I've had success with Avenir Individual Derailleur Cables Teflon Slick from Amazon. I also agree with others on housing... no name is fine; just make sure you install new ferrules on the ends to minimize the chance of crud getting inside the housing. I bought a jar of shifter and brake ferrules from Nashbar @ 40% off a while back and the cost was darn close to buying a small pack of each.
 
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#20 ·
Thanks Thomllama. I asked Jagwire and here is their reply:

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for your interest in Jagwire. The Ripcord kits were simply renamed to Mountain Pro for 2013 to better reflect their design and use. The one other change to the kit for 2013 is that the shift/derailleur kits now come with 3200mm of housing, up from 2500mm last year. At this point much of the "Ripcord"-branded ones should be through the system, but if you feel you will need the extra hosing in the "Mountain Pro"-branded kit is to check with the shop you are purchasing from to see which packaging they have in stock. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Best,

Dan
Customer Service | Jagwire USA
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