This bike is internally cabled for shifters.

I am changing my shifter and upon pulling the old cable I discovered that the sheath doesn’t actually run through the frame – only to the frame entry point. The frame entry point obviously narrows where you can’t see it as I have tested and the outer won’t go further than a cm or so into the “hole”. So does the cable just run “naked” from there down to the exit point near the BB?

Seems a bit odd – surely it would be better to run the sheath all the way from shifter to mech.

Has anyone done one of these before and if so any tips as it now looks like it will be a much bigger pain in the … than I expected

Yeah it’s bare cable inside the frame.

If you’re removing cable from the frame, attach a bit of string to the end of the cable. Pull the cable out and the string will be in the frame where your cable was. When putting cable back in, attach it to the string and pull the string out, your cable will be back in the frame (hopefully…)

surely it would be better to run the sheath all the way from shifter to mech.

Well, less friction if they run bare I guess. Does seem like a bit of a faff though.

I’m getting delivery on the 2011 frame myself next week (second hand), hopefully the old cables will still be in there… Anyone got a trick up their sleeve in case they aren’t?

I’ve already pulled the cable but having had a good look in the BB area it looks fairly easy (famous last words) to put back – since I’m going 1×10, only one cable to sort out.

I can sort of see the “friction” point but still think it would be less hassle all around – and less points for dirt to get into the cable outer – if it was full length outer. Tempted to drill the cable entry point out enough to allow…

svalgis – I just went and ran a string from cable entry to exit point, only took 2 minutes so don’t stress if the old cables aren’t there

They have their own internal sheaths. Just feed your inner cable into the frame and it’ll appear the other end.

If they’re new they’ll have a little foam bung you need to pick out.
Then just feed the inner into the frame (having cut your outer run to length from bars to downtube)

and it’ll find its way out at the bottom.

(This is a cable solution engineered by our very own Fivespot)

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Scapegoat mine (2012 Nerve AM) certainly doesn’t have any internal sheathing.

In which case I’d feed them through the upper hole and fish tehm out at the bottom with a pair of needle nose pliers, . The inners are sufficiently stiff not to get diverted inside the downtube, and if you make sure the drop is vertical you should be able to find them if it’s too late for the monfilament method.

Had the same problem with a Strive (trying to fish out the new cable having already removed the old cable). Solution is to bend an old spoke in to an L hook shape and put lots of slack cable in to the frame. This will make it very easy to “hook” the cable higher up in the downtube and pull it through the hole doubled up.

Yeah, no internal sheathing. Goes in at top transverse hole. It should poke out the bottom ok then into the dual bung doofer. Makes sure that is fitted in tight. It was easier for me as I’d taken the BB out.

Mine came cabled with the right hand shifter cable entering the left side of the down tube, and vice versa. So the cables must have crossed over internally because the rear derailleur exits on the right side.

So the cables must have crossed over internally because the rear derailleur exits on the right side.

That’s deliberate to minimize rattling IIRC.

Update: Job done, this was really easy