Need to put some new cables in my Canyon road bike and it’s the first time I’ve had to deal with internal routing.

It strikes me that it it has the potential to be a massive pain in the stones and I might be better off just popping it into the LBS.

What say STW? Am I likely to be crying in frustration or is it reasonably straightforward?

Depends on how it’s been done.

Some frames have a little removable cable guide. Taking that off makes a much bigger hole.

Or use a thin piece of plastic tubing slid “up” the inner so it is through both holes, remove inner, thread new inner through tubing, remove.

Or make a little “catcher” from a zip tie (in a tadpole type shape). Push that into exit hole, thread inner through it, pull it out.

It’s pretty easy as long as you don’t take the old one out without attaching a bit of string or something to the end.

Replacing is usually pretty simple, just draw the new one through with the old. Otherwise, as above, depends on the bike. I felt like sending chocolates to BMC after doing the reverb on mine, it was a beautiful experience.

I made the rear shifter cable a tad too short on my S3 but I can’t be arsed to faff and pop a couple of additional I-links in.
Last time I used a bike stand which helped as I could flip the bike at an angle.

Still a faff but not too bad.

The ones on my Commencal vary from really easy (dropper and front mech) to teeth-gnashing sweariness (rear mech and brake). Main issue for me was curves in tubes, especially the chainstays, and getting around suspension pivots and fitting some of the grommets. Obviously that might not be much of a problem for you.

I’ve never sworn so much at a bike than I have over internal cabling on my Trance.

I bought it as a frame only so there were no cables installed to follow.

After much faffing and bleeding (the outside of the frame is wonderfully finished the inside is as sharp as a very sharp thing!) I found working from the back/bottom worked best. For both hoses and cables I inserted a straightened safety pin into the open end that really helped.

Persistence is key 😆

Seems like pointless fashion to me. How are you supposed to fix anything in the back of beyond?

downshep – Member
Seems like pointless fashion to me. How are you supposed to fix anything in the back of beyond?

To be fair, I don’t see how that is an issue. Yes, they can be a pain in the ass, but it’s not impossible with very basic tools that you’d need to change an ordinary cable.

Also, it does look nice 😳

some people report good success using a strong magnet to guide cables through the frame (not with steel frame’s obvs.).

A neat trick which actually works is inserting a thread into one hole, then applying a hoover to the other hole. eventually the thread will pop out and can be used to pull outer through. Needle-nose pliers are useful.

Friend of mine had to get his LBS to remove his press fit BB to access the BB shell and reach the internal cable for the front mech. Presumably the cable is fitted before the BB during initial assembly. If something as simple as a cable swap cannot be achieved at the trailside, then the design is one of form over function and of little use.

I have nothing useful to add other than

“letmetalktomark”
I found working from the back/bottom worked best

I’m more of a front bottom man myself…

I reckon it’s about 3.2 metric faffs, but I’m estimating because it’s been a while since I had my faffometer calibrated.

I was on the verge of having a major hissy fit and just abandoning it last time I changed the rear gear cable on my meta. Warpcow- I found it a lot easier (still not easy) to do the chainstay and the downtube as separate sections of outer and join them with a middleburn cable oiler or suchlike.

I may just run the outer under the chainstay next time and wrap it tightly.

downshep – Member
Friend of mine had to get his LBS to remove his press fit BB to access the BB shell and reach the internal cable for the front mech. Presumably the cable is fitted before the BB during initial assembly. If something as simple as a cable swap cannot be achieved at the trailside, then the design is one of form over function and of little use.

Ah, ok. Thankfully my front mech routing is for top-pull. The pressfit BB on my frame is a whole other story.

downshep – Member

Friend of mine had to get his LBS to remove his press fit BB to access the BB shell and reach the internal cable for the front mech. Presumably the cable is fitted before the BB during initial assembly. If something as simple as a cable swap cannot be achieved at the trailside, then the design is one of form over function and of little use.

Yeah, that’s not a great design. Though mitigated by it just being the front mech and so easily dealt with. Most people don’t carry spare cables so it’s generally a non-issue trailside, distance dudes should probably be considering things like this when buying. But it’s bad if it’s impractical to do in a home garage.

(I’m totally blaming bloody stupid pressfits though!)

Doesn’t have to be like that though. Like, my 224 had semi-internal cables but totally outer’d so changing an inner was exactly like any others. Not that I carried an inner when I was riding it but, you get the point.

Use the Park IR-1 routing tool, takes a couple of minutes when there are no guides at all. Took about 15 mins for all cables to be routed including through swing arm etc

4130s0ul – Member

I have nothing useful to add other than

“letmetalktomark”
I found working from the back/bottom worked best

I’m more of a front bottom man myself…

😆 😆 😆 😳

For my HD-3 the tool quoted above and linked hereis a godsend…

Not a fan of internal routing myself…

Much prefer externally mounted full length outer runs if I get a choice…

I get the “clean lines” thing but do just find the internal routing on my road bike is just a faffy pain in the bollox…

I’d take simplicity over aesthetics given a choice now, but the fashion for internal routing seems to have largely taken hold…

Oh and my tip is to tape (a few wraps of electrical tape) the end of the new outer to the old one and then use it to draw the new one through the frame, if the routing allows for it…

some people report good success using a strong magnet to guide cables through the frame (not with steel frame’s obvs.).

I did that when building my Mason, plus a little loop made from a zip tie to pull the cable up once it reached the exit point. Still a PITA, but at least now they’re in, replacement is much more straightforward.

Not tried it yet but using a stripped down piece of outer like this video sounds like a good idea..