I’ve just fitted 2 oilers to my front mech cable, I just cut the cable (at 2 points) and pushed each cut end into the oiler. Standard 4mm cables, 4mm oilers, so I havent added any ferrules to where the cable pushes into the oiler.

Does anyone use a ferrule, or just be careful not to fray the outer when installing?

Not 100% convinced of the benefit yet, seems a bit fiddly to get lube under the o-ring, but definitely worth a go for a fiver and 20 minutes work.

What lube to people find works best, something thin like WD40/GT85 or thicker web lube type stuff?

cheers

These are a brilliant invention, no ferrules required, they are a ferrule.

I often do maintenance on friends bikes – typically gears which they often assume need to be renewed. A cable strip and lube normally solves it.

So I install these on all my bikes and all my mates bikes, I haven’t changed a cable on my bike in years. I normally buy the 5mm ones as they are a bit more universal.

PS one oiler per cable on a fully enclosed cable is easily enough. I normally do it midway between the shifter and where it passes the headtube. A quick squirt of 3in1 spray lube and it squirts out by the mech and by the shifter. The O rings will perish but it is not the end of the world.

Use these on all my cabled bikes too! Can use GT85 after every clean (I clean regularly) but I have also bodged a straw adaptor for liquid lube – which I prefer. One is enough for each enclosed cable as Toys suggests.

I swear by them for gear cables. I generally use a light teflon based lube such as Finish Line Teflon red. I’ve used Finish Line Cross Country in the past too.

what size is standard shimano cables ? 4 or 5mm

Gear cable outers 4mm, brake cable outers 5mm.

have them not all that convinced tbh

What is not to be convinced about? Have you sprayed a grease down them and it did not come out of the relevant ends? Or were you just struck by their lack of narrative?

I use them on my fully outered FS bike. Work a treat, but they do mask the fact that your cable will eventually fatigue and need replacing. I had my rear cable snap whilst out on a ride, probably because it was a few years old and only had lube squirted in every few rides. So still change your inner every year or so.

Chuckles at toys reply 😀

i just think the performance difference before i used one and after is un noticeable by me tbh
Clearly I am in the minority here [ or you are all evidence of the placebo effect]

Perhaps you are a serial luber. They are only really handy for the serial neglecters like me..

Thanks everyone. Now installed, look nice at least! In hindsight, I should have placed them on sections of outer cable that are dead straight, to avoid stressing the joins. but in the bend from the shifter to headtube seemed like the right place. Plus another half way along.

Guess I’ll know by Spring how successful this has been.