Best I can find is Bikester at £58 and they're not actually in stock (which might mean a long wait). Anyone got any top tips?
(can't believe I finished my last box! I was just sort of staring stupidly at it, like it would magically restock. It's the long/low/slack conspiracy, every bike I've bought for years has been just slightly longer so I couldn't reuse the cables)
2022
I didn't know what sp41 was (the shame!). I had to google it.
Your Google foo is weak:
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-ot-sp41-shift-outer-casing-50m-box-819997
50m? I'm out of touch with current geometry. I can normally get by with a couple.
I’ve had trouble finding it too so I’ve just bought some Jobsworth stuff from Planet-X. Haven’t used it yet but it feels comparable to SP41.
But that is for grey or white from Germany 😂
It's currently on a ship inThe Red Sea or Suez Canal.
eBay?
£72???? Is this a "where the most expensive" game.. Amazon £90 (out of stock) £139.99 from Sjs..
Pretty sure I went for Jagwire last time as I couldn't locate any reasonably price SP41, though had bought grey SP41 in the past, as it was cheaper. I think I'm out too, and have two bikes that needs new mech cables, doh!
Is this a “where the most expensive” game
4 quid per half meter at one local shop.
Not an answer to your question but have just brought 30m of this
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-brake-cable-outer-dispenser-box
Not tried it yet but can’t be a noticeable difference in performance??
Between Shimano gear outer and Clarks brake outer? I'd put my money on the SP41.
Timely this, just used up the last of my SP41. Must be something else just as good out there.
Not tried it yet but can’t be a noticeable difference in performance??
The Friday funny's have started!
😂😂😂
Have fun...
😂😂😂
I've been using the clarks for years and it's great, £15-£20 for 30 metres too
Timely this, just used up the last of my SP41. Must be something else just as good out there.
I've got at least half a 50m roll left in my garage... Highest individual bid by midnight tonight gets to buy it! 😉
FWIW, I've tried just about everything out there... The answer is no, nothing matches SP41! There's some that come close perhaps, but nothing as good... Pair it with some 1.1mm slick stainless inners and you'll be good for a long time to come!
I was just thinking, it can't be that good if people are chewing through a 50m roll!
Hardly chewing though it, but I repair my friends bikes, so it makes sense to buy in bulk, even if it take 2 years to use up.
Same here. Just checked, bought 10m almost exactly 2 years ago, serviced all the family bikes and a fair few mates', and multiple frame swaps in that time. I'll just get the same again.
This deserves more credit....
Onzadog
Free Member
50m? I’m out of touch with current geometry. I can normally get by with a couple.
Bikester says it's in stock but maybe they aren't.
I buy the Jobsworth stuff from Planet X and have no complaints.
I now use the Clarks stuff and its been fine.
Thank for everyone who suggested the same thing but more expensive, or the same thing but out of stock, you are the very building blocks of Singletrack society 🙂 The links which are something different AND out of stock get double points.
The thread was still super useful though because in the meantime, Bikester changed it to "in stock" so I'll get that (they are not a shop to buy from if they're out of stock, it's not even a great idea if there's one in stock because they have an ebay store too and they don't update levels fast. The new Winstanleys) But outers ordered.
(actually the Clarks is pretty decent, as long you put good endcaps on it. It doesn't flex as well and it can get cracky when it's older but otherwise not bad at all. I use their stainless inners sometimes in SP41 outer and it's a good combo and very cheap)
I was looking for some earlier in the year.
Ended up buying 2m of grey off ebay to put me on for my bike until big rolls of black come back in.
There is no substitute for SP41. Jagwire, Jobsworth, clarks, 90% as good.
The Clarkes stuff feels hard and inflexible. It works OK but it seems like an inferior product. The most annoying thing about it though was that the outer that came in the 'full set' I bought wasn't actually long enough for my rear derailleur (XL Cotic Rocket, which although long has fairly direct routing).
The Jobsworth stuff at least feels like SP41 although I haven't used it long enough to know whether it lasts as long.
I should probably just buy a big roll of SP41 again.
GX AXS is starting to look like good value at this rate! 😂
I bulk buy outer I went through a roll of Clarkes before going SP41. We ride year round in minging conditions and find SP41 lasts way longer. I was frequently having to change the Clarkes stuff, rarely have to change SP41. Same Jagwire Slick Stainless inners. Whatever the grade of metal used in the Clarkes outers seemed to fur up quickly. Even at twice the cost I'd stick with SP41. I last bought 50m of SP41 from bike-discount.de for £50 but it was a while ago.
Having a lot of outer cable available is just one of the great things to have in your garage to keep your bikes working nicely.
you are the very building blocks of Singletrack society 🙂
Beautifully phrased and so accurate. I would miss it if it weren't so
50m? I’m out of touch with current geometry. I can normally get by with a couple.
I've had a couple of beers but this made me very laugh.
GX AXS is starting to look like good value at this rate! 😂
Made me chuckle too !
This has been a useful thread for me.
Anyone got tips for which inners and other bits to go for? Or is it as easy to buy a kit? (Albeit much more expensive?)
I just realised I was totally unfair to Bikester, I was thinking of another company. So I totally take back that comment "hey are not a shop to buy from if they’re out of stock, it’s not even a great idea if there’s one in stock because they have an ebay store too and they don’t update levels fast. The new Winstanleys)", it was bullshit, sorry Bikester.
Re inners- imo the full shimano kits are actually pretty good value if you want inners. You can get the whole road kit for £12 and though it's not the absolute best stuff Shimano do, it's still better than most- stainless inners, decent end caps. Also the outer comes in longer lengths, while some of the other kits has the outer pre-cut into bullshit annoying short bits. Or alternatively you can get the higher end ones which have better sealing endcaps. (and the caps last forever, I'd not be surprised if some of the sealed ones I have, have been on 3 or 4 different bikes)
But also I really reckon the outer and endcaps do the hard job and any decent stainless inner is pretty much equally good, so I most of my bikes have shimano outer but cheap clarks stainless inner (I got a load of these for £1.50 from CRC a while back). Maybe with brand new everything there's a noticable difference with posher teflon inners but once everything's been in a swamp I don't think it matters.
For the record, I ordered a box from Bikester last month and it came from Germany in 4 or 5 days with no extra tax / fees (as should be expected).
So what end caps and do they come in a big scoop n save bucket as well?
Tbh for me yes, just cheap as chips plastic pack of 50 from eBay, or Amazon. You don’t see them wear out significantly, but just put new ones on when you next change the cable anyway as there so cheap (sorry planet), & metal ones tend to rust inside the shiney outer ime.
I've been reusing the same shimano sealed ones for years- just occasionally one gets broken in a crash or something but otherwise they last, and the sealing does seem to help.