Hi,
I bought my vagabond second hand and the gear cables have always run from the barrel adjusters, straight down the side of the down tube to the cable guide on the bottom of the BB.
However, on giving the bike a service this weekend it has occurred to me that the barrel adjusters are angled such that it appears, if the cables were to exit in direct line of the adjusters, they'd cross over under the downtube.
A. Is my bike set up incorrectly? Should the gear cables cross over?
B. What is the advantage of having the cables cross over? Looks like they may run closer to the downtube.
C. Would crossing the cable render the cage mount on the underside useless?
I've had the bike a couple of years and I have only just noticed this ans now its really bugging me!
Used to do this on all my bikes when external routing was a thing, crossing them over as you suggest stops the outers rubbing on the head tube, doesn’t effect shifting or anything else IME. The bosses for the bottle cage should sit proud of the cables so should T be an issue unless the point the gear inners cross over is right where the cage mounts are which would be bad luck..
Mine came as new with uncrossed cables
Thanks
Next time I'm changing the cables I'll maybe try crossing them. I don't suppose it will make very much difference.
Will it up my randonneur cred? 😉
Default setting for me depending on where the cables need to be at the BB. Gives a better line around the head tube I think although I doubt it really matters.
Will it up my randonneur cred?
Only if combined with tanwalls.
As above, I have done it before to route outer cables in a way which did not rub the head tube.