Hi all,

I am pondering over the details of a new hartail frame and just wonder what the hive mind thinks about various different cable routing options?

Given complete free reign, how would you route the rear brake hose, rear mech cable and a dropper cable?

What kind of cable routing have you had and either loved or hated?

Messy cable routing is one of my real bugbears but when given the chance to do something better it is actually quite hard!!!! 😀

Ta!

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The boring bits….

Basics I’m thinking:
– Rear hose and rear mech cable both under the top tube and down the seat stays
– Dropper cable fully internal entering near the headtube (thin tube internally to guide the cable).

Specifics:
-Seems kind of fine but also messy as it the rear brake wraps around the right of the headtube and the rear gear cable warps around the left of the headtube then they have to cross under the top tube. You have also got potential for rubbing of the headtube on both sides.
– Where would internal dropper routing enter? Full guided internal or better to run externally and enter the seatube?
– The underside of the down tube near the head tube for the dropper cable like Stanton do looks awful IMO.
– Dropper entering the side of the down tube near the headtube seems like the best bet but doesn’t flow with the other cables.
– A single cable on the down tube (dropper) if the others are under the top tube like Cotic seem to do also looks awful IMO.
– Trying to take all cables down the top side of the down tube works great for 2, but the third is always a mess to get to the right destination.

Stuck 😀

i’m not a HUGE fan of internal cables, but… they do look neater…

If you’re externally routing the brake and shifter, then the underside of teh top tube makes sense.
You can loop them IN FRONT of the head tube, and then cross them immediately behind it, before they clip to the guides.. that wors well.

Then it’s just a straight line along TT adn down STs.

DrP

+1 for DrP

That does make sense.

I guess if you cross the shifter and brake cable immediately behind the headtube then that forces the cables to hug the head tube and rub more though??? To take Cotic as an example, they seem to cross the cables more towards the middle of the top tube.

I am not a fan of dealing with internally routed cables either but once done it looks a million times nicer I agree!

I am not set on externally routed cables aside from maybe the brake cable… more thinking of the cost and the builder’s sanity 🙂

I should also add that I massively despise cable and clutter in general so SS is the real answer of course 😉 There are just too many cables on a modern bike and that is without rear suspension or any lockout cables!!!

The real obvious answer is AXS gears and reverb. Then all you’ve got to worry about is the rear brake… 😉

My Scandal is mostly internal and I like it. It’s just loose inside the frame and pops out under the BB (dropper then re-enters the seat tube). Never really thought it bothered me before but I like it now.

If it wasn’t internal routing, I’d put the rear brake on top of the downtube by the bottle cage. Keeps it more symmetrical with the front brake’s cable loop. And run the gear either like a road bike without an outer cable (you’d need a cable stop on the back of the seat tube for a dropper and a reverb wouldn’t work) or with zip tie mounts the same way.

Everything fully internal, axs for rear mech. Rear brake through downtube and chainstay. Lovely

This is mine – all fully internal:

All routing runs in stainless steel straws inside the Reynolds 725 tubing.

Rear brake runs through the top tube and down the inside of the seatbstay. Front mech does the same.

Dropper isn’t quite what I asked for – my ideal was inside the down tube and exit just in front of the seat tube and into the front of there (so you’d see the dropper out between the two frame tubes).

What Marino actually did was inside the downtube and squeeze through where the downtube meets the seat tube and just above the bb shell. Fought with the routing on that for about an hour as the stainless straw outputs the outer cable facing straight towards the back of the seat tube. I had to grease the inside of the seat tube via the bb shell and then as I was pushing the outer from the top of the downtube I had to get a long Allen key and push the angle of the cable outer upwards. Easier said than done!

Does look ultra clean though.

And from the other side:

Internal with decent ports so it can be worked on easily. Never had a problem with the road/cx/hardtails I’ve owned. I can see how it would be harder for a full suss though.

Not sure otherwise. Not a fan of under the top tube as I occasionally carry by bike. I would go CX and put them on top.

I originally typed “no smart arse AXS comments” in my OP but deleted it 😉 😀

I did the whole AXS thing, then all you’ve got left is the rear brake hose 🙂

Would look really cool on a steel hardtail.

@joebristol I like that. The dropper routing is what I had in mind so it is nice to see this for real. I would also want the cable to come out ahead of the seattube and re-enter the seat tube low down like you requested (but didn’t get).

If it wasn’t internal routing, I’d put the rear brake on top of the downtube by the bottle cage. Keeps it more symmetrical with the front brake’s cable loop.

My Alu Procaliber has the rear brake and dropper cable running down the down tube to the left of the bottle cages. I actually really like it but the rear gear cable then becomes the one that doesn’t fit the same theme and is hard to find a place for. In the case of the Trek, the rear gear cable is inside the downtube, then comes out by the BB, under the BB and under the chainstay. I’m keen to avoid loops like this BB one if possible.

I did the whole AXS thing, then all you’ve got left is the rear brake hose

My original plan was rear brake cable guides only to be super clean, mainly for SS only. But the cost of a custom frame doesn’t leave much for AXS goodies and I have a nagging feeling that one day I may wish for gears and a cheaper dropper (unlikely but…).

Everything external on the down tube. Black frame, a bit of mud, and it’s invisible.

Everything external on the down tube. Black frame, a bit of mud, and it’s invisible.

This, on top of the DT not underneath where they will smacked by rocks.

Use the screw on cable guides ala Ragley.

electronic shifting is the future and if you are planning on getting a custom frame to keep for a long time i personally would that into account.. internal cable dropper though 🙂

The ragley x mount things are excellent hiding places for dirt, plus cable rub. not a huge fan

This, on top of the DT not underneath where they will smacked by rocks.

That might be good for a full sus but looks massively messy on a hardtail

All external, with more than the usual 3 guides along the top or downtube (whichever you decide on). 4 or 5 would really help keep the hoses and cables nice and tight.

Thinking about it external under top tube for brake and derailleur and internal for the dropper down the downtube.

This, on top of the DT not underneath where they will smacked by rocks.

Conversely, 99p cable outer protecting ££££ of frame?

I never had any issues on my Pitch which routed them that way, despite picking up a few rock dinks.

Thinking about it external under top tube for brake and derailleur and internal for the dropper down the downtube.

Yep that’s what I have arrived at so far.

In SS mode there is just a brake cable under the TT and down the NDS seatstay. Dropper ports should be nicely blanked.

Geared, the routing isn’t too higgeldy piggeldy. I still don’t like the cross of the two cables under the TT but it is probably hidden quite well.

Dropper cable entry in a similar position to JoeBristol’s to take the dropper through the downtube instead of externally is hard to beat I reckon

Just a general thought on steel hardtails – on the whole I think they are build less flexy / built stronger these days – so possibly don’t have the forgiving flex they used to have.

I specced mine to be able to take up to a 2.8” rear tyre to give me options. I’ve got a 2.6” forekaster on there and as a whole it rides a lot smoother than my Vitus Sentier it replaced. That usually had a 2.3” dhr2 or 2.25 Smogasbord depending on season.

So I’d definitely spec a big ish volume rear tyre everytime – and the stays to have enough clearance for this even in mud.

Yep already got tyre clearance on the list.

Big seat tubes to fit droppers and steep seat tubes can’t help comfort I reckon

Depends on the gear system your using. I’ve spec’d a custom frame this year with no guides as it’ll have full AXS (hose is running internally). But… I have asked for an extra M4 hole where a guide would be so, just so I can use those bolt on guide clips if I need to go back to cabled gears or dropper.

Personally, I like all the cables running external along the top of the down tube and tops of the chainstays for mech and rear brake.

I appreciate my AXS comment was a little flippant, but I’ve been on the other side of the coin. I got a custom frame built about 13 years ago – straight steerer, 26″ wheels etc. 6 months later it would certainly have been 29″ and tapered, but obviously not possible to alter it.

I ended up with a lovely bike that 3 years later was kinda out of date and certainly isn’t a bike that I used 5 years later. definitely not a bike for life.

I guess my point on AXS is that if you’re not going geared yet, but may do in the future, I’d suck up the extra cost of wireless then and enjoy having a far tidier looking frame, with potentially a cheaper build up front. AXS is excellent, it’ll get cheaper, and I don’t know what Shimano have in store for MTB but I suspect they will have offerings soon enough.

I appreciate that is a fair point on wireless stuff and the future. My original idea was rear brake cable routing only as it was my dream to have a completely clean frame. I’m getting talked in to making it more flexible (partly the builder and partly my wife rolling her eyes at the original idea)

Just go full internal like my Marino and it’s clean as a whistle (without going as far as AXS cost on gears)

I went totally clean and boss-free on my custom ti hardtail. Total commitment to AXS, but I figure wireless is going to be around for a while in some shape or form, and if it disappears I can have whatever bosses I want tacked on at a later date. It does make for a very clean frame.

I then went for the rear brake positioned within the rear triangle and ran the brake cable under the chain stay, under the bb and down the non-drive side of the down tube. Mud and water ingress doesn’t really matter on a sealed brake hose, and it has a natural curve from the lever to the down tube. It also positions it out of the way for hike-a-bike sections.

If you go with cable guides like these, you can just unbolt them for a cleaner look if you go axs in the future. This is my plan (but in reverse)

^ That was definitely in my external routing plans.

I reckon that is how I will go on the underside of the TT, rather than full internal or brake only (AXS style). A bit more flexibility and it would only be the dropper routing that is additional to the very cleanest routing.

I’m debating if the dropper routing should be left off completely as an ASX dropper is more feasible in my future plans than running gears or being able to afford an AXS drivetrain. Even the internal dropper routing in the down tube is a bit of an eye sore if not in use IMO with the 3 unused ports (I realise I am being mega picky). Hmmm…….

I have a Ranger with all internal routing. Cables go in the down tube just behind the head tube, and exit just in front of the bottom bracket. 2x cable mounts under each chainstay, looks very tidy.

Maybe go SS with a rear coaster brake only?

Does no-one remember the GT Groove Tube? 🙂

Into DT front/upper area,
around BB axle via a T47 BB shell or similar,
into the CS,
exit near to brake and RD, dropper hose goes up into ST.

Having the larger BB shell helps. It’s how we did the Hoy road bikes, they weren’t T47 but we had a larger OD BSA shell made to create space around the edge.

Alternative is to have the cables exit the DT, around the BB externally then go back into the stays – last gen Arkose did that and had a dropout that sent a cable or Di2 wire out the rear. Makes it all a bit easier to set up and service, just needs ports brazing in near the BB area and can be a bit tight at the chainstay plus it’s a stressed area.

Personally I’d have external routing using those Al clips that can take 2, 3 or 4 cables. Visually it just doesn’t bother me vs the faff of internal cables and tbh I’ve no interest in electronic shifting which biases my choices. Plus I’d rather the tubes didn’t have all those weakness spots for the sake of wanting clean lines, though if it can be done as a full internal as above it does reduce the amount of holes and ports fitted into the frame.

Does no-one remember the GT Groove Tube? 🙂

Ha.. And I remember Yetis with the guitar neck top tube which may be why I’m fine with good ole external cables.

Personally I’d have external routing using those Al clips that can take 2, 3 or 4 cables. Visually it just doesn’t bother me vs the faff of internal cables ……. Plus I’d rather the tubes didn’t have all those weakness spots for the sake of wanting clean lines ……

Cheers @jameso that mirrors my thoughts. Think I’m on the right path now 🙂

Surprised no-one’s posted pics of this beauty. Ultimate cleanliness!

I’ve done one of those for my no clog – no snag CX bike. Very easy to install cables – shove in at the back and it pops straight out the front.

Edit – the observant amongst you will notice the extra set of cable holes in the middle of the top “tubes” and the cable stop at the top of the RH seatstay – these are futureproofing for possible use with a Sturmey Archer hub 🙂

For MTB I mostly run on top of the down tube. Try and keep away from the top tube if possible to avoid baggy short snagging (especially singlespeed as you are flailing around stood up over the front of the top tube a lot).

Final cable guide positions are only sorted after the frame is finished and dummy fit of bars, stem, levers etc – can avoid a lot of snagging and cable rubs doing it that way.

I generally now silver solder a single run of the cable tie type mounts. One cable tie will hold 1, 2 or 3 cables quite happily to a single mount (no need for multiple parallel mounts). As Jameso says – those bolt on aluminium clamps are a whole bunch of stress raisers, bulky, snaggy and have a very hard edge to crimp hoses etc. A cable tie will just snap in a crash rather than rip a hose or shifter cable out.

If i was going custom, i like to think i would double down and get hardlines for all the hydraulics, so a hydraulic fitting just behind the head tube, solid pipe/tube down the frame and another fitting just inside the chainstay.

for cables, i like the idea of having stops at the head tube, and the inners are inside the tube, but floating free, wrap around a nylond slider inside the bottom bracket, and exit neatly at the bottom

both purely because the look pimp.

Oops – read Jameso wrong. He likes those clamps. I don’t. Never mind 🙂

Personally I’d have external routing using those Al clips that can take 2, 3 or 4 cables. Visually it just doesn’t bother me vs the faff of internal cables and tbh I’ve no interest in electronic shifting which biases my choices. Plus I’d rather the tubes didn’t have all those weakness spots for the sake of wanting clean lines, though if it can be done as a full internal as above it does reduce the amount of holes and ports fitted into the frame.

+1

I would do those clips, the top of the downtube and split at the BB  to final ‘destination’.

Oh, and bolt on replaceable wee carbon headtube protector – one that just sits all around the HT. I have been wondering if I can mould one direct on a bike with clingfilm/separation tape..