Dropper Post With Very Flexible Cable Housing?

Hello All

I need to buy a new dropper post for my hardtail MTB. The issue I have is that my frame has internal cable routing for the dropper – the cable goes down the downtube then bends at quite a sharp angle at the bottom bracket then goes up inside the seat tube. The cable does not exit the frame between the downtube and seat tube, and this sharp bend in the cable housing I think has led to some problems with actuation of my existing dropper. Anyway my question is, which brand of dropper has the most flexible cable housing… if indeed any do? I just want to try to minimise friction of the cable moving inside the housing at this sharp bend.

I use brake housing.

How sharp we talking, what bike?

Could try Rock n Roll cable magic. On a derailleur where the cable is exposed to mud I’m not sure if it helps or might attracts grime, but on a dropper shouldn’t be an issue. I put a few drops each end of my cable when it got a bit slow to return, worked it in by activating the lever a few times, did the trick.

Expensive, but perhaps a wireless dropper?

Nokon Slimline

It’s a Vassago Verhauen – no idea of actual angle I don’t have my protractor handy! But it looks tight to me and when the bike was being built the mechanic (not me) used many swear words when installing my old One-Up dropper cabling.

Nokon Slimline

Or buy an extension kit, they used to have 10 or 15 cm of the segmented outers and a bit of liner in a bag to extend the run for big frames/odd routings. Just do the bit that needs the sharp bend with the segmented outer, use double ended ferrules where needed to join with the normal outer.

I would suggest that getting a quality gear cable and housing from one of the respected manufacturers could solve the problem as it’ll have less friction.

Or buy an extension kit, they used to have 10 or 15 cm of the segmented outers and a bit of liner in a bag to extend the run for big frames/odd routings. Just do the bit that needs the sharp bend with the segmented outer, use double ended ferrules where needed to join with the normal outer.

That’s the right idea. Do this.

a lot of droppers don’t come with the cable (or lever) any more. And I might guess some of the ones that do, come with the cheapest cable and housing they can get away with.

Suggest either looking at suggestions for cable inners and outers in this thread, or as you are after a new dropper, maybe a better question is which dropper has the lightest or shortest actuation.

Expensive, but perhaps a wireless dropper?

Looked at these recently. If it helps: Magura Vyron (poor IIRC), KS Lev Circuit, Reverb AXS, Tranz-X EDP01.

Upcoming ones from BikeYoke, and Fox Transfer Neo.

My bike has the same dropper routing.

Works fine with a shimano xt spec gear cable.

Something like this flexible adaptor thingy? 

I totally forgot about those flexible noodles! Yes, that’s what I’d use. Problem solved.

Don’t jagwire do a 3mm outer and skinnier inner for that very reason.

Can you lose the spacer thing in the middle of the BB to give more room for the bend?

I’ve used BBs without and it doesn’t seem to affect the life of it at all

Until the cable touches the axle… have seen more than one written off crank thanks to that.

I wonder if the issue is install related vs tight bend radius.

If you’re just jamming your post in without “pulling” that extra cable out as the seatpost drops into the seat tube then you’ll end up with a kinked spaghetti mess of excess cable.

To to this effectively, you need the inner cable secured to the lever so you can pull the whole  lot as one. That means working out the required outer cable length before hand.

Could you just use an old v brake cable thing? Might be the correct amount of turn, not sure.

Otherwise, drill the seat tube and the down tube to allow the cable housing to exit and re-enter, reducing the angle of the curve?

Any non wireless reverb is hydraulic, so not sensitive to cable corners as long as the hose isn’t kinked

Shimano bog basic road cable set is spiral wound and flexible.

Brake outer also

My bike just has the stock brand-x cable, no sure how much more room it has at the BB though (carbon FS so it’s a chunky part of the frame).

I think it’s a lot more flexible than standard cable outer though, comes practically folded in half in the box.

Isn’t Nokon thicker than conventional outer? It steps down into the ferrule at the end. IF you can get it in the frame though it makes sense.

Jagwrire dropper housing is a must. I struggled a lot with a new style 5010 frame, really persevered with it but had no joy. The jagwire went through like a rat up a drainpipe. First time.

Not SP41, it’s way too stiff and I really struggled with it for internal routing a dropper. Had much better luck with a cheap Shimano road gear cable set for about a fiver off Amazon. Even so, internal routing really is shit.

brake housing

This, brake cable outer (not hydraulic obvs) much more flexible but use compressionless outer or it’ll be vague when activating the lever

Jagwire pro dropper kit. Has a thinner outer which makes it far more flexible.  Just bought one for my Enduro which has to do a really weird bend round the shock. Definitely better than the old cable.

It’s a steel frame (IIRC) so what about just drilling a hole in the seat tube and have the cable enter in a sensible place and angle?  I’ve drilled steel and aluminium frames with no problem