Internal Cable Routing Headset fun and games

Bought my OH a new enduro frame. Kinesis TX529. It has a 1.5″ straight headtube. Came with frame, headset, rear hanger, seatclamp. Had to buy the special rear 148x12mm axle on top though which was odd. Price was acceptable for both, far less than the competitions frames. It can fit straight or tapered steerer forks. Had loads of parts from my bike to slap on it, buy the rest bought to make up. Here’s some pics of the internal routing headset, and a video of a design for one from another company put on Youtube a couple of years ago:

It goes down the headtube, around the steerer tube, and down the downtube and out before it hits the BB.

it all looks a bit like this prototype/retail option from First Components:

On my first try with it, I cut the outer cable too short I think.

Also, the outer cable I used was very rigid and I think it prevented the shifting from being clear. I could release the cable tension (shifter clicks) halfway through the gear range. The cable goes through the hole, wraps around the steerer tube, and then down the downtube. It’s going to take some experimentation, a softer outer cable, and some patience to get right.

At first I thought this was the answer to awkward work, needing a special kit, trying to hook out the cables. But it comes with it’s own problems. And, in the event of an awkward crash smashing the top of the headset, not sure o replacement parts.

I just would not even entertain the idea of routing through the head tube. Would not buy a bike that has this kind of routing.

Utterly pointless and introducing issues IMO.

A mate has a Virus Ebike that routes the cables through the headset like that.
It just let’s water in to the heatube where it stays and rusts the headset bearings.
He’s considering drilling the frame to route the cables and run a standard headset.

You can buy rivet-on external cable guides. You know it makes sense!

Shimano SP41 is pretty flexible, or there’s those link type cable outers that are really bendy.

wraps around the steerer tube

Hopefully just my interpretation, but . . . a full wrap??

Well, the cables come up the downtub, then have to go 180degs around the tube to find the exit.

The device clips into the top of the upper bearing, so when the bearing rotates the upper blackplastoc assembly, clipped in itself to the alu clip, rotates and always stay “forwards”.

That means there needs to be some play in the outer cable, and again we have a soft/firm cable outer issue i have to deal with.

I did assume water would get in, but assumed it’d just go straight through and down. We will see in time.

Try a Ribble gravel bike with the funky carbon one piece drop bars and stem and internal routed cables. NEVER again will I offer to help a mate replace his headset bearings. The hoses both needed cutting to get to the top race and that was after taking off the bar tape and in threading the hoses and shifter cable from the bars/stem/headset :0/

NEVER again will I offer to help a mate replace his headset bearings

Bit harsh.

Better to just socially shun any so-called friends who are stupid enough to buy a bike that routes cables through the headset?

He gets a tough time socially as it is. He’s “of orange hair” type and buys designer beer for £4 a tim. The bugger had the cheek to give me two free tickets to Brands Hatch as well.
I bloody ask you!

I’d also expect on an MTB there’s a high chance of the cable sawing into the steerer where it rubs?

As soon as you’ve worn through the plastic outer of the cable, its steel wires against an ally/carbon steerer. Add some grit and water in for extra grinding paste.

No thanks…

I’d also expect on an MTB there’s a high chance of the cable sawing into the steerer where it rubs?

Yep, I believe there’ve been some issues with steerer or frame wear already.

Sometimes the bike industry comes up with things that we look back on 10 or 20 years later and say “WTF were they thinking?”. In this case, we’re all doing it now.

Literally WTF were they thinking?

Good luck getting help from Upgrade Bikes. It’ll be someone else’s fault, no doubt Oh. Beg pardon, there’s another Kinesis Bikes??

At least with MTBs you’ve got a section of exposed hose so length isn’t 100% critical and gives you some room for adjustment. I spent an afternoon building an £8k Specialized Venge with integrated bars, stem and internal hoses. Bike fit/build notes said he only wanted 10mm spacers. Customer came in to ride the finished bike and asked for the bars to be raised 10mm – oh, that will be £300 odd for 2x hoses, 2x re-bleeds and 4 hours of workshop time…

Try a Ribble gravel bike with the funky carbon one piece drop bars and stem and internal routed cables. NEVER again will I offer to help a mate replace his headset bearings. The hoses both needed cutting to get to the top race and that was after taking off the bar tape and in threading the hoses and shifter cable from the bars/stem/headset :0/

And I bet the next time they need doing he’ll need new hose as as it’ll be too short once the olive/barb are cut off. Totally bonkers design. Well I say design, that implies some thinking went into it. Oh look, all of the cables are hidden, brilliant, we’ll do it like that then 🤦‍♀️

Customer came in to ride the finished bike and asked for the bars to be raised 10mm – oh, that will be £300 odd for 2x hoses, 2x re-bleeds and 4 hours of workshop time…

Makes the £100 I charged (plus bearings) to change the headset bearings on one of those Ribbles seem like a bargain 🙂

Way to cheap Simon!
Bearings were £20 alone. 2x brake bleeds,
2x olives and barbs if you’re lucky, one hose if not and a lot of luck sweating blood and tears ;0)

Customer came in to ride the finished bike and asked for the bars to be raised 10mm – oh, that will be £300 odd for 2x hoses, 2x re-bleeds and 4 hours of workshop time…

Hilarious.

Can’t just flip the stem either I guess.

Figured out last night that the coated inner cable that came with a new shifter was just too fat for the jagwire-copy outer (complete set) I’d bought. When I used the full kit it all worked out fine.

So, now I have to worry about water ingress rusting the “sealed” bearings, and the outer cable “sawing” through the fork steerer when the plastic wears away and exposes steel? For now, the single gear cable is not moving in and out when I turn the bars. So, no “sawing” action yet.

I have yet to fit the rear Hydraulic brake (good job I can easily bleed this model) and the dropper post that’s likely coming today. There’s going to be three cables stuffed through and down. Gonna get busy in there.

They look nice though, and (checks notes) that’s important people! We all know that being able to see cables is bad and wrong*

*Because; reasons. Can we blame roadies for this?

Not specifically this bike, but when I was fixing bikes for a living I saw several frames written off due to the cable cutting through the frame from the inside.

I wouldn’t go near this. I’d be running full length outers externally, cable tied to the frame with heli tape protecting the frame where it touches. If a customer insisted on internal routing and I couldn’t be certain there was no rubbing they’d be signing every indemnity under the sun.

Nothing to add on the routing except good luck. Frame geo looks very short from the chart you posted though, although maybe that’s their preference.

I’d also expect on an MTB there’s a high chance of the cable sawing into the steerer where it rubs?

Yup, I have replaced a few fork steerers due to cables wearing a groove in them. Scary as you cant see it until the fork is removed!

Well, still got the rear brake to fit. I was close to tears today trying to fit a Zoom internal routed dropper post. The tubes aren’t open, they have sharpie sized holes in the ends to put cables through. Almost even fell off the wagon with the nicotine I gave up last Xmas. In the end, just as I had it 95% sorted, the bar clamp is made of cheese and the bolt went through the plastic as I was tightening it. Gotta get the epoxy resin out now. The post did go up and down a few times although the lever itself is ‘orrible.d

@Stevet1 the rider is 157cm, hence the short reach. Needed a slightly smaller frame tbh, but this will do. I’m opposite here, hardly any tall riders, so virtually no larger frames come out here except mass produced stuff. (I really want for myself a DaBomb Sentinel 29er in 19″ for the high stack geometry, but no one even stocked them in the first place)

I’d take a picture of the two cables coming out for now. But it resembles the “Mouth of Death” after the comments in this thread and I’m not sure it wouldn’t be used against me if my OH rides off a cliff because of a predictable breakdown.