Cable routing

[Pipmeister]

This was inspired by a post on the Bike Chat 1998 section; or to be more accurate, a response that Anthony gave in the thread.

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=280392

There were two separate points that I was making on that thread.

Firstly, with all 3 cable stops on the Top Tube, I can see why it’s a good idea to use the centre stop for the Rear Brake. This means that it’s easier to avoid the Front and Rear Mech cables from touching the paint on the Headtube, which was the point raised by Anthony. Indeed Kona initially dedicated the centre stops for the rear Hydraulic hose when they were first introduced - see link above.

Secondly though, it had never occurred to me before to route the outer cable middle section of the Rear Mech on the underside of the Seat Stays, as now seen on my 1998 Hei Hei (after re-routing it following Anthony’s observations).

This brings me to the point here of 2 cable stops on the Top Tube with the Rear Mech on the Down Tube. I’m still not sure whether I prefer to take both Front and Rear Mech cables around the right hand side of the Headtube, as now seen on my 1997 Explosif, or one either side as currently seen on my 1997 Muni Mula.





The Muni Mula route obviously touches the paint, but I think that the interference isn’t too bad as a result of the riser bars.

Pip

 

[danson67]

That rear brake routing is always going to be tight around the headset, given the top positioning of the stops, but my vote goes to the Explosif routing...neat and tidy, all the curves matching, no tight bends and no touching the paint.

I'd just match the lengths of the front mech/rear brake pair so they run like tramlines around the headtube.

All the best,

 

[al-onestare]

Big up the 97 Explosif clique! I've always routed my Kona's the way they were set up; front brake on the left, rear right sweeping around he headtube to the left top route, front mech left hand side sweeping around the headtube to the right top routing and rear mech on the right hand side going around the headtube as routed on the downtube. It's always worked well for me; like you have with the Muni Mula. The Manomano was fun with 3, same but the front mech in the middle if I recall. That was tight and needed a fair bit of frame protection especially with the rear suspension.

 

[Pipmeister]

Big up the 97 Explosif clique! I've always routed my Kona's the way they were set up; front brake on the left, rear right sweeping around he headtube to the left top route, front mech left hand side sweeping around the headtube to the right top routing and rear mech on the right hand side going around the headtube as routed on the downtube. It's always worked well for me; like you have with the Muni Mula. The Manomano was fun with 3, same but the front mech in the middle if I recall. That was tight and needed a fair bit of frame protection especially with the rear suspension.

Yeah, I notice now your preferred method of running your bikes with the front brake lever on the LHS and the rear lever on the RHS.

It did make me chuckle when you wrote in your 1997 Explosif thread, “As nature intended them”

At 55 years old now, I’m not sure if could adjust to riding a bike set up that way. However as you say – and Anthony highlighted - I can see that the cable stops determine it.

I used to work in a LBS, and we would often receive boxed up bikes that merely required finally assembly. I had always assumed that the “reversed” brake levers were from European distribution. I must have swapped over dozens of brake levers on these bikes while getting them ready for the shop to sell :?

Pip.