the_kai•6d agoMost Upvoted

Am I the only one who used to dread adjusting internal cable routing?

For years I would just shove cables through and hope for the best, which led to a lot of swearing and wasted time. Then about 8 months ago, I saw a mechanic in Seattle use a cheap magnet on a string to guide housing through the frame. I bought a set for $12 and it cut my setup time for a full build from like 45 minutes down to maybe 15. The magnet grabs the ferrule and pulls it right through every single time. What other simple tricks have you guys found for internal routing that actually work?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_clark6d ago

Hold up, magnets only work if your housing has a metal ferrule. A lot of the new stuff uses full polymer ends. For those, I tape a thin nylon string to a small zip tie, feed it through first, then use that to pull the housing. The magnet trick is genius for older setups though.

barnes.shane6d ago

Well, there goes my brilliant magnet plan for any bike made after 2020. Thanks for the reality check, @jamie_clark. I guess we're back to the old fishing line and prayer method for all that fancy plastic housing. It's always something, isn't it? Just when you find a tool that feels like magic, the industry changes the rules on you. My magnet set is now sadly headed for the drawer of forgotten bike tools, right next to the 9-speed chain whip.

kelly613d ago

Ha, I feel your pain but hold up a sec. That zip tie and string trick is clever, but you can skip the tape if you just crimp the string end with a pair of pliers. Makes it stiff enough to poke through most housing without snagging. And honestly, that 9-speed chain whip still has a use - some old school track bikes still run 1/8 inch chains. Don't toss it just yet.