Internal Cable Routing Hacks | Road Bike Maintenance

Bikes with internal cables can be notoriously difficult to service. Here are our latest and greatest hacks for getting the job done.

Recabling a bike with internal cables can, depending on your bike, be a bit of a frustrating experience. Luckily for you, there are a few ways that you can hack this experience and make re-cabling your internal cables a simple, quick job.

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Many thanks to Taylored Cycles for the use of their workshop

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[klb]

Si, the vacuum trick just saved me from one of my self-inflicted wounds, especially since the pandemic has rendered the LBS inaccessible due to their backlog. Amazing hack. Thanks to you and Tom!

[Scott-J]

Step 1, Watch GCN Video *before* you start on your cables. That string and vacuum trick worked perfectly, thank you!

[bicyclist]

I'm old enough to remember when internal cable routing became comon. It started with the rear brake cable housing. I have an old LOOK from 98' I believe and it's set up this way. I've replaced the rear brake housing once by taping the new housing to the old and slowly pushing it through. Several years ago I used to build bikes for my local Performance Bicycles shop. Most of the internal cable routing was a big pain in the but. If I were buying another frame, I'd get an older one that doesn't have it. This was very interesting and helpful If I ever have to do this. Thanks.

[michaeldonnelly]

Tried the vacuum technique on my Klein Adroit and it worked like a charm, takes the dread out of routing the cables. Only improvement I might recommend is putting some gasket material on the vacuum tube to draw more suction. Great stuff, thanks guys.

[lisapet]

4:00 you can combine the cable pushing with the thread vacuuming. Tighten shorter thread to the cable end, push the end inside the frame, start vacuuming when the cable end is close to an exit, get the thread, pull the cable

Magnetic method De Last
Attach a regular needle to the thread, insert the needle into frame, and use magnet to get the needle out. The needle on the thread is easier to control than the whole cable.

[saxophobe]

I had a similar idea to the string method, but it only works if you HAVEN'T removed the cables. Attach a string to the old cable, pulling it through then detach it from the old cable. Then reverse the process and attach the string to the new cable and pull it back the other way. In theory, it should work like the sheath, but without the need to get the right tubing.... Just a thought....

[jensenhealeyefi]

So one thing Simon did not mention was when assembling a bike with internal cable routing, the order of assembly might have to change. I found that it pays to leave the crank and bottom bracket out of the bike until after the gear cables are in their final position. By doing this I was able to reach my fingers into the hole where the bottom bracket would normally go to help fish out the end of the cable or even be able to clearly see the cables as they came down the down tube.

Another thing they did not mention or cover was fishing DI2 or other electronic group set wires through the frame. This could present additional issues since the ends of the wires are bigger than a standard mechanical cable and the wires are not as stiff as a cable. So in reviewing the methods they covered in this video at least two of the methods just would not work with DI2 wires.

[mart]

You just made my day! I was about to give up on my internally routed steel frame. I did not spend quite a week of my free time as you mentioned but it was already to much time spent and sleep lost. I found this video and the thread hack had good potential. Got my kids involved to hold the vacuum, they thought that was quite funny to be vacuuming out a bike. Thank you!

[dmitrijvladimirov]

You just helped one man in despair routing cables through aero bar! I love you!

[Mannerzs]

Thank GCN, the vaccum method really worked well for me - I was 'that guy' who mistakenly took his gear cables out and then found this video. Standing on the shoulders of giants! You saved me a lot of time and some sanity.

[arboldechorizos]

Against all odds the vacuum cleaner method worked incredibly well. I was starting to loose my mind trying to sort this out. PLEASE NOTE that I have made a custom "tip" for the vacuum hose that enters perfectly on the shape of the cable hole (with a used bottle). Thanks very much GCN 10/10

[daleharlow]

You are regarded as the master of the universe for your hoover advice, all Neal and praise you 😀

[KurtMcDowellOKC]

The vacuum method is pure genius! Most helpful video yet.

[jacknolan]

the sense of humor is greatly appreciated. I'll try.

[mokminhudelot]

This video saved me yesterday! I used a guitar string, that makes the job as well. Thanks GCN, always a reference!

[richardnick]

So, so happy with my 2013 Supersix Evo with all external cable routing. Might not look as slick and stealthy but this is entirely made up for by the no-fuss, down to earth cable routing.

[markkuntz]

If building up a new frame you can relatively easily push that inner cable housing through the holes. The natural bend along with it's relative "stiffness" makes pushing it gently through the hole fairly easy; then rotate it till you can push it out the other end. Push the cable through and done!

[stephenrea]

This is the second hack I've tried in as many days - the vacuum trick is next level thinking!!!

[brianmuir]

Thanks for that, magnet tip worked a trip for me.

[andgorhey]

I just used the vacuum / thread method for running the dropper post actuator cable from the seat post hole down to the the bottom bracket and up to a hole in the down tube near the steerer tube In a full suspension mountain bike. At first, I tried to feed the thread from the hole in the down tube to the opening for the seat post. I tried three times - NO GO. Then I got the idea to use the shifter cable opening in the frame below the bottom bracket in my process. First, I fed thread into the opening in the frame below the bottom bracket and sucked it up the seat tube using gravity and the vacuum. THAT WORKED! I tied off both ends of that thread. Then, I put the dropper post into the frame to plug that hole and fed thread at the opening in the frame near the steerer tube and used the vacuum at the opening below the bottom bracket - that worked, too! After tying that thread off on the handlebar, I tied the two thread ends at the bottom bracket together. Now I had a thread run from the handlebar through the frame to the bottom bracket and up to the seat post opening. I tied the thread at the seat post to the new dropper post cable and used some needle nose pliers to bend the last couple of mms at the end of the cable 90 degrees so the thread knot would not slide off. I pulled the thread at the handlebars and got the cable through the frame! Then I snipped off the 90 degree bend in the cable and slid the cable housing over the cable until it appeared out of the seat tube. What an ordeal, but it worked!