# Replacing cables & housing - Jagwire Racer kit



## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

Quick question, I'm replacing the brake and derailleur cables & housing using the Jagwire Racer kit. There's no mention of using any lube or oil on the part of the cable that's inside the housing. What the deal nowadays, run it dry or lube it up?

All true about using a dremel to cut housing. Really fast and sweet, no need for struggling with housing or cable cutters.


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## wetpaint (Oct 12, 2008)

I don't use lube and the Jagwire kits are nice and smooth.


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## bseracka (Jun 25, 2009)

Lube tends to just attract grit and grime. Most modern linners are pretty low friction on their own.


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## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

2 for no lube sounds good enough for me. i've already taped the housing to the handlebar and secured the rear brakes.

thanks


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## arkitect (Apr 25, 2011)

Let us know what you think of the new cables when you have had a chance to road test them. I am considering the same purchase but want to hear from someone if they are worth it or not!


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## dgeesaman (Jun 9, 2010)

You are correct with no lube.

Lube is a quick fix that can help extend the life of a worn cable housing a little longer. But not much longer as the attraction of dirt accelerates the wear.


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## Optimus (Jun 18, 2010)

Another vote for NO lube!


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## wetpaint (Oct 12, 2008)

arkitect said:


> Let us know what you think of the new cables when you have had a chance to road test them. I am considering the same purchase but want to hear from someone if they are worth it or not!


I love the Jagwire racer kits. They're really cheap and are really smooth. They seem to last a long time too.


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## Cut.Aussie (Mar 19, 2011)

I purchased and fitted the Jagwire cables on my Look 566 because I wanted white colour to match the rest of the bike fit out rather than the plain get shimano cables the bike came with.

While I have no complaints about the function of the cables I have found the white vinyl outer jacket rather soft and easily scruffed up from being rubbed and that looks crap, certainly not as hard wearing as shimano cables.


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## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

*photos, yes we've got photos*

Well I thought I'd share the outcome of my cable replacing. Juries out on color matching, I'm not sure why I picked orange, maybe it was because they were out of black when I had gone to buy the kit. I usually hate it when people go out of their way to match colors, anodized parts, whatever... and here I am doing it. :blush2:

I replaced Ultegra cables with Jagwire, like 'em lots except for maybe the color. Replaced Fizik Microtex with Lizard Skins 1.8mm DSP tape, really cushy and tons better feel than the Fizik. Decent looking wrap huh? 









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## Mersault (Jan 3, 2005)

thatdrewguy said:


> Well I thought I'd share the outcome of my cable replacing. Juries out on color matching, I'm not sure why I picked orange, maybe it was because they were out of black when I had gone to buy the kit. I usually hate it when people go out of their way to match colors, anodized parts, whatever... and here I am doing it. :blush2:
> 
> I replaced Ultegra cables with Jagwire, like 'em lots except for maybe the color. Replaced Fizik Microtex with Lizard Skins 1.8mm DSP tape, really cushy and tons better feel than the Fizik. Decent looking wrap huh?
> 
> ...


Color match is good enough, it suites the bike, black would have worked well too. Looks better than gray for your bike. Now you need to update your photo under your tagname. First I've seen of orange cable donuts or any "colored" ones for that matter. I've only used black or clear/opaque ones myself. Nice job.

I use the gray cable housing, but one of my bikes is unpainted Titanium and the other is silver, so I'm not really in a colorful setting.


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## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

Mersault said:


> Color match is good enough, it suites the bike, black would have worked well too. Looks better than gray for your bike. Now you need to update your photo under your tagname. First I've seen of orange cable donuts or any "colored" ones for that matter. I've only used black or clear/opaque ones myself. Nice job.
> 
> I use the gray cable housing, but one of my bikes is unpainted Titanium and the other is silver, so I'm not really in a colorful setting.


With a new layer of dust on the bike and cables I'm liking the orange cables a bit more. In terms of performance I honestly can't tell any difference from before replacing the cables because I never really had any problems in the first place. This was more due to maintenance and wanting to replace all the cables, housing and wrap than anything being wrong with the brakes or shifting.

The orange donuts are made by: HÜDZ > Products > Donutz
but I don't remember where I ordered them from.

And I have to repeat myself and say using a dremel to cut the housing is the way to go. No burrs to file down and perfectly even housing ends.


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## centurionomega (Jan 12, 2005)

I just bought a set in blue for my bike. Just need to take some time to install.

Make sure and post your impressions when you have any.


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## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

Racer kit is great bang for the buck. I went with them on a recent cross build after coming off Gore stuff. Very little difference that I can feel between the two and the Racer kit is like a 1/4 the price. I liked them so much I went out and bought bulk housing and a fistful of inner cables for future replacements.


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

kris & drew - Any issues using the Racer kit to recable a cross bike?

I read this on Wiggle in the user comments and it made me nervous about trying it:
"There is not enough cable nor are there enough cable ends to install on a cross bike.
Have used them on a road bike though and they are great, but just beware. If you buy two sets, you will have enough though, which is what I ended up having to do.."

If he means not enough ferrules with the extra cable stops on cross bikes, okay, I could understand that. And, not a big issue as I have plenty. But, not enough cable would be a bigger issue.

I was going to try to use the Racer kit to recable my Gin & Trombones after a season of racing. Don't want to use the Racer kit if there are too many issues with using it on a cross bike.

Thanks for any feedback!


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## esldude (Jan 3, 2009)

Just installed some on a road bike using bar end shifters. Plenty of cable for that even with routing the bar ends up and around the handlebar. Did need to carefully measure and cut the rear derailleur cable housing as there was just enough. They are right about the ferrules or cable ends. Seems the brake set is one short though I used one end without it on the brake levers (they have a good recessed slot so I figured one wasn't critical). It works fine, but I would prefer having one more. Yes, you will run short on a cross bike I think. Seems mickey mouse in that respect. I would think they would give you one extra ferrule just in case. Would have impressed me positively if they had. 

Their inner cable also seems a bit smaller than some others. With less twist. Meaning it can untwist too easily. That normally wouldn't matter. But in my case I cut the front brake cable, then needed to remove it for adjusting another item. Sliding it back in, though the end looked good, I started feeling a bit of resistance. Tried backing it up and forward, but kept resisting. When I pulled it out the end had unwound and one strand had been pulled loose and garbled up half the length of the cable. Fortunately I had a spare unused cable from an older set. Used it in the colored Jagqire housing just fine. Did notice that slight thicker cable had a bit tighter better feel for front brake actuation. Like the thinner Jagwire inner cable had a bit more spring or give in it. 

So their cables look nice, liners seem slick, and inner cable is coated all aiding slipperiness. I do think more pedestrian cable works as well however.


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## gregnash (Jun 30, 2011)

Would it be better to go with the mountain set or are the cable widths different? Wondering as I have Jagwire on my 29er and love it and seems like my new to me Jake could use a brake upgrade in the future.


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## ROAD&DIRT (Mar 27, 2009)

I installed the same "JAG WIRE RACER KIT" on my bike... love them, NO LUBE needed


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## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

nayr497 said:


> kris & drew - Any issues using the Racer kit to recable a cross bike?


Length was tight but I did end up with about 6 inches of housing. Not enough ferrules supplied so I had to find some more. If you look at my 3rd photo showing the cables going from the top tube down the seat tube and stay you can spot 3 different types ferrules that I used. The black one with the printed text is the one supplied from jagwire.



gregnash said:


> Would it be better to go with the mountain set or are the cable widths different? Wondering as I have Jagwire on my 29er and love it and seems like my new to me Jake could use a brake upgrade in the future.


The racer kit has a smoother housing for the length that runs from the lever and still under the bar tape so for that reason I would still go with the Racer kit. This is the brake housing which is taped to the handlebar.


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## tsunayoshi (Dec 3, 2009)

thatdrewguy said:


> Length was tight but I did end up with about 6 inches of housing. Not enough ferrules supplied so I had to find some more. If you look at my 3rd photo showing the cables going from the top tube down the seat tube and stay you can spot 3 different types ferrules that I used. The black one with the printed text is the one supplied from jagwire.
> 
> 
> The racer kit has a smoother housing for the length that runs from the lever and still under the bar tape so for that reason I would still go with the Racer kit. This is the brake housing which is taped to the handlebar.


I always save my ferrules when I swap cables...for my cx bike I used a Racer kit but the ferrules and sealing liner from the Ripcord mtb kit (had extra ferrules and liner laying around after my mtb cable replacement). I used electrical heat-shrink tubing to seal the liner to the ferrules and my shifting is as good as when I installed the cables, even after a bunch of muddy races and repeated washings last season.

And for the OP: The Racer kit is awesome, and love the colors Jagwire provides. Only issue is I ran full housing for my rear brake on the cx (frame was made for it) and BARELY had enough housing.


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## AndreyT (Dec 1, 2011)

Would someone please explain, what is it about CX bikes that would require a greater length of cable/housing?


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## gregnash (Jun 30, 2011)

Might have to do this as a project in the near future, replace both derailleur and brake cables. Seems like the only cables that were replaced on mine from original (2008/9) were the shifter as there is a jagwire barrel adjuster. I know she needs new brake pads for sure.


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## tsunayoshi (Dec 3, 2009)

Most rides bikes (I've seen) run mostly bare cable from the top of the downtube to the derailleurs, cross bikes (if run along the top tube) have less exposed cable and more bends requiring housing.

housing on my road bike:
FD: 1 length from shifter to downtube port, rest is bare cable to FD
RD: 1 length from shifter to downtube port, one length for the loop at the RD at the end of the chainstay
FB: 1 length from shifter to brake caliper
RB: 1 length from shifter to front toptube port, one length from back toptube port to brake caliper

housing on my cx bike:
FD: 1 length from shifter to front of top tube, 1 length from back of toptube to seattube cable stop
RD: 1 length from shifter to front of top tube, 1 length from back of topttube to top of seatstay, 1 length for the RD loop at bottom of seatstay
FB: 1 length from shifter to brake caliper
RB: 1 long length from shifter all the way back to the brake caliper (full housing). If I didn't use full housing, would be the same as the road bike.


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