OldPuebloTrek

Can anyone enlighten me as to why Cannondale do not route their cabling internally. Just seems like this is the norm on all but the least expensive road bikes on the market currently. Thanks

Elduderino2412

i thought the EVO's had internal routing

abstractform20

i dislike internal cables

Banzai

My favorite thing about Cannondale bikes is the very "normal" external cable routing and the use of standard components, like regular round seatposts with normal seatpost collars instead of funky (read: proprietary) shapes, etc.

Yes, they came out with a new "standard" with BB30, but also made it public/non-proprietary.

They're eminently upgradeable and fixable for the cyclist who likes to tinker. When Velonews reviewed the various "comfort" road bikes (Roubaix, Synapse, etc.) the Synapse got high marks and kudos for the very "standard" mechanical features it had as compared to the others.

(Beyond that, Velonews' test was crap. The Roubaix got the highest marks for suppressing road noise and bumps, and was also the only bike in the "test" with 25mm tires, while the rest had 23mm. I know...off topic...but I remember reading the "test" and thinking what a load of hooey the ride quality portion was.)

Back to cables; the clever headtube mounted cable stops that Cannondale CAADs used to have (don't know if the 10 does) were a brilliant way to take care of the whole cable-rub-on-the-headtube cosmetic issue. Cable stops on the downtube were simply located there because that's where downtube shifter bosses used to be.

Banzai

Ditto. Both from a mechanic's standpoint, and from the noises they often make whilst riding.

Menel

It's also easier for maintenance.

I also like their more classic near horizontal/flat top tubes. Very few manufacturer's still do that today.

lungdoc

My Synapse Carbon has internal rear brake cable in the top tube, the gear cables run under the downtube and are hardly in the way in any case. I see nothing to complain about..

tagaproject6

It is a design that they chose to apply to their bikes. Whatever the thought process is privy to them and them only. Seek enlightenment somewhere else

Homebrew01

Same here ...

abstractform20

in my experience, i have not been able to get internally routed bikes to shift as well as externally routed bikes.

this is not to say the quality of shifting is poor, but it has not been as optimal as external.

Loopistuning

Correct..EVOs do have internal cables

milkbaby

BH Ultralight, Wilier Zero.7, Time RXRS, and Orbea Orca are a few top end frames that still run external cable routing as well.

garciawork

I don't think I would even buy a bike with internal cables, unless it was electronic. I'd still want the brakes external though...

Manweiser

From some of the 2012/2013 pictures of the SuperSix Evo, looks like mechanical groups are externally routed and only electronic groups are internally routed. Should be able to confirm this within a week or so when I receive a 2013 Evo with RED... all thanks to the wife.

ColinL

internal cables are cool and easy to use IF the exit side under the bike is a large hole and you use flexible (i.e. "normal") housing. I have this on my CX bike which happens to be a Cannondale.

if you have more rigid housing, like Yokozuna Reaction or Gore Ride-On, even with a large output hole it is not very fun. it becomes neigh-impossible on some race bikes with really small outlet holes, requiring you to tie on some fishing line and get that through, then pull the housing.

motorthings

EVOs only have an internal rear brake cable.

rubic

Excellent observation on the Velonews bias (!) on ride quality. Of course, everything else being equal, a bike with 25mm tires will ride better than one with 23s.

manutd

I am having a small amount of trouble getting optimal shifting out of my Roubaix SL3 (Ultegra) with internal cabling. It isn't terrible but I've already had it in 2x to be adjusted. I feel (fear?) that I will need to do this on a regular basis....but I am going to try a different shop next time I think as well.

That being said my Cervelo (dura-ace) has shifted like a dream since day one and never needs any adjusting and it has internal cabling. So either its the design of the bike or its the shop doing the work.

Bacciagalupe

Last I checked, most bikes have external routing. E.g. you can drop $2800 on a Trek 4 Domane and still wind up with external.

So, it seems like external is the norm, and internal is only used on the most expensive road bikes....

StanSeven

Let me guess - you have a Canondale!

lungdoc

My sense is that internal shifter cable routing is mostly an appearance thing, is there any proven advantage otherwise? I'd argue that the rear brake routing is a minor advantage at least when it comes to putting the bike on a rear rack - cable doesn't get pinched. Other than that I don't particularly see an advantage one way or the other.

JoelS

After having used both, I much prefer external cable routing. Maintenance is easier. The cable doesn't take any strange turns with external routing. Shifting is much more precise and predictable.

ColinL

probably so. the aforementioned VeloNews test actually looked at the bikes completely stock and with a normalized set of tires that every bike used. The Roubaix won both tests handily.

It is 90% appearance and 10% aerodynamics. In the case of my CX bike, let's up that to 99% appearance.

You do have better shifting with full length housing, and internal routing gives you that. And it's prettier and slightly more aero than external full-length housing. Internal brake cables are aero only because brakes work just fine with normal housing even in a torrential downpour or epic mud (spring classics, anyone?).

ThinLine

+1 as do high end Rock Racing De Rosa frames.

Banzai

Perhaps I missed something in the article. I wasn't that interested, just bored. But when they listed the components of the bikes tested only the Roubaix had 25mm tires. I don't recall a mention of tires being normalized. And though I do own a Cannondale, it has nothing to do with that. I don't have weird "brand-loyalties", and I'm not in the market for a "plush-road" bike. But, this is all getting really off topic.

Full length cable housing creates more drag/friction for the cable. I fail to see how it would offer better performance. The only reason for cable housing (particularly compressionless, which is THE innovation of shifting in recent decades) is to get the cable around transitions and direction changes while maintaining a constant cable length/pull between shifter and derailer.

All that being said; I really prefer external cables, and "standard" components on bikes.