Chr0m0ly 

*Edit*
I think I did this with poor cable routing, I'm going to try with slacker cable bends.

I installed this cheapo brake cable and the housing split before I used it.

I have more housing from the kit, and I could redo it, but I have safety concerns.

Should I just get a jagwire kit, or give this one more shot?

And anyone ever see this kind of failure before?

greg3rd48 

I have used inexpensive housing without an issue for years and thousands of rough miles. I have also used quality housing on non-commuter builds. Honestly I never had an issue with either one. Perhaps there was just a defect in that particular spot?

noobinsf 

Is it the Schwinn or Bell brand stuff, or even cheapo-er? Just curious, because I have used the Schwinn set on a couple of bikes with no issues. I recently bought a Jagwire kit for $17 shipped on eBay, including cables, housing, and ferrules for shifters and brakes. (Shifter cables are stainless, but brake cables galvanized.)

dddd

Is the OP saying that the metal coils of the housing collapsed?
Or, was the covering pushed back at the ferrule, then buckled and split?

I've bought cheap housing (generic off ebay) where the vinyl covering was prone to splitting, but in my life I can't recall ever seeing a coiled cable housing collapse on it's own where it wasn't severly stressed off of it's lengthwise axis.

Do we get to see what's under the split vinyl covering?

SurferRosa

4 piece Shimano brake cable kit -- $8.47

top506

The bend to the stop is rather abrupt. Just say'n....

Top

Chr0m0ly 

It's the vinal, not the coil.

The split is at the bend, I think my top tube wrap has pushed it into the edge of the seat lug.

Sounds like a redo, with a gentler bend, and not wrapping the cable past the braze on might do it.

This is the kit,
https://www.amazon.com/Yakamoz-Unive.../dp/B07GCK7BG1

I've used the Schwinn kit before, but this seemed like it might be better. 🤷‍♂️

francophile 

+1, came here to say the same only to scroll down and see Top beat me to it. That does seem awful abrupt. I normally try to run about an inch more slack in mine to arch about a half an inch above the binder, if not a little more. Tubes prefer gentle arches over taught runs.

@SurferRosa thanks for the link. I needed something like that for my personal bikes. I buy this for all my lower-mid quality flips, it handles all shifting and brakes and actually works with the tighter-tolerance cable-end Simplex shift levers. Under $10 to cable an entire bike and never seen failure like OP is posting. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L8NDVD6/

smontanaro 

Chr0m0ly I have a big box of silver Shimano brake cable housing. I'd be happy to ship you a bike's worth for postage.

dddd

Toptube wrap? That's going to complicate cable servicing, like having housings hidden along the bar.

But, for a bike that appears to go around in public wrapped with tape, is the split in the vinyl covering even an issue, cosmetic or otherwise(?).
Perhaps more tape is the answer(?).

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Having said that, I haven't lived in NY in a loooong time.

Chr0m0ly 

I bet when I was applying the brake to check tension it pushed into the edge of the lug.

I'm going to redo it, when I get the cable off, I'll post a snap of the inside, but it's just coiled steel, nothing to amazing.

BFisher

I've used heat shrink tubing to cover up a split in the vinyl here and there. Stays put and keeps the elements off.

Chr0m0ly 

The bare steel would rub the paint, and I believe it's contributing the spongy rear brake feel. The tape is to camouflage it in the city. It's an '84 Trek 520, and I want to keep it. The tape also cushions it when I have to lock it outside.

francophile 

Noticed this when I was in the city late last year. Meant to ask @greg3rd48 about that (or maybe I did and forgot) about that whole situation. I noticed a lot of the bikes, high- and low-end were wrapped across all the tubes. I couldn't figure out if it was for rack protection, weather protection, theft protection, or all the above. Not sure if he has to deal with all that jazz in BX, but I saw it all over BK and lower Manhattan, especially the latter.

Chr0m0ly 

Looks like it WAS the ferrule after all, it did push up the housing. That plus the sharp bend did the trick.

Chr0m0ly 

That should do it

zukahn1 

The cable is on the wrong side of the post and way too short. It should be on the other side with a bit of loop around..

Chr0m0ly 

I'm with you on the loop around, but the hanger is centrally located, why should the cable be on the left side?

CliffordK

What direction do the wires in the cable housing go?

"Shift" housing has longitudinal wires.
"Brake" housing has coiled wires.

You are not supposed to use the shift housing for brakes as one has too much force on them.

repechage

Tradition.

chant it like they did in Fiddler on the Roof.

Manny66 

Ive had Issues wih those cheap plastic cable end Ferrules a few times , Even the new "metal" Ferrules will will buckle and pinch/ruin the end of the cable. They are making them so thin that they crush themselves when you apply the brakes.

SurferRosa

Yes, if it's on the left side of the stem/head tube.

dddd

I had an '84 Trek 520 I used as a commuter for several years, I believe the front brake cable went to the left and the rear brake cable went to the right of the stem because of the cable hanger, and I can't recall how the cable went past the seatpost.

I'm trying to figure out what the thieves think of the black tape wrap-ups, I'm sure that they know it's the better bikes that get wrapped.

Chombi1 

If I cannot find good NOS for my C&V bikes, My go-to cable and housing is the ones from "Porkchop BMX", sold at eBay for very reasonable prices (Around 14 bucks/set, IIRC). I like the Porkchop cable sets as they have it in clear casing where you can see the spring. It looks exactly like what many bike makers used back in the 80's. I never had any problems with them splitting like that, so far.

BFisher

+1 on the Porkchop BMX housing. Great color selection, lined, not expensive, has held up nicely for me.