northcave

I have an Airnimal folding bike. Since the bike folds the casing is in one section all the way from the drops bars to the brakes and gears. I've found that after a while the cable gets sticky in the housing and makes the brakes take 2-3 seconds to relax back to their original position. Also it makes shifting gears sometimes delayed.


Is there a casing / housing which is particularly good and what sort of lube should I use to prevent it from eventually getting sticky?

Andrew R Stewart 

Cleanliness and maintenance are greater factors then brand of cable. As long as there's a tunnel that a cable runs in there will be capillary action. Going to one of the full length sealed systems don't know who currently offer these but Gore is perhaps the most well known, can help reduce the entry points on otherwise cable runs with frame stops. I tend to use fairly basic, smooth/redrawn, SS inner cables with Shimano or Bontrager casings. Andy

San Rensho 

Replace the cable. before installing generously grease the cable, and when I say generously I mean overdo it. More is more.

canklecat

If you just want to resuscitate these cables and not replace them immediately, try Boeshield T9 or Rock 'N Roll Absolute Dry. Both are mostly solvent with paraffin and/or PTFE ("Teflon"). The liquid wicks quickly through the cable, dissolves most gunk and makes them passable again for awhile. I delayed changing cruddy, oxidized cables on my errand bike for a year with that trick.

northcave

Thanks. The thing is that I only put these cables on and new housing about 3 months ago. I put loads of lube down the housing and I wonder if it was too much.

San Rensho 

You can never have too much lube (thats what she said).
Sounds like there is something binding. Are there any visible kinks? Try moving the brake cable housing around as you are actuating the brake and see if in one position the brake operates correctly.

HerrKaLeun

The lube just attracts dirt and dries out and then you have gum in there, hence the added friction you experience.

Best course of action is to use good housing cable (Shimano SP41/ optislick for example) and reduce number of entry points for dirt and water. full housing cable if possible. When you get problems, you just need to replace housing and cable. Those are wear items.

canklecat

Some chain lubes can make cables sticky. Park CL-1 will do that. It goes on fairly thin but within a day or two semi-dries leaving a tacky surface. Great for chains because it doesn't get flung off or washed off easily. Lousy for cables.

Try flushing the cables with WD-40 or the stuff I mentioned -- Boeshield T9 or Rock 'N Roll Absolute Dry. While Absolute Dry is a chain lube, it dries fairly cleanly leaving only a thin, slick film (presumably PTFE -- that's what the powder that settles out looks like). With the thin plastic straw type nozzle attachment for WD-40 or carefully dribbling the others down the cable, it'll wick through and should loosen up the cable inside the housing.

If that doesn't work, carefully pull out the cable, wipe them clean and dry with solvent, grease lightly (or use a light lube that doesn't dry tacky), and you should be able to reinsert the cables as long as the ends aren't frayed and are reasonably straight.

mjac

The cable and housing could be gummed up and you would have to pull the cable and clean the cable and housing with solvent and Relube with the proper lube as stated above. What happened to me when a Derailleur was dragging, was one single strand of the cable frayed up inside the housing and was twisted around the cable rubbing against the housing causing it to drag. Either way you would have to pull the cable out of the housing and find out what is going on. Since you will have the cable out, they are relatively cheap, change the cable with a high quality cable, thoroughly flush the housing, I like CRC Red Brake Cleaner with a straw, and Relube both with one of the products recommended above that won't gum up. When you are finished use one of those little crimp lugs on the cable end to keep it from fraying to at least keep it from sticking your fingers. Thanks,mjac.

Racing Dan

Imo, just get ordinary pre lubed sp41 shimano housing and either shimano stainless or optislick wires, and some sealed shimano ferrules (Y6Z298010). Possibly get a set with all the bits and bobs, its not that expensive.

dedhed

The cables aren't getting kinked when the bike is folded?

rm -rf

Yes. Does the cable housing straighten up when the bike is unfolded? It's likely that the housing isn't good for repeated bending.

I don't see how excess lube could cause this dragging cable in 3 months.

mjac

I think you are right. The time and material to recondition a flawed cable and housing might not be worth it, but the new type cable housings being so stiff, how does that work with a folding bike?...Thanks,mjac

'02 nrs

tried a quality inner brake cable? https://www.jensonusa.com/Jagwire-Pr...iABEgJg3PD_BwE "INSTALLATION Installation of the brake cable „Installation of the brake cable WARNING Do not apply grease or other lubricants to the inner cable. Be sure to wipe off with a cloth any grease that adheres to the inner cable fixing section when passing the inner cable through the outer casing. If grease adheres to the fixing section, the holding force of the brake cable will not be sufficient causing the brake cable to slacken, a loss of brake control and possibly severe injury" https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-RACBR01-02-ENG.pdf

Racing Dan

Cant say for sure, but older spiral wound housing is not suitable for indexed gears.

mjac

You are right,but what I am saying is that how do you prevent the newer index compatible housing from kinking on a bike that folds 180 degrees. I am having a hard time visualizing this. Do they use a special housing? I don't know...Thanks,mjac