Epicus07 

Good morning,

I would love to route my simplex retrofriction bar ends under the handlebar tape. In the past when i have done this i have needed "tandem length" cable for the rear. I know that this is widely available for shimano. Is there a source for retro/campy style shift cables?

repechage

Surely you are joking.

buy the Shimano cable if you can locate it, actually purchase two. The next time?

conspiratemus1

Never ever saw tandem-length Campag shifter cables (or brakes, for that matter.) What you probably need are DaVinci cable splitters (they are actually splicers, not splitters.) They are essential for take-apart tandems but kind of expensive.

If you don't need to have the two parts of the cable disconnect -- and on a single, why would you? -- you should be able to fashion your own true splicer out of a short length of solid aluminum rod salvaged from an old Blackburn-type rear rack and four small set screws. Drill a 1.5 mm or 1/16" hole down the middle of the rod section, 1/2 - 3/4" long, for the two cable ends to meet in. Then drill two holes laterally all the way through, one close to each end, and tap appropriately for 6-32 or M3 or M4 (I think, from memory) set screws. Drill the small hole first, else your the tiny bit will likely break as it catches on the burrs of the larger holes as it crosses them. Pass the distal end of the front cable and the proximal end of the rear cable without a head into the small holes so they meet about halfway in. Drive a set screw in from each side to secure each end. Bob's your uncle. This is a great way to make use of leftover lengths of trimmed off cable without their heads, btw.

You need four set screws because you have to drill the sideways holes all the way through the rod in order to tap threads all the way. The set screw has to drive right though the hole to pinch the cable between it and its mate. Plan carefully where to position the splicer. Under the down tube close to the BB usually keeps it from banging into the frame. Farther back near the derailer won't work because the cable runs too close to the chain stay. You don't strictly need set screws but they look nicer than cap screws sticking out of the rod. The key thing is the two cable ends must meet end to end without overlap, otherwise the set screws won't hold them securely and they'll slide apart.

Epicus07 

Thank you for that interesting option. Fortunately it turns out that jagwire sells a 3000mm campy cable. All good

conspiratemus1

Mods I'm sorry I don't know how this post got posted twice. I've tried to delete the duplicate but it won't.
Edit: Oops, guess it did.

gaucho777 

I know you found what you needed already, but I'm curious about what you meant by "Campy cable." Are you referring to the head diameter? If so, you can always file down the head to the right diameter if that's the issue. I do this routinely for my retrofriction shifters.