jnbrown

What do yo use to protect against cable rub on the head tube of steel frames?
There are these clear stickers:

https://www.amazon.com/Lizard-Skins-...1DH219MU&psc=1

I have never been a fan of those. On my carbon bikes I use Jagwire tube tops and they work ok. Still some minor scratching of the paint but not wearing through it.
Another idea I had was to wrap the cable with silicone self fusing tape which I use to finish handlebar taping and works really well. The silicone has a bit of cushion to it.

Thanks

Dylansbob 

Not sure it it really helps, when I used to build airbornes they had me slide a piece of heat-shrink tubing (with their logo printed) over the housing at the rub spots. I really doubt it would protect paint, as I was doing this with ti frames; but it does look kinda trick.

panzerwagon 

One of my univegas came with a 'clear' silicon tubing placed over the metal Suntour cable sheathing going from the stops to about halfway to the barcons. It had yellowed quite a bit over the past 40 yrs or so.
It's on my list to find a replacement, and I imagine any auto parts store might have something close.

SurferRosa

Down tube shifters.

sorry/not sorry. Ok, ok, sorry.

gearbasher

I bend a dime with a hose clamp around a piece of pipe. Then I use some 3M double sided tape and stick it to the head tube.

seypat

O rings/rubber pin retainers on the cable when you install it.

epnnf

You have cable housing that lasts for 40 years???

panzerwagon 

Why yes, yes I do. Did I mention I ride 40yr-old bikes? 😂

Friction shifting across 5-7 cogs allows me not to worry about replacing sheathing very often. Lately, I’ve been installing full-length Jagwire teflon liners under original metal sheathing. Works great!

icemilkcoffee 

Are you talking about brifters with external cables? You can cut the cables short enough that they do not touch the head tube in the straight ahead position (where you spend 99% of your time). I tie the right side shift cable to the front brake cable with a zip tie as well to hold it away from the head tube.

For brifters with hidden cables, I have seen people route the shift cable in front of the head tube, and then come back to the opposite side cable stop. In other words, the two shift cables cross each other just behind the head tube, and then go to their respective cable stops.

Dfrost 

On steel frames with brazed-on shifter posts and under-BB cable guides, I run the shift cables to the opposite side housing stop, then cross the bare cables under the down tube. Voila! No head tube rub! (That bare spot just visible in this photo behind the brake barrel adjuster is from the prior owner. This frame is fully chromed under the paint, so no rust worries!) No, there’s no apparent friction or wear because of the crossed cables and shifting is excellent. I do, however, put some clear tape on the DT underside where the cables intersect so that cable slap on bumpy roads doesn’t mar the frame paint.



With over-BB cable guides, the crossed cable trick doesn’t work, but the Jagwire higher end housing set in 2013 had these ribbed rubber barrels that are a snug fit, so don’t slip on the housing. They’re apparent in the photo below on each side of the lower lug, and have stayed in place for 8 years so far.



More recent 4mm shift housing doesn’t work as well with those. Later Jagwire housing sets have had a short rubber hose thingy that I was able stretch over the housing and work into position. Believe I actually cut the thingy into two shorter pieces. (sorry, no photos)

Heat-shrink tubing could also be used on the housing, but there might still be some marring. Decades ago on my Klein, where the DT was too big to accommodate the crossed table trick, I made ovals of helicopter tape or clear CS protector tape and affixed them to the sides of the HT where the housings touched.

Classtime 

3M makes some stuff. I've heard it called helicopter tape. Auto parts places may have it as its used by some to protect the front of their cars. Goes on clear and comes off clean without harming the paint.
I got a 2x3 foot sheet that works well. Maybe the rolls of tape work too.

repechage

back then it was vinyl tubing, and yes, yellowed

repechage

also called Starshield, or similar products.
auto tint purveyors often take on that work as well- orts from their work would be good.

JohnDThompson 

So do I. Stainless SunTour BarCon housing and "Ultraglide" (one of the original lined housings) from the late 70s. Still holding up fine.

mstateglfr 

I have the clear patches on a couple bikes- they work fine. I actually have the patches and some spiral rubber protectors on two of my bikes. The spiral rubber stays in place for a few months and I move it back into place when I happen to see it dropped. Really, this only happens on my gravel bike and I assume its due to vibration.

One of my road bikes has crossed cables, as mentioned earlier in this thread. It keeps the cables off the frame without any protectors and shifts fine. Its on a 2x11 drivetrain and there is no issue.


These are the spiral protectors.


I have used these and they are on a couple of family bikes right now- they work fine. Jagwire, SRAM, and generic Amazon/Ebay brands sell em.

jnbrown

The problem I have had with those Jagwire ones is that they do not stay in place. Seems like the spiral ones would be better for that.
Also found these but not sure if they stay in place better:

BoltBreaker

I just accept the worn paint as part of my bike's natural use and aging process. These aren't garage queens...