Velocivixen

I have a bike where on the bare cable, between cable stops, has a fine plastic black tubing or sheath on it - like a straw.

What’s this tubing called and where do I get some? Bike shop? Is it cable housing liner? Most of that I’ve seen is clear.

Thanks.

Wileyone 

Your talking about shrink tubing. Any electronics store will have it.

FBinNY 

It's often called "spaghetti".

It comes in various colors and shrink and non-shrink versions.

DEW21

I think the OP is talking about this stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I just found some for my Hardrock rebuild, runs along the top tube and worked perfectly but mine was white

dsbrantjr

Any kind of plastic tubing will work; its main purpose is to keep the wire from tapping on the top tube. There are also little rubber "donuts" available for the same purpose.

shelbyfv

I prefer the donuts for top tube cables.

WizardOfBoz

Nice setup, DEW21.

OP, you might consider this stuff. I have not used it.

Velocivixen

Thanks all! I did think about non shrink tubing. I actually like clear heat shrink instead of cable tips!

The bike in question is a Bacchetta Giro 20 - a long monotube recumbent, and although I’ve got the rubber “donuts” I prefer to use the tubing to protect a long run of exposed cable. The current tubing is “ok”, but 7 years old and sort of grungy in appearance.

You all rock! Thanks.
@DEW21 - yourHard Rock Sport is outstanding. Is that new powder coat & decals? Just perfect. Thank you for sharing.

squirtdad

I would make sure that what ever I used did not add a lot of friction......my understanding is that the idea behind the open cable runs was to reduce friction that was there from long runs of cable in housing. The little donuts don't add friction.

DEW21

Thanks, rebuild pix here.
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...rdrock-bb.html

FBinNY 

The secret to preventing friction with a full coverage sleeve is to cut it short by the amount of cable travel, ie. something close to 1/2" shorter than the gap between the stops. That way it will move with the cable, and not cause any friction.

Velocivixen

@FBinNY - OK, good tip. I'll make sure to measure carefully. That makes sense to me.

fietsbob

Way back, brake cable housing used a separate liner, now , its fused inside..

Even if loose , it still will prevent the slotted stops from letting the housing out of the stop, if needed... without that shorter length..



the stops meant the amount of housing subject to compression was shorter than running it full length .



.....

Jeff Wills

There's no law that says you have to use housing "liner" inside the housing. Universal Cycles sells a 30-meter-long roll for $7.00:
https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...&category=4384

Want to split the cost and the roll? Maybe Gugie would like some, too...

Velocivixen

@Jeff Wills - I was gonna look at that. Splitting the cost could be nice since I’ll never need that much.

Someone I know who fishes said to go to a fishing supply place and they’d have something quite similar. Not sure what it’s called. I was just going to go over and see what they have.

Shimagnolo

On my Ti bike, (which has the rear brake cable on the underside of the top tube), I went to a local auto-parts store and bought thin black rubber tubing to slip over the bare cable. It is the tubing commonly used for vacuum lines under the hood.

Wileyone 

Could be Surgical tubing used to attach Floats to a line, usually comes in clear.

aggiegrads

This tubing is also nice if you use bikepacking bags, bento boxes, "jerrycans", gas tank bags, etc. on tubes with exposed cables. The velcro straps push the cables into the paint and cable action rubs both the strap and the paint.

+1 for the roll at Universal.

Glennfordx4

That's interesting, I always make mine exact to the point that I make it touch the Ferrules through the stops. I grease my cables no matter what and never noticed a problem with brakes sticking or moving sluggish. I looked at one of my suppliers for it and never did find it so I am not sure what it's called but I have two rolls of it out in my shop that my boss ordered for me.

I just called my boss and asked him and it drew a blank lol, then he said spaghetti but not sure. I went and grabbed mine and it has no name on it lol, cost me $2.25 a roll when I got it

Glenn

FBinNY 

It depends on the kind of tubing and how it's used. I use a tube with a fairly snug fit on the wire, so it would add friction if it couldn't move with the wire. Of course if you heat shrink the tube onto the wire, it must move with the wire.

OTOH - if you use a more rigid tube with a larger ID, then the wire will move freely within it, so you don't need to cut it shorter. That said, I still prefer to leave some gap at the ends to ensure that it can't trap water.

So, there's no right or best way, it's more about the specific details.

fietsbob

I used some on the shift cable on the down tube , spiraled the tail light wire around it, under the BB, under the mudguard,
to where the tail light was..

then I just got a battery powered LED mudguard tail light and removed the wiring..

Glennfordx4

Makes sense, the tubing I have is a loose fit and I only use SS cables & grease so that helps a lot with moisture. The stuff I have came from Action Bicycle which I think now is Cyclone and I don't have a catalog for them at the moment. I have used it in short runs of unlined housing with great success also.

Glenn

Velocivixen

UPDATE: I went to Universal Cycles in Portland, where I’m a “regular” to pick up an order. They offered to just give me what I needed (the black tubing we’ve been discussing) since they use it in the shop and get it in bulk. They use and gave me Jagwire Cable Housing Liner in black. As far as I can tell, it’s exactly like what I’m replacing.

I’m set and didn’t have to buy an entire roll.

mr_bill

Sorry for brief unhelpful diversion, but “spaghetti” is a bit of a misnomer. It really out to be called bucatini, although you might buy a spool of bucatino. (Buca = hole.)

Well, maybe it’s a helpful reply if you are wondering what Bucatini all’Amartriciana is.

-mr. bill

FBinNY 

I can imagine the blank stare you'd get if your walked into an electonics store and asked for bucatini. (or the singular)