cables & housing ?

[shutterRelease]

I would like to replace my cables & housing myself in an effort to learn about maintenance instead of always driving to the lbs, however after going through Jenson USA's website I'm not sure what cables & housing I should get plus what other parts cable caps, ferrules, etc I should also have on hand? Bike is a specialized fsr using shimano components. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
thanks jeff

[hophead]

I like Avid Flak Jackets. They come with all that is needed to replace your cables & housings. You'll also need a pair of cable cutters or a dremmel tool with a cut-off wheel and an awl to open up the cut end.

If you go with standard cables, your LBS can hook you up with all of the necessary bits and pieces that you'll need.

Good luck!

-Scott

[mcgrathgp]

I have v- and u- brakes on all my bikes so I like to keep a lot of brake and deraileur cables and housings around. Every couple of years I go to an lbs and buy a dozen or two feet of each then ask for a handful of caps and cable ends to round out the order. Sticking cables are no fun and replacing them doesn't take long if you have the right stuff at hand. I keep both types of cables and housings in separate bins to avoid mixing them up. A Park cable and housing cutter is nice to have as well,

[gsmolin]

i used avid full metal jacket brake cables in the past, and found them to be fantastic. its a bit of work to install, but the stainless tubes to run the cables in is a great idea. very good modulation w/ mechanical disks. it took me about 2 hours to do the front and rear brakes on my bike.

[drevil]

I would like to replace my cables & housing myself in an effort to learn about maintenance instead of always driving to the lbs, however after going through Jenson USA's website I'm not sure what cables & housing I should get plus what other parts cable caps, ferrules, etc I should also have on hand? Bike is a specialized fsr using shimano components. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
thanks jeff
Check this page on Park Tool: http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=77

It explains the difference between shifter and brake housing. It's important to use the right one! Shifter cables are all about the same. Brake cables sometimes come with two ends: one for mountain levers and the other for road levers. Make sure you correctly cut off the end you don't need.

[tomn]

I would recommend using continuous housing instead of having the usual exposed cables in between housing runs. You will have to drill out braze-ons to do this but it will keep water, mud, snow etc. out of your brake and derailleur lines. You can also use the Avid Flak Jackets, which have an inner sleeve in between housing runs, but in my experience the long (uninterrupted) runs of plain ol housing works better.

[shutterRelease]

Thanks all
jeff

[Brizn]

I would recommend using continuous housing I was never sure on this'n, TDN.... on one hand your spot on about keeping dirt out....but I've wondered (and some say) that there's more friction with full hsg. Also, if this is really the best way to go...why don't all bikes come with full length OE? Seriously, I've been debating (not that word!) this in my head for a while.. I think I'll run full length in the winter tho, ..wouldn't you say that'd be a good idear?