Aftermarket coated cable should always be stripped (very sharp razor blade will do) of their coatings at ANY anchor/cable clamp locations. For good measure, brush some clear lacquer/fingernail polish on the area where you cut the coating off. This will seal it from the elements and prevent the coating from fraying. Also, slide some sort of tubing over the coated cable in areas of contact between cable and cable guides. The inner lining of brake cables usually works, or a tubing product used in the tennis racquet restringing industry works. The latter product is known as teflon/nylon tubing and any tennis shop will probably give you 1 ft. piece for free. Better quality aftermarket cables should come with the tubing. The best cable by far is Gore's Ride-On cables. They are overpriced, but it is a great product and you will notice a considerable difference, and it is a relatively sealed system.
Marc Boral
Jerry Moos wrote:
> The discussion of Campy shifter cables brings me to ask the list's
> collective opinion on shifter cables in general. While modern cables
> and housings are smoother, I've had some trouble with new Teflon-coated
> shifter cables. They need to be tightened more at the derailler to
> prevent them slipping, and twice I've stripped the anchor bolt threads
> in a classic front derailleur trying to prevent the cables from
> slipping. This is more likely when using old clampon BB cable guides,
> as one is reluctant to tighten the clamp sufficiently as it presses into
> the paint. If the clamp slips and one doesn't promptly recognize this
> as the problem, one can respond by overtightening at the front
> derailleur and stripping threads. Brake cables aren't such a problem as
> the anchoring mechanisms are usually more positive and less likely to
> slip. I've currenly sworn off Teflon-coated derailleur cables. What do
> list members rate as the smoothest non-coated shifter cables?
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos