When the gears of a road bike engage quietly, crisply and precisely, a modern road bike gearbox appears to be a precision mechanical gem. But don't let sand - figuratively or literally - get into the gears: the rattling chain, which changes sprocket only reluctantly, quickly makes it clear that the road bike gear system is basically using antiquated technology. Between the gear lever and the rear derailleur, a long Bowden cable routed in curves is supposed to transmit the command to change gear - the weak point in the system. At best, the friction of the shift cable in its housing only increases the force required to shift gears. However, if it becomes too high, precision also suffers. If you shift to a larger sprocket, this can be countered relatively easily: more pressure on the lever and "over-shifting". In the other direction, onto a smaller sprocket, a clean gear change is achieved solely by the spring of the rear derailleur. If its restoring force is no longer sufficient, the chain sometimes rattles for an annoyingly long time before it moves to the next smaller sprocket. New cables usually work wonders: suddenly the derailleur works like it did on the first day.
We tested twelve cable sets - those used by original equipment manufacturers as well as aftermarket models; the prices range from a good ten euros (Xtreme "Easycable Pro") to almost a hundred euros for the extravagant Nokon "Slimline" cables. From a technical point of view, they differ mainly in how the housings are sealed and how the inner cable is coated - both measures are designed to keep friction permanently low and ensure long-lasting shifting precision. It cannot be deduced from the test results that coated cables perform significantly better. The Teflon coating of the two models from Jagwire and Xtreme even rubbed off in a narrow arc - the assumption is that the abrasion further increases the internal friction.
In the TOUR test, the design differences became apparent at the latest after the first bombardment with water and sand.
SHORT & SHORT
The differences in the cables are made by the seals: Well-sealed cables run a little heavier when new, but are significantly more durable than the unsealed ones. All-weather riders in particular should pay attention to good seals. Completely encapsulated systems such as Nokon or Gore are a lot of work to install, but are almost made to last forever and are a clear recommendation for crossers or mountain bikes. Gore's systems also run surprisingly smoothly. Teflon-coated inner cables offer no advantages.
The test results of these products can be found below as a PDF download:
BBB BCB-055
Campa Ultra Shift
Gore Ride on Professional
Gore Ride On Sealed
Jagwire Ripcord
Jagwire Hyper
Nokon road bike set
Nokon Slim Line
Shimano Dura-Ace SP41
Shimano SIS SP40
Xtreme Easycable KS
Xtreme Easycable Pro
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