Campagnolo riders with a small frame will be familiar with a problem that Shimano cyclists don't have: the short and stiff shift cables form a tangle under the stem together with the brake cables, which means that the handlebars cannot really be turned freely. Hands-free riding is often completely out of the question. The reason for this is that wires reinforce the outer sheath of the shift cables so that they cannot be compressed lengthways - a must for precise shifting commands. However, the wires reinforce the cable not only lengthwise, but also crosswise. This is why the cable cannot be routed in tight radii without kinking.
Nokon cables, on the other hand, have an outer casing made of sleeves and perforated balls, which is absolutely rigid lengthways and yet very flexible. Underneath, a plastic cover encases the oiled cable. The cover and oil reduce friction. The ability of this flexible, not entirely inexpensive system to achieve the tightest radii also helps riders of Shimano's Dual Control levers: they can place the shift cables directly on the handlebars if they find the cables in front of the handlebars annoying.
Before buying, you should note that the Nokon cables are type-specific: There are shift cables for Campagnolo, for Shimano and for Shimano for handlebar routing, called STI. The Shimano cables for free routing are slightly shorter and the inner cable is slightly thicker so that the cables run in even curves without waves in front of the handlebars. However, the main installation steps are the same for all three cable types - we will show them using the example of routing directly on the handlebars. Sleeves and balls are already threaded onto the plastic tubes at the factory.
Degree of difficulty: for talented hobby mechanics
You will need:
- Tool: Scissors, cable cutter, 5 mm hexagon socket, insulating tape, drill, drill stand, 2.7 mm drill bit
Product name: Nokon KonkavexProduct information: www.nokon.de
Distribution via RABBITCycles GmbH & Co. KG, telephone 08152/925025
www.rabbit.de
The prices for the various shifting sets range from €58.79 for the MTB set to €73.50 for the Shimano STI shifting system.
