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A Nice Balance between low-friction and full sealing 9/10 - Review by Cycling Plus February 2010
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Throughout last year's Tour de France a bunch of riders were running a cable system from Gore that were a bit of a mix and match of old and new. The result is a new professional gear cable system aimed at road bikes.
From the first cable stop on the frame (the head tube area) the cables have a liner all the way to the front and rear mechs. Cable end stops with long sections are then used along with grub seals to more or less seal the whole system.They're easy to fit and silky smooth in use, and thanks to the sealing should see you through a winter without troubles-they certainly withstood a power- washer.
(Posted on 23/03/2011)
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Im not sure it's necessary, but it is nice - Review by Whitney
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The special thing about these cables is the Gore lining that laminates the cable. That lining & the specially lubed & lined interior of the housing create a virtually zero friction system that delivers supremely smooth action at your brake levers. Since the system is entirely sealed, that braking performance should last considerably longer than non-sealed systems. However, unlike shifting, is that silky smooth action strictly necessary at the brakes?
They had better last considerably longer than more traditional cable sets, because they take considerably longer & require greater attention to install.
Practically speaking, the housings are no different to work with than other housings. Provided that you have the proper tools, cutting, cleaning & splaying the ends is easy. Make sure that you set the end caps as tight as possible. What people refer to as cable stretch is usually just the slack left in the system as the housing is settles into the end caps. This system does have some extra liner, grub seals & special end caps, which the instructions explain well - they're easy.
The cables cut like any other cable, but the laminate on those cables is pretty delicate. If that laminate catches on anything, it will begin to unravel from the cable like rolling up a sleeve. The whole point of the system is this laminate, so be careful & take inordinate care in finishing the housing ends (where catches tend to occur) to mitigate the risk of this. When you insert the cable into the brake, the brake clamp will tear into the Gore lining - my experience has been that trying to pull the cable out of the housing after this will completely ruin the laminate, so double check that you have every end cap, liner & grub seal in place before clamping the cable.
**Do not lube the cables/housings yourself, Gore claims that any lube will compromise the efficacy of their system.
I am running these on my bike now, but I am still undecided whether or not they've been worth the expense & effort. Sure they feel nice & they match my Ride-On derailleur cables, but I don't know if I would do it again, the rewards at the brake levers aren't as high as they are with the shifters.
(Posted on 22/04/2011)
