Hmmmm, I've got Flak Jacket on my Big Hit, and the outer shows no signs of snapping...

i just buy teflon inner cables seperately then use cheap outers and replace them when they go hard.

i had clarkes sealed cables and they didn't work,nothing keeps mud out apart from big dollops of grease and full strip downs each ride.

so for a while now i have gone down this route and i have had better shifting over longer periods of time.

when using a rear cable disc brake i use a solid outer and zip-tie to frame (most bikes i normally remove the paint job first anyway!) and they've been fine with a rubber cap between end of outer and caliper fixing point, only when not used with a rubber thingy does the cable clog.

On the welding/soldering front, did you see the tip in MBR a few months ago? Before cutting to length, heat the inner with a fag lighter until the cable goes black. Cut through the black bit with some-it snaps really clean. If you are reasonably careful you can re-thread it a few times before it starts fraying. Obviously fuses the wires together enough, makes a clean cut every time-works for me.


Adrian.

On the front of running full length cables in MBR the other month they showed how to file out hose guides with a needle file to remove the cable stop flange and leave you enough space to pull the outer through. Just Check you arn't going to void any warenty

Hmmm, well i ordered XTR cables from www.merlincycles.co.uk (which i've used a number of time before) and what i recived was a set made by fibrax. I'll have to phone them monday...

I've used Gore cables which are great - this is the Peak btw - until inevitably a rock takes a chunk out of one of the unshielded bits on the down tube, water and grit gets in and wooomph, death.

Put some Avids on Maria's bike about nine months ago and have to say that I'm not that impressed. Shifting at both ends got very stiff, replaced one with XTR cable and cleaned one out and lubed it. XTR seems okay so far, but the nasty, fine grinding paste we get round here goes everywhere.

The XTRs on the Marin seem to be doing okay considering, but I'll buy Gore again next time, If the sheath around the inner cable didn't get fragged by flying rocks / crashes, they be perfect for me. Ordinary cables last about 20 minutes round here in winter...

I had Flak Jacket cables on my ride last year, I had very few problems with them but
the black PTFE coating on the wires wears off fast.

Another thumbs up for Gore cables here. I fitted them as I was having problems with the routing under the bottom bracket of my Enduro. They really make the shifting far slicker.
A word of warning though, take your time and read exactly what to do before leaping in there and cutting the sheathing off too short. I also ran the inner covering through the XT deraillier adjuster and cut open the end of the little boot so that the rubber maggot sealed the system.
18 months now all OK.
If you have more than one bike use one set for the rear shifter of both, there's enough.
Not that impressed with Avids though. The outer became brittle after a while and there's no seal at the lower end. Lasted 9 months.
Tony

I had them on my bike and after a couple of months the brake cable was really rough to use. On dismantling it appeared that water had got in but couldnt get out. I now have gone back to Shimano, no problems and cheaper

Fitted Flak Jackets just before the gloop started appearing again this year and not had any problems yet.

Bottom bracket it a different matter though.....

Flak Jackets are ok but XTR are still the best in my book.