What's the most affordable Shimano 11 derailleur housing/cable setup.

[DRZRM]

So I need to set up a few gravel bikes this spring. I have a bunch of Jagwire L3 housing and standard zinc and stainless cables laying around. My shop guy says the new coated Optislik cables make a big difference, and that I should use SP41 housing with it. Jenson has 10 meter rolls of the housing cheap, but I'm having trouble finding a reasonable source for bulk Optislik (10 pack would be good) at all. Stainless cables have worked fine for my 11 speed Campy for years. Do I need this coating? Any good source for bulk purchase? I'll be running full length housing.

Thanks

[weisan]

:p

[Cicli]

I hear the Bell stuff from MalWart works fine. :fight::eek:

[Clancy]

I’ve built up some bikes with the Shimano Optislik cables and accompanying housing and it’s some slick stuff. All of my bikes are built up using Jagwire cable/housing. For me, in a blindfold test, I doubt if I could tell the difference. If I were installing new Shimano components and the shifters came with the Optislik, of course I’d use it, it’s great stuff, but I wouldn’t go out of my way looking for it.

[Gummee]

I'm a firm believer in the SP41 housing with the Jagwire Pro Polished or Elite Polished cables.

If you're going to use Shimano cables, use the new new green coated ones. The brown/bronze coated cables fuzz up readily and that can affect shifting.

If you want to save a little bit of $, use regular stainless cables for the front and the slick cables in the back. Front shifting isn't nearly as finicky as the rear...

Oh! and make sure you use the long-nosed ferrules at the shifters. Helps cut down on the shifters eating the cable head

M

[DRZRM]

Really, at the shifter end? I'm used to no ferrules on Campy 10 (and 11?). Which is the long nose one (image?) I'm not familiar. As for cables, which are green and which are brown? Optislik vs. polymer? Which is which?


I'm a firm believer in the SP41 housing with the Jagwire Pro Polished or Elite Polished cables.

If you're going to use Shimano cables, use the new new green coated ones. The brown/bronze coated cables fuzz up readily and that can affect shifting.

If you want to save a little bit of $, use regular stainless cables for the front and the slick cables in the back. Front shifting isn't nearly as finicky as the rear...

Oh! and make sure you use the long-nosed ferrules at the shifters. Helps cut down on the shifters eating the cable head

M

[zank]

Optislick is the way to go. The DA/XTR polymer is the brown one. The polymer is double the cost of optislick and is less durable. I have a file box of optislick on back order if you can wait until early March. Just fyi, they come as single units or file boxes of 50 from Shimano, so I'm not sure if retailers will off a bundle of 10 on their website.

[zank]

The two shorter nose ferrules that are standing up are the ones that go at the lever. They are also keyed to fit a slot in the lever.

http://static.jensonusa.com/images/Additional-Image/Zoom/6/G0000WME.jpg

[DRZRM]

Thanks Mike, as one set is going on your frame, that one can wait. I'll order an Optislik set for my neighbor's Flaanimal and a roll of the SP41 just to have.

[oldpotatoe]

Really, at the shifter end? I'm used to no ferrules on Campy 10 (and 11?). Which is the long nose one (image?) I'm not familiar. As for cables, which are green and which are brown? Optislik vs. polymer? Which is which?

Campag 10s(pre 'gumby shape) does get ferrules in the levers for derailleurs..NONE for brake. 11s Campag, no ferrules in lever at ali, der or brake.

BUT get decent cable/housing set, many good ones mentioned(most, save 1:p)..the stuff is too nice to try to save a few $ on junque..

[bigbill]

I've got the brown coated shimano stuff on my gravel bike and it's fuzzy around the front derailleur. I don't think shimano thought this through, the 8000 and 9100 front derailleurs work incredibly well but the cable is routed through the FD in a couple of tight loops and those loops get fuzzy. It doesn't affect shifting, just looks odd. Overall the shimano cable kits that come with shifters are really nice, the ferrules work well and I took the stubby one out of the RD that came stock and put a longer one in there to keep dirt out.

[DRZRM]

Just to update other folks and I can save them having to do the same search.

Treefort is currently matching Jenson and 365 Cycling on these now, but for the shift cable and housing set, one of our sponsors, Bike Tires Direct has the best price.

Set of Shimano SP41 housing and Optislik cables @ $22.10 (https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/shimano-optislik-shift-cable-set?v=blue000&adl=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA7ovTBRAQEiwAo8dPcaBT88MJLQb5ZvJ_YLOb _6tHaLagNbtjZTorGwP-LtGF_VfD1X81XRoC4EMQAvD_BwE), though I'm not sure the MTB group that has the full housing run actually has those ferrules that I need.

Shimano SP41 Derailleur Housing 4mm x 33' at Tree Fort Bikes currently for $16.99 (http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222344755/1285/Shimano-SP41-Derailleur.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=1o4&scid=scplp33322234475525141&sc_intid=33322234475525141&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtJbTBRDkARIsAIA0a5PmIHopHTSuzed0VYLr 5tLspuFMtvxYgbdPw1AxvQa5oNMRti_R1LsaAvECEALw_wcB)

Tree Fort Bikes has the box of 50 Optislik (they called them Optislick so they don't come up on searches) that Mike discussed above, matching the price of 365 Cycles 217.25 until the 26th of January (http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222420476/1279/Shimano-Optislick-Derailleur.html). Less than half of the $11 going rate I'm seeing on line, but I can't use anything like 50. If anyone picks one up and wants to sell me 4 or 6 near that price (or just go into business breaking up boxes for Paceliners at $7 a pop plus shipping), PM me.

[Gummee]

The two shorter nose ferrules that are standing up are the ones that go at the lever. They are also keyed to fit a slot in the lever.

http://static.jensonusa.com/images/Additional-Image/Zoom/6/G0000WME.jpg

I do believe that if you look, it's the other way. Long nose into the shifter. ...and of course, my google-fu is weak right now.

M

[zank]

The two shorter nosed keyed ferrules go at the lever side. The three longer nose ones go at the cable stops.

https://i.imgur.com/jresXrk.png