How To: Custom Colored Cables

[j-wasilenko]

Here is a how to guide I wrote on changing normal black cables on your bike to pretty much any color you could want. Not only is black boring but the hard coating on the outside of the cables can rub through paint and even aluminum. I have seen a Hayes brake cable eat right through the stanchion on a Fox 40. Braided stainless brake lines look nice, but are expensive running over $50 a line and don’t match your derailleur cable. By using the same heat shrink tubing electrician’s use, you can protect your frame and match your cables to any color scheme for your bike.

http://justin.kics.bc.ca/forumimages/bike/customcables_02.jpg

What you will need:

* - About 180 inches of 3/16” heat shrink tubing
* - A pair of scissors
* - A heat gun or soldering iron (These two are optional)

http://justin.kics.bc.ca/forumimages/bike/customcables_04.jpg

You can purchase heat shrink tubing at most specialty electrical suppliers and online. It is very cheap running about $2 for 4 feet. Most stores carry a plethora of colors; some even have UV reactive tubing that glows under a black light. Another option to use would be expandable braided sleeving for that stainless braided look.

You might need more or less heat shrink tubing depending on how many cables you are doing and how long they are. 180 inches is what I needed to do front and rear brakes and full length rear derailleur housing. Best to measure your cables with a string and tape measure and then add a bit so you have some extra to play with.

I recommend using brand new housing and cables for this, nothing like new derailleur housing and cables to boost the feel of your bike. For disk brake lines you can use your old lines just be sure to clean them and have new fittings on hand as detaching the line from the caliper and reattaching can generate leaks if you do not use new fittings.

http://justin.kics.bc.ca/forumimages/bike/customcables_01.jpg

Now take your housing and heat shrink tubing and lay them side by side. Measure and cut the heat shrink tubing to the length needed, being sure to leave space at each end of the cable for cable ends or disc brake fittings, typically around 1-2cm per end. Try to cut the ends as square as possible so the heat shrink lies flush with the cable ends.

http://justin.kics.bc.ca/forumimages/bike/customcables_03.jpg

Now you can slide the heat shrink tubing over the cable housing. If you have 3/16” tubing it will slide easily for the first 12 inches or so and get progressively harder as you have more heat shrink over the housing because of the friction. It is possible with a lot of effort to do a full length cable but I prefer to cut the heat shrink tubing in to 15” sections and slide a couple of sections on. You get no bunching this way and if you have to replace a section you can do it in a 15” length instead of the entire cable. The other option if you have access to a heat gun/soldering iron is to use ¼” tubing and shrink the tubing over the cable. The ¼” tubing will slide on easily but once you shrink it with the heat gun it won't come off unlike the 3/16” tubing where you can slide it off again and reuse it.

http://justin.kics.bc.ca/forumimages/bike/customcables_05.jpg

Now all you have to do is reattach your brake lines and derailleur cables and your bike is ready to ride looking better than ever. If you have any questions post here or message me. This article is also published on my site @ http://www.waz.ca.

[truvativ21]

Nice guide man.

[M13]

That's pretty neat.

I have some Jaguar white cable housings so I'll stick with this for now.

Heatshrink would be pretty handy for protecting the hydraulic lines though


1+

[big_perm]

oh snap thats a pretty cash money guide you created there

[j-wasilenko]

Thanks for the comments guys, I want to create some more guides, been a mechanic for quite sometime now so just wondering what is lacking for guides out there for people?

[Kossinnd]

Brilliant man. I need to get me some heat shrink now. I would love to see more guides from you. Just little things like these are great. I don't really have any specifics but if you have any "tips 'n tricks" like this one, for random things on the bike you'd be willing to share I would be very interested.

[SammyJ]

+1 for great info.

I gotta try this on my bottlerocket. Cable routing is kinda dumb on that frame, causing a lot of rub marks just behind the head tube.

You should do a mini-guide for totem fork maintenance, lol.

[MattB]

props, great info. i'm gonna do this to my rig as soon as the snow melts

[j-wasilenko]

@SammyJ,

If you are careful with it, grab some packing tape and put it over the areas where the cable rubs. If you are super careful not to get fingerprints on it and not too crease it, its really hard to see. 3M clear tape works well too and lasts longer. 3M works really well on chainstays as well.

[mudpuppy]

Thanks for the guide man....will use this on my next bike.

I picked up some 3M tape at the moto shop and it works GREAT...I have a dirtbag and I was losing paint on my headtube...so I put some there and on my chanstay...looks good and stay put.

Oh...great blog too...

[SammyJ]

Thanx j-wasilenko,

Have tried wrapping the cables in an old inner tube and had no success, will try the 3M next.

[Six]

Very cool! I'm going to keep this in mind for my next housing change!!

[Tonestar]

Thanks for the comments guys, I want to create some more guides, been a mechanic for quite sometime now so just wondering what is lacking for guides out there for people?

Who do you wrench for up in Nelson?

[j-wasilenko]

Used to work at Gericks in 00-01 and in 06.

[Tonestar]

Used to work at Gericks in 00-01 and in 06.

Ahhh, Ross, enough said. :ohthedrama:

[tFly]

On the topic of the 3m tape, I know there have been 57823457 threads on it, but I don't want to resurrect an old topic/ start a new one. My question is, i've been to a couple moto shops as well as canadian tire, haven't been able to find the stuff, and nobody at those places knows what I'm talking about. Could be because I don't actually know what it's called, i usually just refer to it as thick clear tape (sometimes in sheet form) made by 3m.. So anyway, is there a proper name for this stuff, and can anyone give me more specific hints than "a moto shop"?

[j-wasilenko]

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/manufacturing_industry/specialty_tapes/node_GSGPXVTMCGbe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GSNYTMLW46ge/gvel_GST1YTPKBDgl/theme_us_specialtytapes_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

Also know as Helicopter tape, as they use it on the leading edges on rotors and props. Couple other places you can try, the airport, auto body shops and ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/2m-x-5cm-3M-Helicopter-Tape-Bike-Protection-FREE-P-P_W0QQitemZ230212939184QQihZ013QQcategoryZ22679QQr dZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m 122

[fattirerider]

I forget the exact name but I also tried a moto shop and they knew nothing.

Then went to a car painting supply store and they had some for $20.
Give an automotive store a try.

[thedude]

Another tip about the chain-stay area is to use one layer of the 3m / helicopter tape / motorcycle mat-tack clear protective film and then wrap the stay in good old hockey tape. Not only does it offer another layer of protection but it is cheap, expendable and you can get colors to match your bike.

In the past I have used clothe bar tape, but it frays too much over time.

Another big advantage of this over wrapping your bike with an inner tube is that it is lighter, way less ghetto and if clearance is at a premium near the chain stay area the hockey tape/3m tape combo is thin but still offers the needed protection.

I like the idea of the shrink tube on the lines for an added layer of protection and for those that want to look cool, you can do the color match.

Nice post.

[mudpuppy]

I used to use hockey tape...but since I switched to the 3m moto tape...no issues. I went to the moto shop in Esquimalt down by marty's....they were pretty cool in there and knew exactly what I was talking about.

[Tonestar]

On the topic of the 3m tape, I know there have been 57823457 threads on it, but I don't want to resurrect an old topic/ start a new one. My question is, i've been to a couple moto shops as well as canadian tire, haven't been able to find the stuff, and nobody at those places knows what I'm talking about. Could be because I don't actually know what it's called, i usually just refer to it as thick clear tape (sometimes in sheet form) made by 3m.. So anyway, is there a proper name for this stuff, and can anyone give me more specific hints than "a moto shop"?

Trimline (the guys who do car decals/wraps) carries it, they sell it by the foot, it's not cheap, but I bought a couple of feet about 4 years ago, and I have done 5 ot 6 bikes with it and I still have some left.

[Ed von Schleck]

I was looking for the 3M stuff last summer and decided to contact some moto / outdoor stores. This was on the first day of being back in the USA so I was barely able to speak fluently, so I walked in and told them that I'm looking for "some protective clear coat sheets to put on my bike frame to prevent the paint from getting scratched and damaged". Took them about 5 seconds to understand what I was talking about and I walked out of the store 2 minutes later with several feet of said product.

The 3M stuff is really thick though. The only places I use it are on the downtube, underneath the bb and on the bottom of my forks' lowers. I've used some stuff called "Con-Tact" on several other places on my bike and it works just fine and looks a lot better. Said product is clear decorative covering that you can get at any wal mart. It's really cheap, easy to apply and looks a lot cleaner than the M3 stuff imo.

[Heathen]

I go to graphic shops and get a sheet of clear vinyl. It works rad.

[Marsenault]

thats a great guide, its too bad nothing really matches my bike other than black. White might look good though. I'll have to do this when I swap up my cables, or get bored one day maybe.

[highoctane]

Thats an awesome tip, thanks very much :)

[menehune]

great post!

i'm wondering how well it would work on g3 tele cables!

thin enough?