How To Replace A Cable On A Bike With Headset Cable Routing

[@gmbntech]

Does your bike have headset-routed cables? What is your opinion on them? Let us know in the comments!

[@Bonky-wonky]

Garbage.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Head tube cables and hoses still rub against the steerer tube over time .

[@Kristosdee]

Can you not just thread the cable through the hose instead of taking everything apart?

[@SproutMaster]

Thanks for making the video. It's confirmed what I've always thought....don't ever buy a bike with through headset cable routing!

[@crankshoptv]

Negatives of headset routing... The bearings wear faster as water gets in easier. The hoses and cables can get damaged /worn without you realising it. Plastic components seem to be the norm, they wear and induce slop/play. They're more expensive. They take considerably longer to service/change. They've been more difficult to source replacement. Positive... They look neater.

[@daybetct]

Your mechanic frowns whenever your bike arrives at the shop for service

[@benlisle7623]

as a mechanic this is a pain in the arse for me and expensive for the customer.

[@crankshoptv]

Yeah, but you can make more money... Doing a tedious task that used to take 15 minutes and didn't require a semi embarrassed conversation with a customer explaining why it costs over 100 quid in labour to change the bearings on their new Scott.

[@Kx0195]

​@@crankshoptvlife's not about money, sometimes the money isn't worth it

[@ish474]

I didn't want through the headset routing system before I saw this video and now I really really don't want through the headset cable rotting

[@nigelrandtoul8646]

A video that needed making, I didn't like headset routing before and if avoid any bike with it after seeing how "easy" that was 😂 It's a "solution" to a "problem" some in the industry decided we had that we actually didn't and gives us problems we didn't have. It's a hard no from me to any bike with one.

[@michaelgunawan2319]

If we live in a dystopian world where every bike had headset cable routing, I'd rather resort to taping the cables to the outside of the frame.

[@g.wilsondh8407]

Suddenly, Blake's wireless brakes idea just got way more interesting after watching this nightmare

[@TCK71]

I couldn’t be arsed with headset routing, solving a problem that doesn’t exist.

[@ellerybice3787]

🦨

[@plainuser48596]

The simplest and best solution is to just not buy bikes with headset routing. It is dumb and it is beyond my comprehension why you are trying to make it normalized. Is is pressure from your bike partners?

[@AdrianoCasemiro]

You're absolutely right, but it's getting harder and harder to find a good new bike without those finicky infernal cable routing.

[@Velo1010]

I think it’s just a sign of change. Imagine today riding with rim brakes. I’ve been riding for 20 years so I’ve seen a lot of change. Maybe internal routing is a little overkill but I think it looks clean, maybe not more functional though.

[@galenkehler]

If its beyond your comprehension, then watch some videos and educate yourself, you may begin to understand

[@thegreatseprano9918]

It really isn't that bad, just watch the video!

[@KevinT3141]

If people are riding it, they're going to do videos about it. I don't think that it's sponsor pressure at all.

[@EricBerghen]

Very interesting video ! Thank you Owen, spot on and sufficiently detailed 👍😃

[@mishmashvhs1354]

love the way how you explain how easy it is!!...🙄

[@KevinT3141]

Vacuum and string sounds like I neat idea. When I added a dropper post I used a bead chain from an old lamp and a 'dropped screw retriever', basically a small magnet on the end of an old school telescopic antenna. I already had both kicking around...

[@jomo9454]

Obv. if a cable is worn/torn and the cable and housing have gone up into the frame it won't work, but when I changed cables on a non-headset-routed bike I ran the cable through the old housing, then pulled the housing out and used the new cable to route the new housing. At the far end it just took wiggling the cable at the exit while putting pressure on the housing at the entrance to line up the housing with the exit and push it out. Would the same technique not work through the headset as well?

[@1969Escobar]

The industry got lost in this one, cheers

[@1972mdc]

The string and vac is truly magical (and cheaper than the tools)

[@Josh_Likes_Bikes.]

You did a great job at hiding your stress

[@timgarland5949]

A solution to a non-problem. I WON'T buy a bike with headset routing.

[@waynebusby6525]

My 2024 Cube Stereo ONE44 C:62 Race ( Howzat for a mouthful? 😀) has an Acros ICR headset that allows a 0.4° change of fork angle. Apart from the PITA of getting cables sorted, I can't feel any difference between the 'steep' and 'slack' settings, so for an old Clydesdale such as myself, I see it as needless complexity. P.S. I give this video a big 'thumbs up' for the explanation of the cable change process.

[@johnnl]

Have a bike with internal cable routing. Looks very clean and I observe less cable rub in muddy conditions. But… replacing the upper headset bearing is a nightmare as you have to loosen all cables.

[@johns9974]

I will never have a bike with cables routed like this. completely unessesary

[@jakubnosek3220]

Changing bearings on road bike with integrated handlebars and headset cable routing is the biggest nightmare for mechanic

[@TheArimatheus]

For brakes, just route a new, clean, Teflon coated shift cable through the new housing, then into the existing old housing and pull everything through, then discard the old stuff that's at the end. Shift cables with their little knob at the end fit within a brake hose and shouldn't damage the lining, not any more than threading in the park tool then unthreading and re-threading like you do with sram barbs. You keep calling brake hose "cable". On a bike, there are Hoses (for brakes), Housing (for shifting), and Cables (that slide within the housings). If you're messing around with this, only hoses should be an issue, because your bike is ready for an AXS upgrade.

[@dcv9460]

Thank you =)

[@rgd1977]

Who asked the manufacturers for headset routing? Hopefully they realise it’s a mistake because few people seem to actually want it. It’s a dealbreaker for me 👎

[@neil27pearson]

This is the dumbest solution I have seen in a long time... Almost everyone I know ends up replacing it with a proper headset and normal cable routing... Try fixing one of these on a bikepark day 😂😂😂😂😂

[@derp5489]

Nice video and thanks. But brands foisting this on us? It’s disgraceful. Any downside to swapped to a minimal routing method that just passes through the top cover? That might save some pain

[@Ribosom85]

Burgers and fries ?? What the hell mate ? This is a proper britt channel 😅 CHIPS ! MATE, CHIPS!

[@nomad-pq4yw8iy7v]

OWEN you can't do videos like this it might prove that done right headset routing may not be that bad😨. So please do more of them!

[@Bike_and_Beer]

Now change the headset bearing

[@nejcbesal1578]

Rn I'm going to upgrade my Propain Tyee 6 with this same headset routing. Do I need to do the whole proces of taking the fork out and all that if I'm switching from cabeled to wireless gears? Please someone answer me.

[@McSchwabl]

Now do a video without an existing cable. That’s the real pain.

[@SwordFighterPKN]

I'm working on a frame with one of these STUPID headsets, thus the reason I am looking for videos on how to route cables around this crap.

[@Bikebbq]

When you buy a bike with this system, take the transmission and axs dropper.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Oh I know the answer it's easy! Remove all components from the frame, bin the frame and get a frameset with proper cable routing 😂

[@M.deHout]

I was considering a Propain Tyee until I saw that the carbon frames only come with internal routing. No way I will ever buy one. Who actually want this? Do they take us for fools? This video, despite it being very good and clear, show the silliness of this routing. Are there any benefits except for the cleaner look (which in my opinion is not a benefit, it is mtb, not fashion)?

[@peglor]

What an absolute nightmare. Even compared to 'normal' internal routing, which is bad enough. The only upside to bike companies imposing this level of misery on those foolish enough to buy their products is that it might keep local bike shops in business fixing customers' failed attempts at replacing cables.

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

What an absolute joke of a useless new standard. Next do a video for a new top bearing..... What used to be a 3 minute job is now an hour long job. I will never and I do mean ever own a frame with this kool, bitchen new "tech".

[@Bonky-wonky]

Meanwhile replacing a cable on my santa cruz takes me less than two minutes. All this hassle for literally zero performance benefits. Doesn’t look that nice either with those crappy plastic spacers.

[@leonschatzl1711]

Headset cable routing is de dumbest thing ever

[@c3h4organic97]

Is this the same video from 10 years ago? Always nice to have an audience with dementia.

[@lastnamefirstname7652]

why does he continually call "cable housing" "cable"? this makes me think he is just reading script and may not know much?

[@rottieshepcalibre9156]

Owen is an ex pro-mechanic

[@peglor]

@@rottieshepcalibre9156 That makes it worse, not better 😞.

[@Velo1010]

Yall are knocking it but damn it looks clean. Imagine the internal cable routing on a Scott Spark with the internal rear shock.

[@neil27pearson]

You don't work on your own bike... we can tell. 😂😂😂😂 SAS Rider.. 😂😂😂

[@Velo1010]

@@neil27pearson I sure as sh*t do work on my own bike! I built my second bike, a Cannondale Jekyll from just a bare frame. So I don’t know what the FK you’re talking about. You don’t know me so don’t spew your garbage if you don’t, WFC RIDER!!

[@neil27pearson]

@@Velo1010 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@crankshoptv]

I can confirm a mechanical Scott Spark with suspension remotes is a PITA.

[@Velo1010]

@@crankshoptv I bet they are. They look slick, but other than looks I don’t know if they serve any purpose. It can’t be to reduce cable wear. For the very most part they are sealed unless your dipping the bike in a swimming pool after ever ride.