How to Size and Install Shift Cable Housing

Having properly sized and routed shift cable housing can make a significant difference in how your bike performs. In this video we will show you how to inspect, route, and if needed replace the shift cable housing on your bike. You'll learn about the different types of shift cable housing, different routing styles, and best practices for all of it.
Questions or comments? Leave them below!
See all of our cable replacement videos in our Shift Lever Cable Replacement playlist ▶︎ • Repair Help: Shift Cab...
Video contents:
00:00 Video Start
00:21 Why Replace Your Shift Cable Housing?
00:48 Tools & Supplies
01:33 Preliminary Information
04:26 Determining Housing Length
05:31 Full Housing
08:13 Segmented Housing
10:35 Internal Routing
12:07 Cable Routing
➤ Tools & materials used:
• CN-10 Professional Cable and Housing Cutter - www.parktool.com/product/prof...
• UP-SET Utility Pick Set - www.parktool.com/product/util...
• CL-1 Chain Lube - www.parktool.com/CL-1
• IR-1.2 Internal Routing Tool - www.parktool.com/IR-1.2
• NP-6 Needle Nose Pliers - www.parktool.com/NP-6
➤ Subscribe: kzbin.info...
➤ Like: / parktool
➤ Follow: / parktoolblue
➤ Fix It:
Did you know that Park Tool is the #1 resource for bicycle repair education?
• Visit our KZbin Channel: / parktool
• Visit the Repair Help section of Parktool.com: www.parktool.com/repairhelp
• Check out The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair: www.parktool.com/product/big-...
➤ Tubeless Tire Repair Help:
• How to Setup Tubeless Tires - • How to Setup Tubeless ...
• How to Convert & Install Tubeless Tires on Fat Bikes - • How to Convert & Insta...
• How to Convert to Tubeless - • How to Convert Your Bi...
➤ About Park Tool:
Since our founding in 1963, Park Tool has been the leading name in bicycle tools. Our KZbin channel is an extension of our mission to be the ultimate resource for mechanics and riders of all skill levels. Here you will find comprehensive repair help tutorials for a wide range of components and processes, as well as troubleshooting guides, tips and tricks, and information on the latest Park Tool products.

[@nigelthompson874]

Note. Always grind the cut face of a gear or brake outer. If you look at a pre-cut cable kit you’ll almost certainly see this was done. Check a fresh cut cable under a magnifying glass, it’ll look like the Himalayas. It will often punch through the cap especially plastic. Just touch it up on a grinder pedestal or angle. Helps prevent “splaying “ too.Cheers, good episode 👍

[@zombicreature]

Thanks for the tip, fortunately I've installed metal end caps.

[@danieltdp]

Can't stop watching every video you guys do. Really great explanations and production!

[@Dani-rx1sv]

all you guys at Park Tools make awesome videos. Very much appreciated.

[@sbumagnificent]

The kind of video I was looking for, thank you so much time for me to get a new set of shifters.

[@mesmaeker]

Been looking for a great video like you guys usually do and I think this was the only topic I couldn't find a good video on. I'm glad you guys released this, probs the most technical job on a bike

[@couchman184]

Hey Park Tool, can you also upload the older video you had for this housing sizing. I liked it more and it applied more directly to my type of bike! Thank you!

[@Briaaanz]

Videos like this is why i subscribed

[@user-nu7fe1nv4p]

Just brilliant

[@jslee8737]

Great video

[@847lifestyle]

cn-10 is the crimping tool. that was a weird mistake from park tool to say you needed additional crimper

[@Jay-fy7bn]

Nice!

[@samueldavies5176]

thank you, the old man working there never mentions this

[@samueldavies5176]

can someone direct me to a vid thats give info on how much tension is needed. changing my wire, and everything is off. '

[@paisfr]

Bonjour les amis very cool Thank you ✌😊

[@kakablee]

thank you so much

[@livinlarge1247]

.. Great video. Well done. I like the little face that pops out.

[@Cchuck]

Not bad good video 👍🏽

[@-S-P]

OT-RS900 looks like a spring too and is intended for shifting

[@RockOutToThis]

WHERE IS CALVIN JONES?!?!

[@parktool]

He's around here somewhere.......

[@Martajudie]

Pretty sure that was him at 10:07

[@AranJagoutz]

Yeah moustache man was a legend. He was like cycling Chuck Norris.

[@Tattieboggle]

what a job

[@Boy_itsMeee]

Calvin jones is my favroute

[@lomax1919]

I have a blunt question: Why to use the segmented housing ? Is there some specific reason other then if the frame is set for such then you have to do it ?

[@benjaminvg8018]

I guess weight, the possibility to lubricate the cable if it becomes a bit corroded (in the case of flat bars) and aesthetic reasons.

[@ringo666]

@@benjaminvg8018 these reasons, plus a slight weight savings, and less overall drag.

[@benjaminvg8018]

@@ringo666 ah yes, forgot the drag ;)

[@TPV07]

all of the above and maybe frame design as well. most fregmented bikes do not have straight topubes or downtube, they are curved like in the video or the tubes are a bit oval or shaped in a way that make is a bit dofficult to put housing mounts on the frame. I personally ind that if it is segmented the cables will rust and stick a lot sooner than if it is full house, you just have a lot more openings.

[@TheKoosterify]

@@benjaminvg8018gotta count the 0.000001% of watt per hr saving

[@rttm]

Could you tell, is the wire pitch on compressionlesss housing same for all manufacturers and how long is that pitch, if it's standard for all brands of housings? By wire pitch, I mean the pitch of those steel wires inside of compressionless housing. They coil in very long pitch. It's several inches for one turn. I believe it would be good to know the length of that pitch, when deciding the length of pend. Best would be, if the pend length divided to pitch length not having fractions. Then all wires would be loaded equally and would not squeeze the cable inside housing.. Although it seems that it works fine either way.. That's probably because the cable is a lot thinner than the opening in housing.. But for reinforced brake housing. I would like to have the pends to be on such length that all wires would get equal load.. Or actually I should ask whether I understand it right. So I am correct about this, or is there something happening that my logic or brain doesn't understand?

[@makantahi3731]

whattt?, bikes with 8 and less gears on wheel work ok with any inner/outer cable, 9 gears can be sensitive on compression/dilatation of cables, but 10 and more gears have problem if mosquito makes poo on cable, it has to have long travel for every gear and strong spring in derailleur to mitigate resistance in cable movement, dirt makes most of problem, when new cables are installed, it takes some time and km to everything take its place , i have problem after bike is transported in car and wheels were removed same as rear derailleur is removed from drop out, gears are mashed after bike is reassembled

[@buzzmojo7928]

does cable housing effect the smoothness of shifting FD? im using fd sensah ignite 2x9 speed and having trouble shifting from small gear to high. the mechanics said i need to replace the housing for better one rather using the default from factory

[@parktool]

If the cable is rusty, corroded, or dirty, it will drag. New cables and housing is almost always a good idea.

[@buzzmojo7928]

@@parktool ah ic, my bike just a month old. but i will try the suggestion. thx man.

[@ninjaride1312]

I have a sram nx 12 speed and up at the 11 speed and 12 speed is not good at 11 it jumps/clicks and to change to the 12 speed it requires next to no movement on the shifter I mean it dosent even need to click. I think there are 3 problems: Too short of a chain B screw set to close And slighty bend hanger What do you think? Thanks

[@awesomexistence]

I have one bike that is sensetive to the short segment of cable housing at the rear derailleur. At the 8:15 mark in the video watch the derailleur move as the housing length is adjusted. My cable length at “10 mm too long” causes the cable housing to flex outward reducing the amount of pull at the derailleur for the smallest sprocket to 2nd sprocket. After that, shifts through the rest of the gears was fine. I shortened the housing twice to fine tune it. No more housing flex and perfect shifts.

[@BangBangNoee]

Not very helpful when they’re jumping to different kind of bike every section. Where is Calvin Jones? This man does it better than anyone.

[@sribalajimart2946]

What will happen if a housing cable is small?

[@108kitsune]

Ive been wondering why my rear shifting is so bad LBS used break housing 🤦‍♂️

[@TheShamwari]

Would it not be better to have a continuos housing instead of segmented? It looks like it would be easy to convert from segmented to countinuos ?

[@whothat4684]

Yes, use zip ties.

[@sojourner77]

Any plans on adding instructional videos for electric bikes?

[@parktool]

What uniquely eBike topics would you like to see?

[@Bruhman_15]

@@parktool I know I’m not the one who asked but I want to know how to convert a bike to an e bike

[@black7987echo]

@@Bruhman_15 that will be an hour long video.

[@sweetalert480]

can I convert segmented housing to full housing? because I hate rusty in that cable

[@parktool]

Typically, yes. Use lots of zip ties so it stays tight to the frame.

[@CloudStrife42]

My ferrules don’t secure or seat into the barrel adjuster, they are just loose. What am I doing wrong.. Shimano 4700 sl shifters

[@parktool]

In many drop bar brake shifter combos you will not use ferrules. Let the housing go into the shifter and it will seat nicely.

[@parktool]

That is a rather common shifter. If the ferrules do not fit, they may be oversized. Typically these are plastic. A chrome plated ferule tends to be larger and will not fit into shifter barrels.

[@CloudStrife42]

Thanks for the reply, they are flat bar tiagra shifters, I’m converting from a drop bar just feels like it should be more snug or secure

[@brunodenyu]

12:19 I always used grease instead of lubricant...

[@ringo666]

The best combo I ever found was Shimano SP41 housing and Slick 50 One grease on the cable.

[@KarlenBell]

Grease is too thick and might cause stiction.

[@elrinconderoller1560]

12:24 grease whit teflon are much better than oil...

[@bmxscape]

grease is no good for these cables it introduces too much friction

[@AwesomeAngryBiker]

Park tools have gone way OTT with ads, unsubscribed 👎👎👎

[@manlystyleunder50]

Bro dont know about adblock browser even though its been around for a decade and a half lol what a n00b lol And penalising a channel that helps you save so much money through unsubscribing is cowardly and galvanising. Do you have a crappy bike repair channel that is incapable of comparing to the quality of videos and information in ParkTools channel?

[@richardekers3025]

Why have you added annoying background "music" which is distracting and makes it harder to concentrate on the dialogue?

[@Matanumi]

Not that big of a deal....