# Rohloff Cable Housing



## Project2501 (Apr 7, 2006)

Has anyone ever used regular derailleur cable housing(with the lining) with a Rohloff?
The lining on mine disintegrated during the TD. It was jammed into the shifter box that connected to the hub, and even in the shifter as seen in the photos.


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## fokof (Apr 24, 2006)

Yep

I installed some derailleur lining/cables 7 years ago.
Still going strong.

I also used some V-brake noodles and heat shrink to avoid that nasty bend of my setup.


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## finch2 (Nov 13, 2009)

yeah, using 4mm shimano cables and housings atm. Works well although I like the roholff gear more. Not sure how yours entered the shifter...isn't there a splayed end to the internal lining to stop that?


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## Sometimes (Jun 21, 2009)

I'm currently using Jagwire's Ripcord Derailleur kit without issue. So far.

The original Rohloff(?) housing/cable on my used Rohloff didn't have the "liner" within the shifter as you've pictured in yours. And I installed the Jagwire cable 'bare' as well. Shifting slightly improved with the Jagwire kit but the original housing had a few 'angles' in it. Abused? Theoretically the shifting should be better with the original housing since it's basically brake cable housing (less compression?) but I haven't noticed any difference so far. 

FWIW, I'm using the Jagwire Ripcord Brake kit on my bike's cable pull disc brakes without issue & the housing is the same as derailleur housing only larger diameter. Works well enuf for me anyway.


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## Project2501 (Apr 7, 2006)

finch2 said:


> yeah, using 4mm shimano cables and housings atm. Works well although I like the roholff gear more. Not sure how yours entered the shifter...isn't there a splayed end to the internal lining to stop that?


yeah it's flared at the end. not sure what happened.....guess my number came up.


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## Sometimes (Jun 21, 2009)

*Jagwire Ripcord housing not so good ...*

Well ... I decided to shorten the Jagwire Ripcord brake & shifting cable housing today, 7/28/12. Didn't like what I found on the shifter housing:









The pic is from my cell phone so isn't the greatest but I think it's possible to see the difference in construction between the Rohloff (black, ~5mm diameter) housing which is spiral wound like brake cable housing compared to the Jagwire Ripcord derailleur cable housing which is has longitudal wires along it's length.

The pic clearly shows what happened to the wires on the Jagwire. And that was after less than 2 months of use. Definitely disappointed considering what I paid for the set. But in Jagwire's defense the instructions clearly emphasize using Jagwire's ferrules which I didn't do.

I've always used Shimano brake & derailleur cable housing in the past but I wanted housing that would closely color match my titanium frame. Oh well ... It looks like I'll be going back to Shimano in the near future. And I'll just buy Shimano brake cable housing for the Rohloff & use that instead of the Shimano derailleur housing. Will obviously have to use standard derailleur cable but that shouldn't be an issue. I don't think. It will just have plenty of room in the brake cable housing.

I'm also using brake noodles on the Rohloff. Here are two pics:
















Since the Jagwire Ripcord housing was smaller diameter than the noodle ends I shimmed both ends with aluminum strips I cut from a coke can. Approximately 2 layers worth for both ends cut as a single strip. Takes quite a bit of patience to fit the housing ends into the noodles with the shims but it's worth it. No slop. The shim strips are barely noticeable on the external gear mech & pretty obvious at the shifter (if you know what to look for).


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## Project2501 (Apr 7, 2006)

Sometimes, was there a particular brake noodle you found to use with the shifter?
It will probably make things easier with my handlebar bag.


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## Sometimes (Jun 21, 2009)

Too much chamfer will result in a sloppy fit because it won't match the chamfer in the shifter or the adjustable barrels on the external gear mech.

And I decided that this type wouldn't work too well either without actually trying it. Don't have any laying around.

I initially just looked for a brake noodle with a chamfered end that looked like this one on eBay but then, after deciding to switch from black to silver, just bought a set of four from eBay with chamfers that were too long.

I then used a Dremel tool grinding wheel to grind the chamfers to the proper length. And finished up with a fine tooth hand file, both internally & externally. Yeah I know, a lot of work. Should've just bought the right ones to begin with.

The ones on the bike right now are shorter than the first ones I installed but I actually prefer that. There are also noodles available with adjustable barrels.

Noodles are also available with different degree bends. I just looked for the 90 degree versions but I know that larger angles are available. 120 degrees? Didn't really matter to me because on the shifter end I prefer a more acute angle than 90 & on the external gear mech end I need a more obtuse angle than 90. Figured I could bend the noodles to the desired angle & I was right. If you do that, just be sure to bend the noodle & not the chamfered end piece. I wasn't so careful on the original set & noticed after I removed them that one of the chamfered ends was a little cockyeyed. The shorter noodles are harder to bend by hand but I managed.

Just keep in mind that none of the noodle ends will fit tightly within the shifter or the barrel adjusters on the external gear mech. Same for the cable housing within the noodle ferrules. Tight fit requires shimming. Or at least that's what I did.


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## Stuart B (Mar 21, 2005)

Noodles! Genius...might have to try that


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## swift (Apr 3, 2007)

Brake housing and derailer cables is the proper setup.

Derailer housing will have tendency to slip the liner, like you've experienced.

Love the Noodle idea.


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