Ideal way to replace cables/hoses on full ICR frame?

[coffeebreak]

I landed on Ultegra R8020 hydraulic group and now I am itching to replace my mechanical brake groupset on VB GF-002. Only thing that is stopping me? The internal cable routing. My current mechanical setup is perfect. Brake pull is smooth, gear shifts are swift and cables are all new too. If I pull out this stuff I am afraid I will disturb the harmony that the bike is in. Horrors of ICR are real.

What would be the ideal way to replace mechanical cable outers with hydraulic hoses on such frames? Dismantling everything and starting from scratch is one obvious option sure but is there anything else that can be tried? Like passing an inner cable from existing cable outer and pulling the hose with it from other end :S anything else?

[jonathanf2]

What I usually do when wanting to replace cabling is to run inner plastic cable housing following the path of your current ICR lines. That way you'll have a path to follow for the shift cables. The hydraulic hoses might pose an issue, so I'd start with the rear first, since the fork should be easier. My last hydraulic installation had spacious cable routing so it wasn't a big problem.

Even then, you'll probably hit a few snags that will require a barrage of profanities! Some frames are easier than others and I'm planning to do a similar conversion next week as well.

[s3si1u]

Running cables through the bars?
Tbh just take it apart and start all over. It'll be much easier than the first time. 

[coffeebreak]

Thru the bars, stem, fork, frame
.. the works! Biggest circus was tying together bar and stem during installation. It appears there's no easy way out. My frame doesn't have internal cable guides either it's anarchy inside where and how the cables go. If I take out everything that means working the front derailleur routing which is quite frankly really badly designed. I had to wriggle with it quite some time on its own :/

[coffeebreak]

Guys, silly question probably but what do you do with these cable sleeves/guides for internal routing? I got pretty long sleeves. Cut them? Remove them entirely or what? The cable port under BB shell has a removable cover so the cables are well protected anyway from any dirt getting kicked up from the road. What other purpose these sleeves serve?

[kbernstein]

Guys, silly question probably but what do you do with these cable sleeves/guides for internal routing? I got pretty long sleeves. Cut them? Remove them entirely or what? The cable port under BB shell has a removable cover so the cables are well protected anyway from any dirt getting kicked up from the road. What other purpose these sleeves serve?

Looks like a 696 (painted the same as mine?) so you have the option of either running full outer housing from shifter to mech, and in this case you can just remove these entirely (you can use the liners to help guide the housing as you remove it). Or you can run segmented and in this case you would keep those orange cable liners and run the cables through them, but even then on the 696 I think the trapdoor under the BB has too many kinks so I would cut them around that mark so you can have a "checkpoint" and feed it back at a better angle.

[coffeebreak]

Looks like a 696 (painted the same as mine?) so you have the option of either running full outer housing from shifter to mech, and in this case you can just remove these entirely (you can use the liners to help guide the housing as you remove it). Or you can run segmented and in this case you would keep those orange cable liners and run the cables through them, but even then on the 696 I think the trapdoor under the BB has too many kinks so I would cut them around that mark so you can have a "checkpoint" and feed it back at a better angle.

Its Basswood by the-house, so yes same Flybike 696 mold which they paint in metallic forest green. To run full outer from shifter to mech, I will have to remove the cable stopper because it is not designed to accept full outer and then it will be ugly plus impractical. Does your cable stop/guide allow passing cable outer? Since cable outer on mine cannot go in the frame I have to do segmented. One outer housing segment from shifter to frame and one more from rear triangle to derailleur.
On my Fuji, I have the same setup but the sleeve is only used under the BB area (say about 8-10 inches).. inside the trapdoor, otherwise the cable runs free without any sleeve in the frame

[kbernstein]

Its Basswood by the-house, so yes same Flybike 696 mold which they paint in metallic forest green. To run full outer from shifter to mech, I will have to remove the cable stopper because it is not designed to accept full outer and then it will be ugly plus impractical. Does your cable stop/guide allow passing cable outer? Since cable outer on mine cannot go in the frame I have to do segmented. One outer housing segment from shifter to frame and one more from rear triangle to derailleur.
On my Fuji, I have the same setup but the sleeve is only used under the BB area (say about 8-10 inches).. inside the trapdoor, otherwise the cable runs free without any sleeve in the frame

Oh yes, that might be something that wasn't included in your frame. Buying direct from carbonda they give you a spare cable headport thingy that doesn't have the cable stops, they are all wide enough to accomodate full housing. I also removed the plastic piece under the BB for that. Since you can't, I really hope your cable liners aren't horribly kinked like mine were (I could not feed a cable through them at all) or you might have to get new liners or cut them into pieces at the kinks

[Flying Trunk Monkey]

Its Basswood by the-house, so yes same Flybike 696 mold which they paint in metallic forest green. To run full outer from shifter to mech, I will have to remove the cable stopper because it is not designed to accept full outer and then it will be ugly plus impractical. Does your cable stop/guide allow passing cable outer? Since cable outer on mine cannot go in the frame I have to do segmented. One outer housing segment from shifter to frame and one more from rear triangle to derailleur.
On my Fuji, I have the same setup but the sleeve is only used under the BB area (say about 8-10 inches).. inside the trapdoor, otherwise the cable runs free without any sleeve in the frame

Hi, I was getting ready to post the same question for my Basswood. I'm glad I searched first.

If one wanted to run full length outer housing then I think there is enough material in the cable stop/guide to drill it out . The center hole for the brake cable/hose is obviously large enough to pass an outer housing through. Since I just learned that both are an option I haven't decided what I'd prefer.

My main concern was if segmented is an option. Segmented requires a straight shot (or a guide as in the case of the BB) and I couldn't quite tell the internal routing points allowed for that or not.

[coffeebreak]

Hi, I was getting ready to post the same question for my Basswood. I'm glad I searched first.

If one wanted to run full length outer housing then I think there is enough material in the cable stop/guide to drill it out . The center hole for the brake cable/hose is obviously large enough to pass an outer housing through. Since I just learned that both are an option I haven't decided what I'd prefer.

My main concern was if segmented is an option. Segmented requires a straight shot (or a guide as in the case of the BB) and I couldn't quite tell the internal routing points allowed for that or not.

I did the segmented cable - cable outer from shifters to cable port on the head tube. Used those RISK branded cable guides with nozzle there. Then cable inner all the way to bb area where I kept the yellow cable liner that came with the frame. Pushed it through plastic cable router all the way to exit port near RD. From exit port another little piece of cable outer.

[coffeebreak]

I landed on Ultegra R8020 hydraulic group and now I am itching to replace my mechanical brake groupset on VB GF-002.

After sitting on this for almost 4 months, I finally made the jump last weekend. Here is what I did:
1. Unhooked derailleurs and brakes and pulled all 4 cable inners.
2. Disassembled the handlebar, spacer, stem and let it hang by the cables.
3. Took off the IIIPro calipers and pulled cable housing from the frame end.
4. Used the RISK ICR tool to route hydraulic hoses thru handlebar and stem first. Took about half an hour even with the tool. The biggest problem is the small rounded rectangular hole thru which you must pass 4 cables without folding them.
5. Rest of the frame, fork was easy peasy. I must have a chosen a good day - the rear hose passed effortless under the BB right into the chainstay under the caliper. Taking out crankset and BB was another of my fear that didn't realize. The first time I did this it was a massive pain.
6. Kept the shifter housing as it is, to my luck nothing got dislodged (especially the FD pickle). After hydro hoses were routed, I passed the shifter cables and they went thru without any effort. Whew!
7. Had kept the hoses longer than necessary on both ends. I used needle insertion tool (extremely handy, a must have) to insert the needle. It is bit of a circus at the handlebar end but it works.

Also of note, the ICR tool works but with a catch. If you already have shifter cables inserted, then the magnetic guide is hit of miss because it sticks to shifter housing. Your best bet is to push the cable guide as deep as possible towards the outlet and then pull with the magnet or a pin thru the exit port.
If you are setting up ICR for the first time, route the hydraulic hoses first and then route the shifter housing.