Routing hydraulic cables through internally-routed frames can be a (big) hassle. Not only do you need to get the hoses through tiny holes in the frame, but there’s a chance for brake fluid to drip on (or into) stuff. What looks great at the end can have you looking pretty rough by the end of the install.
Lucky for you, we found a couple patents that help to ease the pain – if you are a Shimano or Campagnolo customer.
Shimano’s protective hose cap patent
First up is a very lengthy patent from Shimano. Among other things, it mentions a protective hydraulic hose cap (above). Not only does this serve to plug the end of the hose to prevent fluid leakage, it also has a hole in the end through which you can insert a cable or other guiding mechanism.
Of course, there are other ways to skin a cat if you have a system other than Shimano on your bike – it just may not result in quite the same leak-proof protection.
Campagnolo’s barb-based hose puller
Campagnolo has a similar-but-different take, opting for a barb with an integrated cable holder – rather than a barb covered by a cable-holding cap.
The iteration above appears to be a two-piece construction, with a separate barb.
And a third iteration, above, uses a more minimal design, through which a cable or string could be looped.
While these solutions specifically help anyone running Shimano or Campagnolo hydraulic braking systems, chances are pretty good they would work with hydraulic brake hoses from FSA, Rotor, Magura, and others. Of course, the easiest solution may be to get a complete bike with the brake hoses already installed – but that won’t help in the case of a damaged hose that must be replaced. And until these bits hit the market, the aforementioned home grown solutions are still a solid choice.
Ummm, Shimanos already had this design in use for years…
Thanks Bob. Really Helpful stuff!
I find the best way to route any hydro hose is to use the threaded double-sided barb tool that comes with the Reverb. I’ve literally used it with every single brake manufacturer.
So that’s where all those handy little things came from! I use them all the time for pulling hoses but never noticed how they made their way into my tool chest.
The campy one is neat cos it uses a gear cable through that barb for routing.
The shimano one doesnt work if the holes in the frame are just big enough for the hose itself. This can be common on chainstays where there often isnt a removable port.
But…. you still need to get the gear/puller cable through the internal routing holes as well….
Put them on the outside of the fame and problem solved
I threaded the barb on the Campy tool to make it more useful.
Campy’s is best at it’s the same diameter as the cable. Feel like it’s campy as usually. Well thought out products.
They were included in my chorus h11 set so this isn’t a new product.
bet the campy guide is only compatible with a campy shift cable
Charlie … Campagnolo will make guides to suit their cables, why should they worry about being compatible with competitors cables to make a competitors product easier to install ? Self defeating !
Wait, why hasn’t anyone mentioned the Park Tool cable routing guide kit..? There’s a fitting for this exact purpose.