Cables aren’t something that most cyclists get excited about, but they are a major contributor to how well you bike functions (or doesn’t). With Gore Ride-On cables no longer being produced, Jagwire saw an opening in the market for not only a new Elite sealed kit, but a Link kit to compete against Nokon, Alligator, and more.
Available in mountain and road, shift and brake, Jagwire’s new kits are certainly worth a look.
If you’re not familiar with link style housing, it basically uses hundreds of single links that interlock to form one long piece of housing. Due to the rigid construction of each link and how they interlock, the resulting housing is compression-less and allows for tighter bends than traditional housing all at a fraction of the weight. In this case, the Jagwire Link brake kit is half the weight of a traditional housing system, while the shift kit is 20% less – pretty good considering it performs better too.
The Link kits will include pieces assembled to stock lengths, which can be strengthened or shortened as needed by adding or removing links. The links fit over a full length PTFE liner which keeps the inner teflon coated cable sealed from the elements, and fit into standard sized end caps. Rubber bumpers that fit over the links are also included to keep the alloy links from damaging your frame’s paint.
About the only downside to the Link kits is that there are currently no full length housing kits available, so at this time only frames with split housings can take advantage of them.
Link kits will be available in SRAM/Shimano compatible black, silver, and gold, and should be at dealers by October, with prices ranging from $45-55 or about 10% less than similar systems from Nokon.
If you are in need of full length housing, or just want to keep it traditional, Jagwire has you covered with their new Sealed kits that should step in nicely where Gore left off. Using polymer coated cables in a Speed Lube filled sealed housing system, Jagwire’s Sealed kits offer long lasting performance in muddy, wet conditions – just in time for CX.
One of my first questions for Jagwire was how the coating will hold up – meaning will it strip off the cable causing problems in the housing? According to Jagwire, to prevent that from happening they are actually using a smaller 1.1mm cable with a thicker polymer coating than Gore uses which will be more durable in the long run. Combine this with the full liner from shifter to derailleur, and you should have awesome performance from start to finish.
The Sealed shift and brake kits are currently available only for road and will be sold in 5 colors (black, grey, coffee, white, and red) and will retail for $25-30.
