lubing cables?

[Si]

Just out of interest......the wilkos brake cables with the plastic liner - do you put your wire into the outer dry or do you squirt it with lube first?

[Brucey]

lube for me, but until proven otherwise there is always a risk that any given lube will cause softening or swelling of the liner. Liners vary from one brand of cable to another, and lubes vary too.

'Caveat lubricator'.

cheers

[PT1029]

Stainless inners normally dry. Sometimes add enough grease/oil at the ends if I think water might get in and freeze solid on frosty mornings (esp lady's framed bikes - 1st frost of the winter used to see a parade of ladies with siezed up rear brakes coming in the workshop. By the time the bikes were worked on, the ice of course had melted!).

Galvanised always grease or oil, otherwise the galvanizing (zinc) oxidises to a white powder which creates enough friction for the cable to go stiff. I expect wolko's cables are galvanized.

[UpWrong]

I've been putting a few drops of chain lube on new cables for quite a while now - Finish Line wet lube.

[mattsccm]

I have often wondered about the effects of lubricants on the plastic inner. Anyone really looked into this? I would guess that each cable manufacturer would have their own answer.