How to choose your road bike brake cables and sheaths?

Cables in poor condition are often the first reason for brake malfunction, whether they are pad brakes or disc brakes in the case of mechanical or hydro-mechanical models, and therefore a potential danger for the cyclist.
It is therefore important to replace this wearing part regularly. But how do you choose?

Standard brakes

• CAMPAGNOLO type
• SHIMANO/SRAM type

Cable and sheath types

Reminder : the cables and sheaths are not identical. They differ in head shape and diameter, and are therefore not interchangeable.

If the cable head is identical SHIMANO and SRAMmodels, the diameter differs significantly. CAMPAGNOLO on the other hand, is the only brand to use a different cable head for its levers.
So be sure to choose cables that are compatible with the brand of your levers.

In addition to classic cables and sheaths, there are also versions that optimize the performance of your components.

Cables can be made of steel or stainless steel: the former is less expensive, while the latter has a longer lifespan as it is more resistant to corrosion. What's more, to reduce friction and thus improve your equipment's performance, it can be coated with a layer of polymer A (generally known as PTFE or Teflon®).

The sheath can be fitted withwatertight ends B to improve service life and/or offer a liner C to further reduce cable friction.

Which cables and sheaths for my practice?

First of all, select Campagnolo or Shimano/Sram compatible cables cables, depending on the brand of your levers.

Then, for occasional use, a standard steel cable and sheath kit will suffice.

A hobbyist will prefer a steel or stainless steel cable kit with polymer coating and sheaths with watertight ferrules for maximum reliability.

Finally, a competitor will opt for polymer-coated cables and lined sheaths to optimize transmission performance.