With electronic shifting back in the ring, standard wire cables might seem old fashioned. Nevertheless, rumours of their imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated, as proven by this latest set from Jagwire.
Available as complete universal kits in seven different colours, the stainless inners are double-ended for Campag, Shimano or SRAM; simply snip off the anchor not required. Single length outers get cut to size.
Installation proved somewhat challenging on our internally routed frame: care had to be taken to prevent fraying the cut inners, while the brake outer was slightly short for full length rear routing.
The Jagwire kit's Kevlar-sheathed, helical multi-strand design proved to be 30g lighter than the old spiral-wound stuff, matching its claim of 30 percent weight savings (67g vs 97g). Braking firmed up noticeably and felt extremely slick, while shifting was superb.
Included are all the appropriate high quality ferrules, plus other bits and pieces to get the job done properly. Not yet willing to ‘fly by wire’, but looking to freshen up your traditional ‘analogue’ cables? Then try these Jagwires for size.