Secrets of the framebuilders

[jon_norstog]

For a few years I've been using 5/16" automotive brake line as hose guides to run brake hoses and cable inside my frames - in and out the top tube, around the seat tube, in and out the chainstay. I usually bought the longest piece of line I could find and cut off the flares and the flare nuts. Last time I did this I went to Auto Zone to buy more brake line. They have it in 25-foot rolls, about a dollar a foot! here's the goods as they come from the store and as installed.




internal_hose_guide.jpgplan_b_1.jpgplan_b_2.jpgplan_b_3.jpg

[jon_norstog]

My bad, it's the seatstay gets the tube on this bike. But it would be easy to run the guides downtube-chainstay.

[mmoore]

how tight is that housing in the brake line? does it rattle?

[jon_norstog]

The 5/16" is tight enough you don't want to kink it. The TT in the picture has a piece of 3/8" in it for a looser fit. The 5/16" setup is quiet. The hoses tend to arch themselves tight against the tubing walls, even when you use 3/8"