Re: cleaning the commute bike

On 1/20/2025 11:15 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_frame>
 The cable routing for the rear derailleur is usually like this: The
cable is routed open along the down tube on its underside and from the
cable guide under the bottom bracket further to the end of the chain
stay. So there are only two short cable housings, from the shifter to
the headset or top of down tube and then from the end of the chainstay
to the rear derailleur.

FWIW, the worst of these problems I ever had was with my first mountain bike. To turn the front shift cable upwards from the down tube to behind the seat tube, it had a short (maybe 6") of cable housing. Both ends of that housing pointed upward, and inhaled water and mud. I did ride the woods in winter back in those days, and the moisture in the housing would freeze, locking up front shifting.
The open metal channel guides atop the bottom bracket gave the least trouble IME. Plastic guides under the bottom bracket need occasional cleaning and lube, but were also far better than housing.
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- Frank Krygowski