"And the reason cables are hidden away inside the frames is because this is what consumers want. Put two bikes on the showroom floor next to each other, identical in spec and geo and price and color \[...\] and it is a safe bet that the majority of tire kickers will choose the bike with hidden cables."
I refuse to believe this. And doubly so if the showroom/store/site is honest and adds the caveat that some maintenance on the internal bike will be much more expensive in both money and time, whether DIY or LSB.
I know exactly **zero** riders who would choose internal routing given otherwise identical bikes, excepting dropper routing and semi-internal systems like Canyon or Guerilla Gravity where hoses never need to be opened.
Internal routing is only useful for brands trying to maintain or build an image of sleek, "modern" design. It's literally form over function (at least for hoses), and that's never better for the buyer. Even brands that touted their own prioritization of maintenance ease, like YT with the Tues' suspension bolts almost all accessible from one side of the bike, have succumbed to the insanity of making maintenance harder with internal brake routing. So while you can disassemble your suspension without moving from your seat on the non-drive-side, you can't actually take all the suspension bits off until you disconnect (and maybe cut the off of) a hose.
At least Specialized went all the way and actually made true "full internal routing" where there are only 2 ports per cable/hose (only 1 for dropper), no internal to external to internal bullshit, for actual "clean lines". The trade-off of maintenance at least results in maximized visual appeal. The only other slightly acceptable option is full internal on the front triangle and full external on the rear triangle, so at least the suspension can be disassembled fully without cracking a hose. The stupidity of many brands going internal for a foot or so of the downtube only to then have the the cables come out and mess up "the clean lines" for a foot or so, before diving back into the chain-stay for 6 inches before coming out again, is mind boggling.
March 24, 2022, 12:11 p.m. - Justin White
"And the reason cables are hidden away inside the frames is because this is what consumers want. Put two bikes on the showroom floor next to each other, identical in spec and geo and price and color \[...\] and it is a safe bet that the majority of tire kickers will choose the bike with hidden cables." I refuse to believe this. And doubly so if the showroom/store/site is honest and adds the caveat that some maintenance on the internal bike will be much more expensive in both money and time, whether DIY or LSB. I know exactly **zero** riders who would choose internal routing given otherwise identical bikes, excepting dropper routing and semi-internal systems like Canyon or Guerilla Gravity where hoses never need to be opened. Internal routing is only useful for brands trying to maintain or build an image of sleek, "modern" design. It's literally form over function (at least for hoses), and that's never better for the buyer. Even brands that touted their own prioritization of maintenance ease, like YT with the Tues' suspension bolts almost all accessible from one side of the bike, have succumbed to the insanity of making maintenance harder with internal brake routing. So while you can disassemble your suspension without moving from your seat on the non-drive-side, you can't actually take all the suspension bits off until you disconnect (and maybe cut the off of) a hose. At least Specialized went all the way and actually made true "full internal routing" where there are only 2 ports per cable/hose (only 1 for dropper), no internal to external to internal bullshit, for actual "clean lines". The trade-off of maintenance at least results in maximized visual appeal. The only other slightly acceptable option is full internal on the front triangle and full external on the rear triangle, so at least the suspension can be disassembled fully without cracking a hose. The stupidity of many brands going internal for a foot or so of the downtube only to then have the the cables come out and mess up "the clean lines" for a foot or so, before diving back into the chain-stay for 6 inches before coming out again, is mind boggling.