The experience of riding a bike is a constantly shifting wave of input and feedback sensations that we’re responding to. It’s multi-sensory, and at times, unconsciously engages the entirety of our body in a state of suspension, asking us to respond quickly to the machine that we’re piloting, and the inconsistent surfaces beneath us. The pneumatics of bicycle tires account for a great deal of what we “feel” while we ride. The nuances of tire pressure, sidewall thickness and construction, as well as tread patterns all have an impact on what we feel as our bikes move across the ground. Additionally the quality, manufacturing tolerances, and proper adjustment of our bearing components are constantly providing us with feedback during a ride. These are the elements that provide for a “smooth ride”. But there’s a tactile experience to riding a bike as well- one that we feel in our hands- particularly while braking and shifting. Our cables and housing are critical components in our shift and brake systems, and they are also terminals of tactile feedback for the experiences of shifting and braking our bikes. The nuances of how these products are specified and constructed can have subtle but important impacts on our overall experiences with riding our bikes. You’ll hear the concept of “stroke loss” discussed in reference to cable housing- which is a technical term related to a metric for how much a segment of housing compresses when it is under load (during shifting or braking situations).

Modern bicycle drivetrains that have evolved to 11, 12 or even 13 speed rear cassettes require a shifter and derailleur with tight manufacturing tolerances to make accurate shifts across this gear range. Your cables and housing are the transmission of and maintainers of this shift input between your shifter and your derailleur(s), and they too need to be appropriately specified to conduct this important work accurately. These more demanding modern drivetrains require housing that experiences less stroke loss during that shift sequence, in order for the cable tension adjustment to be accurate in relation to this tighter gear cluster. In the realm of braking, stroke loss accounts for a lever feel that could be characterized as “soft” or “mushy”. This is particularly noticeable in mechanical disc brake applications where you have a metal or sintered brake pad contacting a rotor under intense loads. While this soft feel doesn’t necessarily translate to less actual braking power, it can require more effort on the part of the rider to achieve the desired level of stopping power- which is a confidence and safety consideration for riders using mechanical disc brake systems.

SimWorks has worked with our partners at Nissen to develop an alternative to our standard Stainless housing that will account for less stroke loss during your shifting and braking efforts. These refined specifications were arrived at through specifying a thicker inner coil, and narrowing the gap between coils. We’re calling this newly offered version of our housing ‘CRISPER’. We aren’t wanting to give our customers the impression that this product is an “upgraded” or “premium” version of our much beloved and trusted traditional Stainless housing offering, but rather a refined option for users with more demanding or specific housing needs. As the bicycle industry continues to move toward more new complete bicycles equipped with electronic shifting and hydraulic braking systems, we will continue to develop and service products necessary for setting up and maintaining traditional cable driven transmissions and brake systems.

SimWorks produces quality products for todays diverse range of bicycle riders and enthusiasts. While we work with many manufacturers who employ long standing manufacturing processes, materials and standards; SimWorks wishes to close the equipment gap that threatens to continue to grow between the riders of yesterday, and the riders of today and tomorrow. In the end, it’s all about striving to have the most enjoyable, safe and reliable sensory and riding experience with your bike as possible. A benchmark that informs most of the work that we do here.