Cable Technology
Invented, patented and manufactured in Germany by metal fabrication giant Carl Stahl. A company that started out in 1880 making rope, Carl Stahl progressed to high tech industrial cables. This led to developing specialist products for sporting applications such as the Nokon brand bicycle cables. Nokon are lightweight, compression free, low friction cable systems that provide the ultimate gear shifting and braking performance. With standard cables there are many issues which inhibit gear shifting and braking performance and Nokon has identified and solved these with their innovative cable housing made from individual machined pieces or segments of lightweight aluminium. A regular brake cable housing is made from thin spiralled steel underneath a plastic outer. When the brakes are applied, these spirals compress causing a loss of braking power, as much of the rider's hand pressure goes into cable compression not braking force. The tighter the curvature of the cable the worse this effect is.
Nokon cables however can easily form into tight radius curves and can not compress under braking pressure. The less strength a rider has, or the tighter the cable bends, the greater the braking improvement. Nokon cables also provide exceptional gear shifting. The inside cable liner is made of fibreglass reinforced teflon, superior to other products, and can be run in one entire length from the shifters/levers to derailleurs or brakes. Normal cables need end caps where they fit onto the frame. To seal the cables from water and grit, these caps have tight high friction o-rings inside them which considerably increases cable resistance. With Nokon, these end caps can be eliminated giving the inner cable a free run inside the liner all the way to the derailleur or brake caliper. The system is not only fully sealed but incredibly low friction. Derailleur shifting speed is enhanced as it is not working against the friction of up to six o-ring seals. Full suspension MTB frames experience an additional benefit. As the rear triangle moves with the suspension action, traditional cables cause a loss in shifting accuracy and even ghost shifting. This is caused when the cable outer radius changes so much it slackens or tightens enough to cause the derailleur to jump into another gear, before it slips back unexpectedly as the cable radius retracts back. Nokon produce an extension piece with shorter segments specifically for very tight radius bends of unusual cable routing on some full suspension MTB bikes or aerobar setups on TT and Triathlon bikes. Even steering is improved with Nokon cables as the aluminium segments, free of tension, allow the bars to turn with less effort and in a smoother action. This is especially crucial in longer distance events where extreme rider fatigue is an issue. Nokon are used in the Tour de France, by world champions across the globe and riders demanding the very best from their equipment every day.
Nokon cables however can easily form into tight radius curves and can not compress under braking pressure. The less strength a rider has, or the tighter the cable bends, the greater the braking improvement. Nokon cables also provide exceptional gear shifting. The inside cable liner is made of fibreglass reinforced teflon, superior to other products, and can be run in one entire length from the shifters/levers to derailleurs or brakes. Normal cables need end caps where they fit onto the frame. To seal the cables from water and grit, these caps have tight high friction o-rings inside them which considerably increases cable resistance. With Nokon, these end caps can be eliminated giving the inner cable a free run inside the liner all the way to the derailleur or brake caliper. The system is not only fully sealed but incredibly low friction. Derailleur shifting speed is enhanced as it is not working against the friction of up to six o-ring seals. Full suspension MTB frames experience an additional benefit. As the rear triangle moves with the suspension action, traditional cables cause a loss in shifting accuracy and even ghost shifting. This is caused when the cable outer radius changes so much it slackens or tightens enough to cause the derailleur to jump into another gear, before it slips back unexpectedly as the cable radius retracts back. Nokon produce an extension piece with shorter segments specifically for very tight radius bends of unusual cable routing on some full suspension MTB bikes or aerobar setups on TT and Triathlon bikes. Even steering is improved with Nokon cables as the aluminium segments, free of tension, allow the bars to turn with less effort and in a smoother action. This is especially crucial in longer distance events where extreme rider fatigue is an issue. Nokon are used in the Tour de France, by world champions across the globe and riders demanding the very best from their equipment every day.
