chris French wrote:
Colin Blackburn writes
Chris Bacon wrote:
I re-open this to say that I have never seen a cable used on a
bicycle with an outer made of "multiple longitudinal wires in a
jacket" used on a bicycle. What the hell are these?

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/cable.shtml

There are two photographs. One of compressionless gear cable
outer---with longitudinal wires---and one of brake cable outer---with
spiral, compressible wiring. It's pretty standard stuff.

Indeed, and the reason it is used is to keep modern indexed gears
working correctly.

Aha! "Modern indexed gears", hmm.... that's why. One would have to be
a bit of a dunce to use these cables for brakes! Surely Mr. Blackburn
does not mean that the outer of spiral-wound Bowden cable is really
compressible? That would sort of render brake cable pretty useless!