brake housing, rims, and protection

free_rideman said:

Okay, I have 3 questions, so I will ask all of them to not make too many threads.

1. First, I was installing my campy brake housing today, and noticed that the ferrules I had, only fitted into my frame's stops but not into the chorus shifters, or my shimano 105 brakes. But when cutting, I did use a dremel tool, which made the cuts perfect. That being said, do I even need the ferrules? Could I just skip them at those points, and only use them at the frame stops (where it really is needed)? remember, only for brakes, the shift cables fit with the ferrules that came. oh, btw, the campy housing set I got with the shifters didn't include any brake ferrules, making me also think they aren't important.

2. I got new wheels (almost finished with my custom bike), and the brake surface is so thin on these rims that at one place the pad just barely is off, and after a while, will brake on the actual rim finish. This is kind of a stupid question, but should I be worried at all, other than the fact that the black anodizing might come off?

3. Lastly, this concerns that stretch of rear brake cable that goes exposed at the top tube. I hate when the cable rubs the top tube, and wears aways the paint. Any things that people have tried and liked, in solving this issue? What can I thread onto the cable? I just need ideas, so I can find something.

Thanks in advance!

1) I have record brake levers w/ no ferrules (for the brake cable) for the same reasons - no issues whatsoever.

2) Altho the anodizing is great in the wet don't expect the black anodizing to last coz it will wear off eventually - again no issues even if it does.

3) Avid supplies a red plastic housing you can cut to size and insert within the exposed cable, or, you can insert at least 3 rubber grommets within the stretch of that cable that rubs the top tube. You can get these from your LBS.