Brake cables are one of the most basic parts on your bike and one of the cheapest to improve performance. V-brakes and cable operated brakes are the most commonly used in the BMX scene.

Standard braided brake cables tend to have a coiled outer casing. They are generally the cheapest of all brake cables and can lead to poor braking very quickly. The braded cables tend to stretch and the outer housing can kink easily, both leading to poor performing brakes. Braided cables can also tend to have a spongy feel which you’ll notice if you pull on brake lever firmly, once the brakes lock hard against the rim you can keep pulling the lever further even though the brakes are fully locked. Some of this may be from the brake pads, but most of it is from the cable. These are the most common cables used and are generally found on your complete bikes, or where someone might have been looking to save a little money as they are generally around the $AUD5-20 mark. Another off putting issue with braided cables is they have a tendency to fray which is a pain in the butt that messes with my OCD.

Linear cables are far superior to braided cables. The brake cable is made up of linear strands of wire as is the cable housing. The first linear cable I’d discovered and used was the Odyssey Slic Cable. It’s a stiffer cable, with a stiffer outer. Linear cables generally come pre stretched and have a Teflon lined cable housing, making for much smoother operation. What does this all mean? You won’t get much stretch from the cable inner, you won’t get much compression of the cable housing, you won’t get much kicking of the outer housing and your cable will move more freely inside the cable housing and you won’t need as much force to engage your brakes. They are a little more expensive than the braided cable being around $AUD10-40, but well worth it for the superior performance. You don’t see the same issues with fraying on the linear cable, the biggest problem you’ll have is deciding on the right colour option to suit your bike.

Along with the Odyssey Slic Cable I’ve used the Kink linear DX cable and the Speedline Linear Cable. All worked reliably although I have settled with the Speedline cable as the cable end caps are smaller and fit a wider range of brake options.

I went to a braided cable for a recent build to see if it was all just in my head, and maybe a cable was just a cable after all. But all it did was clarify the difference between linear and braided cables were chalk and cheese. The linear was far superior, a far better feel and provided better braking power with less effort. If you’re not running a linear cable give one a try, you won’t regret it.