Power Cordz
By Jim Langley
Derailleur
Brake
www.powercordz.com
Price: $69 per cable/housing system (brake or
derailleur); $37 per cable set
Source: website
Made
in: U.S.
Weight: <10 grams/pair (cables); 45g/meter
(housing)
Compatibility: Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM
Features: synthetic-fiber cables in nylon casing;
bonded anodized aluminum ends; Kevlar-reinforced housing
pre-lubed with Teflon grease; special Windsor clasps for brake system
RBR
advertiser: no
How
obtained: cold cash
Tested:
12 hours
HOT!
-
4 cables shave about 60 grams compared to Shimano
Dura-Ace
-
cables won't rust or corrode
-
cables don't rattle against frame tubes
-
systems come with everything needed to change out
cables
not!
-
negligible performance gain over quality steel
cables
-
softer feel through levers
-
somewhat confusing directions
-
tricky to get cable tension right
-
ferrules
don't fit frame stops perfectly
-
brake Cordz have 3-year expiration date
-
expensive
Power Cordz brake
and derailleur cables
are ingenious and revolutionary. Instead of the
steel or stainless-steel cables that have been
standard on 2-wheelers since 1902 (really), Cordz are
made of about 10,000 synthetic fibers in a protective
and slippery nylon casing.
The
synthetic material is called Zylon HM or PBO, which
Power Cordz says is "a rigid-rod isotropic crystal
polymer with superior tensile strength and modulus of
elasticity" compared to steel cables. Although it may
not be quite accurate to call Cordz "cables," I'll do it because the
Power Cordz website does.
80%
Lighter
The
chief advantage of these high-tech cables is weight
savings. By switching from steel you can save about 60
grams (2.14 oz.). A Dura-Ace brake and shift cable set (4
cables, no housing) totals about 75 grams vs. the Power
Cordz at 15 grams.
This
might not seem like much, but at about 2 grams per
meter, Cordz are darn impressive to hold in your hand, especially when you have the removed steel cables in the
other. If you want a featherweight road machine, every
gram counts.
A
Complete System
Power
Cordz systems come with everything needed for the
derailleurs or brakes. I purchased the correct kits to
replace my Litespeed Vortex's Dura-Ace original
equipment. Other kits are made for most road and MTB
systems. I should mention that I favor Dura-Ace cables
and housing and think they set the standard for
friction-free operation, efficiency and durability.
Each
Cordz kit includes inner cables, Teflon-lubed housing
(E-Z Bend derailleur housing sections allow smoother
routing) and aluminum ferrules. The brake kit has what
the company calls Windsor clasps (more about these in a
moment). Cordz also have bonded and anodized-aluminum
ends (the part held inside a lever), which are lighter
than the lead
ends on standard cables.
Interestingly, Power Cordz can be trimmed to length with a sharp
knife. No special cable cutter is required. And because
Cordz have a nylon casing they won't fray, so end caps
aren't needed.
Installation
To
install
Power Cordz you basically
copy your old setup, sizing the new housing to match old
sections, routing the new pieces and re-taping the
handlebar. The ferrules provided didn't fit my frame
stops as well as the ones they replaced, but they did
work.
You
probably won't need little rubber O-rings on the rear
brake cable. They're used to prevent the cable from rattling
annoyingly against the top tube. Because Cordz aren't
metal I haven't heard any of that pinging on my titanium
frame.
The
only thing I found tricky was attaching the brake Cordz
at their anchor bolts. A normal cable passes under the
bolt in a straight line. But now you need to tie a knot
around the anchor bolt. This is where the provided
Windsor clasp (shown here) comes in. It takes the place of the
stock pressure washer, being recessed on the back to
press on the knot and clamp it securely.
Now
that I've installed the brake Cordz the knots make
perfect sense. But I found the instruction
manual confusing and had to read it repeatedly to make
sure I was doing it right. The photo helps. It feels
strange tying a knot in a cable and the Cordz resist a
little. You need to pull forcefully to get it tight
before snugging the anchor bolt.
Derailleur Cordz don't require knotting, but you do need
to wrap
them around the cable anchor bolt with a 180-degree
bend. That's easy.
Fine
Tuning
Typically, after installing metal cables you stretch
them and seat the ferrules by operating the brakes and
derailleurs, then you remove the slack. Power Cordz
don't stretch, according to the
company, but you still need
to shift and brake to seat and check everything. I did
this and got some slack in the brake cables from the
ferrules seating.
Re-tensioning the brake Cordz was interesting. Because
you've tied a knot around the cable anchor bolt you
can't simply loosen it and pull on the cable end. You
need to loosen the knot, snug the cable and retie the
knot. This, plus crushing it again in the Windsor clasp,
makes it seem like you're abusing the cable. The
directions say it isn't a problem, that you can't harm
Cordz this way because of the protective nylon
casing. I didn't see any signs of damage.
Performance
I don't
have a lot of time on the Power Cordz but so far they
are working as promised -- smooth, quiet and sure. Maybe
it's a matter of getting used to them or being too used
to steel cables, but I feel that braking and shifting
are
slightly softer now than with Dura-Ace cables. It's hard
to describe. I can still stop quickly and hit all the
gears but it's a different feel that reminds me of the
first time I had power brakes in a car. It takes some
getting used to.
Although Cordz aren't supposed to
stretch, I've had to turn the barrel adjuster on my rear
derailleur to take up slack and dial-in the shifting,
just as with a steel cable.
Bottom Line
I'm
impressed with the technology behind the Power Cordz and
how the company has pushed the envelope in a new area
to find a clever way to save more grams. I'm satisfied
with how well these synthetic cables have worked so far.
I'm sure riders with superlight bicycles will love how
they eliminate even more weight.
However, the tricky setup,
negligible braking and shifting gains,
3-year lifespan of the brake
Cordz and relatively high price (Dura-Ace cable/housing sets
cost about $45 less) make me think Power Cordz are not an upgrade that
everyone will (or should) want to make.
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