External brake cables, under or over bars?

[daysnways]

I've recently got a bike up and running which came with the cables going over the top of the bars.

I've been made aware that they can go behind or under.

I have a bike that will have external cables to cable up and was wondering is there a prefered method? What are the pros and cons? Does stem length play a part?

I'm fairly happy with the over the bars look.

tah

Keith

 

[Old Ned]

Unless your stem is very short then over the bars is much more preferable from an aesthetic point of view. However, saying that, in the 70's and 80's before concealed cables came in, it was not unusual to see Time Trial bikes with under bar routing. Saving weight with the shortest cable length was probably the excuse - sorry 'reason' - for this.

Guilty as charged , m'lud.

 

[Jonny69]

I always put them under. I think it looks neater.

And it's faster, if what Old Ned says is true