Better Shifting Through Stainless Steel?
A first look at the new SimWorks Crisper cables. With a stainless steel coil and 3-meter length, they might be the perfect durable, DIY upgrade.
I'm always chasing that perfect, "click-and-it's-there" shift, but I'm also a practical, set-it-and-forget-it kind of mechanic. That’s why the new SimWorks Crisper cables, made in collaboration with Nissen, immediately caught my eye. The main selling point isn't just the promise of "crisper" shifting and braking modulation, but how they achieve it: a stainless steel outer coil instead of the standard (and rust-prone) steel. For anyone who's ever pulled a gritty, binding cable out of a housing after a long, wet winter, that stainless spec alone is compelling. It promises better longevity and a more consistent, smooth feel over time.
What really sealed my interest, though, are the practical, "mechanic-first" details. They're shipping these in a 3-meter length. This is a huge, common-sense win for anyone who's ever fought with the complex internal routing of a modern gravel bike or tried to navigate cables around a full set of bikepacking bags and racks. It’s a simple decision that shows they're paying attention to how we’re actually building and riding bikes today.
The Specs That Matter to Me
- Coil Material: Stainless Steel (The key feature: high rust resistance for all-weather durability).
- Length: 3 meters (The practical win: finally long enough for modern internal routing and bikes loaded with bags).
- Liner: Polyethylene (The "how" for that light-pull, "crisp" feeling).
My Initial Take
This feels like a proper "buy it for life" (or at least, for the life of the build) upgrade. It's for the rider who does their own wrenching and is willing to invest a bit more upfront for less maintenance and better performance down the road. I'm very curious to see if that stainless coil and slick liner combo lives up to the "crisper" name after a few hundred miles of gravel dust and rain.
SIMWORKS BY NISSEN
