What is it? A pencil condom? Well, glad you asked. ;-) Here's a PHOTO.

These are bicycle cable boots or sleeves, that you typically see used for brake cables. In my far flung long term quest for the "ultimate" pencil tip protector, I'd just about given up and figured it would just be the lucky happenstance of finding a cheap ballpoint cap that happens to fit a specific pencil. Some BiC pen caps are ideal for some pencils, but don't fit on a great many others.

This set of brake cable boots was really cheap, just about $1 for a pack of 10, shipped from China. I do not recommend buying the cheapest ones. After the 2nd day, they still stink badly. But for $1, this was worth it to experiment with what appears to be a standard sized brake cable boot/cover.

I cut up a few to fit different sized pencil tip diameters. In some cases I use the small tapered end, and in other cases it works just fine using a lower segment. But really the best thing about these is that the pliable rubber provides ample leeway to fit a vast variety of writing instruments. As for a tip that's more vulnerable like a rOtring 600 (because of the heavy metal body), I would still recommend using a stiff plastic BiC cap!

Amazon has some higher quality ones for a bit more (under $3 for a pack of 10, LINK, just over $6 for a higher quality product by Jagwire [LINK]).

EDIT: Just to add, I posted this to share exploring ideas about innovative ways to protect pencil tips. This was an experiment that I think proved successful. I wouldn't recommend buying the cheapest ones available, if anything just to avoid dealing with that artificial smell up front that might take days to dissipate, if ever. The second one I linked on Amazon appear to be much better quality and I compared with photos from other item listings (where some were charging a whopping $7 for just one!). So that seems to be the better way to go.

The set-up:
Front brake, lever, + cable.

Is this your first bike?

You should really check out the beginner advice thread and the $200-600 thread in addition to this one. There's a lot of helpful advice in there including SIZING. KNOWING YOUR SIZE IS SUPER IMPORTANT SO KNOW THAT FIRST.

Also, if you're in this price bracket and you don't already have the essential bike accessories:

• A Front Brake and Lever and Cable if you're not sure what sizes you need make a post in the weekly questions thread. Some of the bikes I suggest have one already, but if they don't GET ONE.
  
  
• A Floor Pump
  
  
• A Metric Hex Set
  
  
• A 15mm wrench if your wheels require it (most do)
  
  
• A Lockring Tool 100% essential if you plan to ride fixed
  
  
• Some Grease
  
  
• Good pedals! Clips and straps, bmx straps, or clipless can all benefit greatly from a little extra cash.
  
  
• A helmet
  
  Note there are other options for all of these that could allow you to save money/space/whatever, but you won't go wrong with what I linked. I'd really suggest having these even if it means you go down a price bracket on the actual bike, they'll all come in handy.
  
  

  New Bikes
  

  
  

• An Upgraded Dolan Precursa at £Whateveryouwanttospend is just so customizable and awesome and the pricing is great and really everyone should get this if they can. I'd highly suggest opting for the front brake, miche pistard clincher wheelset (tubular if you're riding track ONLY), and sugino75 crankset options. You can even get direct drives for only £109 extra ( a $500 crankset whaaaat) so that's cool. If you really want to dive headfirst you can get clipless pedals too, but if you don't know what those are definitely make a post in the weekly questions thread.
  
  
• The Specialized Langster at $650 retail is a super solid street and track bike. They go on sale sometimes for less and for $600 or less it's really a no brainer.
  
  
• The Wabi Classic at $750 has been my go to recommendation for a long time. It's made of super high quality steel has excellent customization options, and is all around awesome. The biggest downside is the super relaxed geo. If you want something that rides more like an average road bike check out the Special or Lightning
  
  
• The PoloandBike Williamsburg at £760 is a great option for European riders. The name brand finishing kit and artchetype rims give it that custom bike feel for a good value complete bike. If you swap out the front tire and maybe upgrade the crank this bike can be truly superb.
  
  
• The All-City Big Block at $950 is easily the best looking bike on this list imo, but that aside it's a super ultra double awesome track bike. Really well rounded and could easily be the last fixed gear you buy. One thing to watch out for is the long top tubes that all city loves so much so take a close look at that geo chart.
  
  

  Used Bikes
  

  
  Another great thing about this price bracket is the used market. I daresay it is easy to find outstanding value bikes used in this price range if you know what you're doing. I helped a friend source this for $1100 and we were being choosey! Again, if you need help post in the questions thread or just PM me because I like helping people with this stuff.
  
  
  
  
  
  

The big thing about converting to drops is that they can add a lot of reach to your riding position. The second part of this guide can give you a good rough idea of whether you might need significantly more or less reach than you currently have, which you can adjust a little bit with different stems.

http://www.wikihow.com/Size-a-Road-Bike

Ultimately it's generally a lot of trial and error though. And it seems your bars are already 31.8mm so you might actually be able to use the same stem. At least for now.

I have absolutely no idea how much those origin8 parts would cost you. But you can probably get the bars themselves for less than $40, eg:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1033658_-1_400213__400213

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1184245_-1_400213__400213

The main thing is the width, which largely depends on what sort of bike sizing you have and how big you yourself are, but since you're coming from super wide flats you could probably stick to 44cm regardless. The other difference is shape, which is largely personal preference. Doesn't help you much, but depending on what you want to use the bike for a shorter drop might be more comfortable. And at some point you just have to make the call on what looks most comfortable to you.

Your disc brakes are linear pull, which means it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use normal road levers with them. Tektro do a set of linear pull road levers which would probably be the simplest solution:

http://www.tektro.com/_english/01_products/01_prodetail.php?pid=10&sortname=Lever&sort=1&fid=3

Pretty cheap too. Shifting is a little more awkward, as your thumb shifter will probably have a diameter of 22.2mm and modern road bars are generally 23.8mm. But that shifting position itself is generally pretty awkward, yes. Your hand has to move quite the distance from the hoods or the drops to get there, around the bars themselves and often requiring you to change position. Short of using a road lever with a cable pull adjuster or something, which can get quite complicated and isn't generally the best, the best option is probably a bar end shifter. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/SUNRACE-SHIFTER-HB-BAREND-SLR96/dp/B00JVK5ZLY/

So all in all that'd be around $40 bars, $25 for the levers, $35 for the shifter, $10-15 for some bar tape and maybe $15 for a new set of cables;

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Brake-Cable-Housing-Universal/dp/B0050LUBZ8/

Basically something like that plus a new bit of gear cable outer, to cover the distance from the shifter to the first boss on the frame. Probably cheapest and simplest just to get something like that from an LBS. But all in all that'd be around $125-130, if you're lucky and it's comfortable as is. If you need a stem with a different length or angle, probably closer to $150. If you do the work yourself. But for that you could end up with quite a nice gravel/adventure type bike which could turn its hand to endurance road riding, cross riding or touring/commuting quite nicely.

Alternatively you could just get some bar ends, which can help even if your arms are quite spread out. But if you want to get into longer distance riding, you might feel the need to upgrade again before long. Bullhorns can be nice, but often have a lot of the same problems with different diameters, and you still can't brake from that position unless you had TT style levers which I don't think you can get in linear pull. And they'd still need bar tape and such. You can do the research yourself, I just think it'd be a large portion of the investment in an attempt to mimic the riding position of a road bike anyway.

I've had the bike for a few weeks now and use it almost entirely for commuting. Here's what I've added since I got the bike:

• GoPro Hero3 Black
  
  
• NiteRider Lumina Micro 350 front and rear
  
  
• Nite Ize HandleBand
  
  
• Tektro CR720 Canti Brakes
  
  
• Ibera PakRak Bicycle Touring Carrier Plus+
  
  
• Avenir Excursion Rack-Top Bag
  
  
• SKS P45 Black Chromoplastic Longboard
  
  
• SRAM Supercork Bicycle Bar Tape (Black)
  
  
• Shimano Brake Cable and Housing Set
  
  
• Shimano Road Shift Cable and Housing Set
  
  The stock brakes weren't doing enough to stop me so I swapped them out for some Tektro CR720s. I dropped the yoke as far as I could to give myself as much leverage as possible. Braking is much better now and more reliable than the original set ever was.
  
  I added a rack and trunk bag that's big enough to hold my food and clothes for the day. The only modification I had to make here was filing away some metal from rack mounting leg. It was colliding with frame near the dropout and not allowing the leg to sit close enough to the braze on.
  
  Some of the original cable housings that came with the bike had some gouges in them so Nashbar sent me a new replacement cable set. I swapped out all the brake/shift cables and replaced the bar tape with some SRAM cork tape. The original cables from Nashbar were also a bit too long and were causing excessive friction.
  
  I added some SKS fenders per the recommendations of users on this sub. They were a little finicky to install but I got them on in the end. This particular frame doesn't have bolt holes in either of the two rear bridges so I had to resort to the classic zip tie approach.
  
  As far as the bike goes, it's been performing flawlessly so far. It weighs close to 30 lbs now so it's not the lightest thing in the world. However, the steel frame and the large tires really help smooth out the road quite a bit. The saddle is still the most uncomfortable part of the bike, but I'm hoping to swap it out sometime in the near future. Shifting is still very smooth and the 4 trim positions on the 105 front derailleur is a great feature.
  
  If you're considering getting a bike from Nashbar, I'd definitely recommend them. Their customer service was fantastic and everything they shipped usually got to me door in 2-3 days (even the bike!).

This (brakes) plus this (shifts) comes out under $20.

I find it hard to imagine them any cheaper. A complete set of the black-coated inners costs pretty close to that at most LBSs.

Buy tools as needed, no need to stock up with everything right away. Most park tools I buy on Amazon and get them within two days. Tools I would get right away though would be

• 1" Crescent Wrench
  
• Park Tool Cassette Remover
  
• Chain Whip, for removal of a cassette
  
• Park Tool 3-Way (in 4, 5 & 6mm)
  
• A chain tool of some sorts
  
  As for cabling
  
  Universal Brake Cables on Amazon, just make sure you cut of the correct end.
  
  Here is a shift cable set.
  
  As for cutting the cables and housing, do NOT use standard wire cutters. You need a parrot style nosed set of cutters, like this Pedros set. I bought a cheap set of cutters on eBay that work great. When I cut housing I use a little sand paper to flush up the ends.
  
  The 4th hand is not really needed, I get by fine without it.

Shipping isn't free. I was referring to in person in a shop, if you require shipping there are certainly better value items than that one you linked though: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKW9CKF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PxcZDbJHYDYS6

As well as cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076M6WPWW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_szcZDbQSZZV59

Good job.

Now get some brakes!

https://www.amazon.com/Tektro-857AL-Linear-Pull-Brake/dp/B0196UXWYU/

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Compound-Mountain-Linear-Threaded/dp/B001CLSWKQ/

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Universal-Standard-Brake-Cable/dp/B0050LUBZ8/

Cheap!

(for cutting brake cable.. dremel cut off wheel in a ventalated area and a nail or something like that for clearing out the hole. for cutting the actual wire wrap a bit of electrical tape around the end and it'll prevent fraying.)

:D

edit:

Once you get some miles on it let us know what sort of range and performance you are getting. Looks like a fun ride.

Yes, missing ferrule. It's gonna look something like these https://www.amazon.com/YESON-Housing-Ferrules-Aluminum-Derailleur/dp/B07R3W4QP3

I used a stem adapter to use a threadless stem for my Rockhopper. I have vbrakes on it now too. I decided just to run full cable housing to the rear brakes and have just taped my housing to the frame to secure it (yes this bike is my backup winter bike/beater summer bike so looks don't matter to me)

​

If you want to run Canti's still, you can get one of these for the front fork center mount to add a cable stop.

https://www.amazon.com/Origin8-Brake-Mount-Cable-Hanger/dp/B00SYZS2IA

​

You could fine a more elegant solution to secure the housing to the frame, zip ties, colour matching electrical tape etc. You could check your local co-op for some of those plastic cable securing rings to go around your top tube holding the housing.

These work great on my Astro branded one, 2 of them for $12.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050LUBZ8/

https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Protection-Protector-Shifter-Colors%EF%BC%8C/dp/B078WWWSJW

like these?

​

If you google "cable frame protector", a lot of different ones come up. I don't know the actual name, or if these are what you are referring to.

If the bike you have fits you and hasn't been terribly abused it might be worth just keeping it. 550 is going to buy another entry level-ish bike. $200 in tools and parts can fix most issues, and you can keep up on your own maintenance from then on.

A 9 speed chain and chain tool. 30 bucks

[Brake and Shifter Cables and housing ]
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXV23A7/) and cable cutter $50

9 speed cassette HG400 and Lockring tool $35

Cone Wrenches 13/14 13/15 15/16 17/18 $20 for repacking hub grease $11

allen wrenches $11

None of this is very difficult to do if you watch a youtube or 2. The hardest part is getting the derailleurs working again, and that isn't really that bad.

Best way? 50' HDMI and USB cables. :)

Annnnnd now I'm figuring out how to use a spare motorcycle clutch lever to run a cable to press a power button. Because that would be awesome. Hmmmm

Alright! I can work with that. There are plastic ferrule caps that will work okay. These metal ones though will be perfect. The cable goes in just like a normal ferrule end, but the tail should fit into the frame part. Go to a bike shop and see if they will give/sell you one, as buying a bottle is insane for one person. The metal makes a huge difference.

> Also has anyone got any suggestions for an alternatives to cable ties for fixing the brake cable to the top tube?

You can get some steel brake cable housing clips like here. You could also try hydraulic cable clamps. You can also try drilling holes in the frame and doing internal cable routing but do your research first. It could weaken your frame (greatly, depending on the material) and it's somewhat difficult to run the cable through sometimes.

LHT Frame - $520 after tax

Chukker Wheels - $85 x 2

Tires Schwalbe Marathon Plus RLX 700 x 45 C Bicycle Tire - $54 x 2

Alloy Headset Spacers - $7.89 x 2

Shift Levers - $60

Chain - $10

Brake Cables - $10

Brakes - $15 x 2

Extra Long Shift Cables - $6

Derailleur - $24

Cassette - $17

Crankset - $40

Spindle - $24

Headset - $45

Seatpost - $20

Brooks Saddle - $145

Rack - $35

Brooks Panniers - $150 x 2

Brooks Bar Tape - $65

Tools

Saw Guide - $41.36

Starnut Setter - $22

I am not quite sure. I found this on Amazon and should be what you are looking for!

Just a replacement cable kit. It will come with the metal nipples for the ends and even some cable housings but most likely you can just re use your current cable housings.

Just as an example. https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Universal-Standard-Brake-Cable/dp/B0050LUBZ8/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=mtb+brake+cable&qid=1567710446&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Really, the only tough part about replacing a cable is cutting the steel cable and housing. You can judge the housing length using your old housing.

You can order a new cable and housing as a package online for pretty cheap, but you'd have to install it yourself :)

There are also these.

Thinking about it... Might be a good way to get into maintaining it myself. Is this bracket right for me?

http://www.amazon.com/SRAM-Bottom-Bracket-Team-English/dp/B003L9EIZK/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1342199131&sr=1-1&keywords=truvativ+road+gxp+bottom+bracket

I'm having a hard time parsing the description... "It's compatible with all SRAM road and Truvativ mountain cranksets." I have a Truvativ road crankset, is it still compatible? Based on some comments, it looks like i should ignore manufacturers instructions and not use any spacers. Also, it looks like I'll need a tool to tighten the bracket from the outside. I've seen a few youtube videos that use torque wrenches to tighten from the inside, what kind of torque wrench would I need for the outside tightening tool. Thanks, and sorry if the questions don't make sense, I'm not sure what to call some of the stuff.

i know you said you were going to take it to the shop. if you do, buy the SRAM Team GXP BB.

this job requires only 1 specialized tool however, and if you have any inclination to do it yourself it's one of the simpler things you can do at home.

ingredients:

1. buy this $30 sram gxp bb
   
   
2. find/borrow/buy one of these, make sure it's shimano/sram compatible. just a thought: you might be able to use a jar opener--the ratching strap kind, not the plastic OXO kind--but i wouldn't count on it.
   
   
3. grease. i like park's poly lube, but others swear by park's anti-seize compound for bb threads
   
   
4. 8mm hex wrench with at least 6" length for leverage, the more the better
   
   
5. rags
   
   
6. rubbing alcohol
   
   directions:
   
   
7. for greatest convenience, maybe remove the chain or tape/ziptie it up on the seat tube where it's out of the way of the crank.
   
   
8. remove the rival crank from the non-drive side with 8mm wrench. lefty-loosey. it might be tight. don't overdo it though, loosen in a controlled fashion so you don't overcompensate then swing your knuckles into the chainring teeth. i've done that, it hurts and leaves scars.
   
   
9. sometimes it's hard to get a purchase on the crank arm and generate the leverage to loosen the bolt. i like to insert the hex wrench so its in the 4 o'clock position relative to the crank arm, which is in the 6 o'clock. then i grab the crank arm with my left hand, for leverage to loosen the bolt with my right hand. conversely, you can flip the clock positions, grip the crank arm and the hex wrench with one hand, and tighten your grip to loosen the bolt. if you do it that way, watch your fingertips so they don't get squashed between the hex wrench and the crank arm.
   
   
10. it's a self-extracting bolt, so as you loosen, the crank arm will separate from the crank spindle. once the NDS arm is off, pull the spindle out by the drive-side. clean and set aside.
    
    
11. remove the old bb bearing cups with the bb wrench. note that on the drive side, it's righty-loosey. non-drive side is normal. clean the threads in the BB with rubbing alcohol and rag. you want to get any grit out of the threads to installing the new cups goes smoothly and you can get a proper fit.
    
    
12. coat the threads of the new bb bearing cups with grease and/or anti-seize compound. you should also apply some grease to the threads in the bb itself. install the cups with the plastic dust shield, noting to install the correct cup on the correct side, and being sure to thread them in properly.
    
    
13. remember, drive side is reverse-threaded. lefty-tighty. screw them in by hand, then tighten with the bb wrench. firm pressure, but not brute forcing it.
    
    
14. clean and grease the crank spindle along the polished bands that interface with the interior races of the new bb bearings. insert the crank through drive side. on GXP BBs, the spindle on the drive side is fatter than the spindle on the non drive side, so even if you're slow, you'll figure it out. slide it in, give it a few whacks with your palm to make sure it's seated all the way in. you may want to clean and re-grease the splines on the non-drive side end of the crank spindle.
    
    
15. line up the NDS crank arm along the splines, tighten the 8mm bolt. tighten until the bolt pulls the crankarm flush with the bearing cup, then a wee bit more. you may have to put a little elbow grease into it, but not enough to hurt yourself, no bulging vein on your forehead. you can use the 6 oclock 4 oclock trick again to tighten it properly. tight enough is leaving a firm imprint of the hex wrench in your palm, maybe a little bit red.
    
    
16. re-install chain, get on your bike and ride.
    
    

hey i'm buying these for my single speed bike


now i was wonder would these cables work with them?

https://www.amazon.com/JooFn-Bicycle-Protection-Protector-Shifter/dp/B07CYN4VCJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?keywords=bike+frame+protector&qid=1559259189&s=gateway&sprefix=bike+frame+protector&sr=8-8

Bafang Install tool

https://lunacycle.com/parts/bafang-parts/bbshd-parts/copy-of-luna-wrench-bbshd-and-bbs02-mid-drive-installation-tool/

Hydrolic brake sensors

https://www.amazon.com/BAFANG-Compatible-Hydraulic-Mechanical-Accessary/dp/B07B8KNTYN/ref=sr_1_2?crid=24Z6NTOQNGDKU&keywords=bafang+hydraulic+brake+sensor&qid=1562934553&s=gateway&sprefix=bafang+hydrolic+brake%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-2

I have not used the sensors my self, but seen them when looking into a hydraulic brake swap out. Good luck and I hope this helps!

Walmart sells a bulk cable kit. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Sports-Pit-Crew-600-Bicycle-Shifter-Cable-Set-Black/49706850

You will need a cable cutter to customize it. You can probably buy one at menards https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0793Q7HS7

Jagwire “shop” kits on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3SG1ZM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Disappointing about the brakes. It’s really annoying that they didn’t put the disc brake on the opposite side of the motor cable... I think it would have been a pretty easy mod if it weren’t for unsoldering the motor cable etc. One potentially very easy change would be replacing the brake cables with compressionless housing. I did this on my Zero 9 and it made a HUGE difference, about 30min mod Jagwire Pro Brake Cable Kit Mountain SRAM/Shimano Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0WYVCU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lVy4Cb2GNRT7N

Hey. So I got the 8 inch wheel size here. US $50.34 | 8inch wheel+tubeless solid tyre 45mm opening or 65mm fork open inflatable tyre with inner tube for electric scooter bicycle part
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cdqUJi0o

For the brake line, I used a regular bicycle brake line. The one I had on hand was Jagwire Pro Brake Cable Kit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU6R499?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The handle is a again a generic bike brake lever.

Let me know of you want more info. I could provide you with some pictures and instructions.

So you think I shouldn't buy something like this, and instead poney up an extra 15 bucks on a name brand cable like this

Okay, so with $200, assuming I was doing the work:

Wrap handlebars - $11.53 (sweet dark red, cause the red on there looks awesome already)
Cheap 700c wheels from co-op - $20? (Talk with them about the gearing to see if the range is the same, or if you want tighter range or whatever, they probably have a few sets there with somewhat different gear ranges on the rear)
Saddle from co-op - $5-10
Tubes/tires - $45 (tires, tubes)
Derailleur cables - $7 (Shimano, here)
Brake cables - $10.39 (Shimano, here)
Brake levers - $22.53 (Tektro RL340)
Brakes - $62 - (Tektro 539 rear, front)
5-speed chain - 7.98 (here)

Then I'd try to get pedals and a cheap but aluminum quill stem, handlebars, and seatpost from the co-op. Depending on where you are, you may be able to get all for $20 or less. Functional new parts suggestions: (not guaranteed to fit. These have all sorts of different diameters over the years/models, so you need to know what you have/need. Handlebars, Seatpost, stem.)

You will need new shifters and I would guess the brakes are missing too. So you may need new brake levers. New cable housing to route the cables. Adjusting everything. Links to some options are below

https://www.amazon.com/Paraout-Shimano-SL-M310-Shifter-Trigger/dp/B07W4HK3QP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bike+trigger+shifter+3x8&qid=1573758587&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/BicycleStore%C2%AE-Universal-Aluminum-Bicycle-Mountain/dp/B013QLONKM/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_pm?ac_md=1-0-VW5kZXIgJDEw-ac_d_pm&keywords=brake+lever&pd_rd_i=B013QLONKM&pd_rd_r=b88b7687-7250-4233-87eb-35bb520fc968&pd_rd_w=lALuB&pd_rd_wg=vs2TF&pf_rd_p=24d053a8-30a1-4822-a2ff-4d1ab2b984fc&pf_rd_r=0QYX1S131NSC5930Z3QS&psc=1&qid=1573758728

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Universal-Standard-Brake-Cable/dp/B0050LUBZ8/ref=sr_1_6?crid=M0H4P9EMDCUC&dchild=1&keywords=replacement+brake+cable+for+bicycle&qid=1573758757&sprefix=replacement+brake%2Csporting%2C194&sr=8-6

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Standard-Zinc-coated-Derailleur-1-2x2100-mm/dp/B00KXMEXOY/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=shift+cable+bike&qid=1573758787&sr=8-4

Nevermind, seems I was mistaken. $28USD for a mechanical brake and shifter cable set on Amazon. It'd be about $45 retail for a hydraulic brake hose and a shift cable set.

Since a bike shop buys this stuff wholesale they can easily afford to charge exactly retail or under for a service like this and still make a fair profit, so OP is either being upcharged in parts too if it's a mechanical brakeset, or were charged a reasonable price for hydraulic.

There are also different tiers of cable sets. A Dura Ace cable set is around $35 each for brakes and shifters ($70 for both).

[Shimano Polymer Coated Brake Cable Set - Heather Gray] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C45JG0Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rvbYDb5J3DP12)

http://www.amazon.com/Tektro-Stainless-Bicycle-Brake-Housing/dp/B0064HLZMA

Like most places in NYC, they are not 'cheap,' but they are not really 'expensive.'

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Brake-Cable-Housing-Universal/dp/B0050LUBZ8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501542680&sr=8-2&keywords=brake+cables

You were charged about twice the value of the cables.