Rohloff shifter and brake noodles

[yoav]

I wonder whether it might be a good idea to use a couple of v brake noodles at the exit of the cables from the shifter to direct the cables? Has anyone done this and does it work?

[Kim]

Sounds like the sort of thing AZUB would do...  *googles*  Apparently not, they go for the dog's breakfast of cable outer looping up from the handlebars approach.

Still, it's certainly a bodge for cable routing on under-seat steering handlebars that I've seen before.  With a trigger shifter, I think, not a Rohloff.  Alfine 11 maybe?  It's certainly doable, and I'd think the Roholoff would be more tolerant of this sort of cable shenanigans than most.

[yoav]

Thanks. Yes, I am trying to avoid the forward looping of the cables.

[Paul H]

Thanks. Yes, I am trying to avoid the forward looping of the cables.

How far forward?  I know some bikes come supplied with huge forward loops, I've never found it necessary. On mine (Straight bar to downtube with a long headtube) they don't extend beyond the fork mounted light and I can easily use a bar bag with them tucked behind. 
I've seen noodles used in this scenario, also those beaded Nokon cables, it's usually been where the bar and/or bike makes the bend impractical without.  There's no doubt it works, but there's also no way it can't introduce additional friction, I don't know how bad that is, it can't be good.  Whenever I've seen it on flat bars, it's made the cable run an S, similar to what's unavoidable on my folder and that makes gear changes noticeably stiffer.
It isn't an expensive experiment, give it a go if you think it solves an issue, though I can't see any benefit in doing so unless it's required. And if the choices are an acute bend in a noodle or sweeping curve in an outer, there's probably a middle way.

[PhilO]

I've done exactly this. Will try to get photos for you later.

Added friction hasn't been a problem. I haven't detected any difference subjectively, and if there is any increase at all then the fact that it's a double pull cable (ie you aren't reliant on a return spring) makes it a non-issue.

ETA: Photo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iZxOUS8dg4yH_LyhW3tnHy9LzfvNdsbZ/view?usp=sharing

This is on my recumbent, but is a straight swap from when I had this hub fitted to my MTB.

[BFC]

You may want to look at the flexible noodles that come as a part of TRP compressionless cable set (road). I have used these and standard v brake noodles with cross top brake levers, including single braked fixed setups.

[yoav]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The Rohloff is on a drop bar bike and I use the Co-Motion shifter where the cables exit forward. The bike came with cables that looped about 8 inches forward. I use a bar bag which pushed the cables downward, a bit. It worked ok but I never really liked it like that. I’m replacing the cables and thought that noodles would help divert the cables away from the bag. As you say, it’s a cheap solution and if it doesn’t work then it’s no biggie. Flexible noodles seem like a good idea.