Stop Bashing Full Internally Routed Bikes, Start Using Zeno Q-Connectors

I have a new project bike I’ll be building this winter to use for road product reviews and my own personal riding, a Van Dessel Arch 65. As the successor to my trusty Motivus Maximus LTD, it’s a little more aero, a little lighter, and when paired with the integrated bar/stem I’ll be using, it hides all of the cables. Now, internally routed bikes have been getting a bad rap lately, but Taiwan based Zeno is poised to be my secret weapon for the build.

Many publications have been writing about how much of a pain it is to work on bikes with internally routed cables going through the bars and stem, and into the frame through the headset, and for good reason. Until rather recently, the headset spacers used were one piece, so if you wanted to make adjustments to your position or needed to do maintenance on your headset or fork, you had to pull brake lines, do the work, and then rerun the lines and bleed the brakes. All of this is because of the 1.5″ upper bearing that everything gets fed through. It can be the same challenge with shift cables if you are running mechanical, or do not have a splitter near the headset for Di2 or EPS. Most brands now offer spacers that offer a clean look and split apart to make inserting or removing a piece of cake. Unfortunately though, that doesn’t help with servicing the headset or pulling the fork.

With the Motivus running the original SRAM Red eTap, I only had the two hydraulic brake lines running from openings in the bars to the frame and fork, so it wasn’t too bad. Shimano Di2 would only add a small wire that I could bundle with the brake cables like I do on my Bianchi Sempre Pro rim brake bike, but mechanical shifting would leave you with a mess of housings out front. Not only does it look cleaner going fuller internal, but it also is more aerodynamic.

For the Arch 65, I’ll be building it up with Shimano Ultegra 8070 Di2 for everything, except the GRX shift levers and brakes. I’ll be using the bar end junction box, with the Bluetooth module as a splitter as close to the headset as I can get it. Additionally, it is getting a Stages dual sided power meter installed onto an Ultegra 8000 crank, absoluteBlack chainrings, HOLLOWcage pulley system, and graphene brake pads, Velo Angel TT saddle and bar tape, Hunt 60 Limitless wheelset, Wahoo Speedplay Zero pedals, YBN SLA110 chain with Molten Speed Wax, and Elite Cannibal XC cages.

I don’t anticipate having to work on the headset or remove the fork often, but someday I will need to. Even though the geometry is pretty similar between the Movtivus Maximus in a 55cm and the Arch 65 in a 56cm, I’d still like the ability to try some different positions before I make the final cut to the steerer tube. And this is where Zeno comes in.

Zeno has a bunch of options for their Q-Connectors, but for this build, I was looking for the slimmest to hide it in the headtube/spacer area. The SLQ-6-1 and SLQ-3-2 seem to fit the bill. At 32.4mm long and 8.5mm wide, the SLQ-6-1 isn’t that much bigger than the hose itself, which should lend itself to fitting through the openings and possibly the spacers. The SLQ-3-2 is even smaller, not really any wider than the hose. All you do is insert the SLQ-3-2 into the SLQ-6-1, attach the leashed clip, and you are set. Each fitting comes with 3 meters of hose, allowing you to find just the right spot for the connectors to be. All you have to do is order the right option for mineral oil (Shimano) or DOT (SRAM) and once cut to length, attach the appropriate fittings on the ends for your levers and calipers. Professional installation is recommended, as most brands recommend for anything brake related, but as long as they are properly installed, Zeno claims they will hold up to 4500psi pressure, plenty for cycling applications.

The beauty of the connectors are that they will not leak fluid or allow air in. So for anyone traveling, you don’t have to worry about finding a shop to bleed your brakes when you get to your destination and reassemble your bike.

The technology isn’t entirely new though. The automotive industry has used similar fittings with brake lines, along with quick connecting hydraulic and air lines for machinery. For cycling, Zeno is one of only two companies that I know of that make these fittings, and with the SLQ-6-1 and SLQ-3-2, they are by far the slimmest option I’ve found. Yes, SRAM at one point did have inline Connectamajigs back in the mid-2010’s, but I’m not sure if they were ever really available to the public, and certainly are not now.

Zeno will be getting a set out to us soon for the Arch 65 build. We’ll provide an update with pictures showing the final product as part of the build article. If you are looking for a solution, whether it is internally or externally routed, check out Zeno’s offerings.

www.zenocycleparts.com