As I am currently in the process of building my bike for this year and am looking for products to build it up. I keep hearing people tell me how crappy the nokon and I-links are when it comes to shifting. How much worse could it be compared to Jagwire? Are these people just hating on the stuff or not assembling it together right? Id like to hear what people have to say before I purschase on of these products?

this.

If they're set up correctly, they offer lightweight and high performing compression-less shifting and braking. I've been running the same i-links/SRAM Force setup for over a year. A couple dozen thousand miles/km's later, and they still work flawlessly. I also like that the housing has no (corrosive) metal which means no rusting, and so even riding in wet conditions they have lasted and worked as well as they do.

It depends greatly on the bike. I can attest to Nokon's cables being a nightmare to install on Trek's Speed Concept. The shifting wasn't any different from before, in fact I felt it was worse.

??? Shifting on Nokons and I-links is fine. They are a pest to set up in the first place and even more difficult to set up using Powercordz* but once you have, they are very good. For shifting, use the i-links minis (smaller gauge i-links). If going for the powercordz option (which saves the most weight by far) make sure you get the later 1.2mm version. If using Nokons, the weight saving over traditional thinner outer is not that big without the cordz. The genuine nokon cables (wire inners) are quite heavy but the I-links coated cables are nice for steel cables.
*In my opinion (but mainly having used the older thicker less well made cordz) there is loss of shifting performance at the back.....at the front I don't notice any difference.

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Used to race....got too wrinkly and old Updated: Racing again! Thought this was unlikely! Eventually, I may even have a decent race!

Thanx for the quick responses. So which do i go with the nokons or i-links? which one has less shifter problems in the rear?

go with the i links, they are the better performing and lighter version.

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Like others said, harder to setup but works great. I had some problem with the sound turning my handlebar with my mini i-links so will try Powercordz Prime instead for shifting. Using I-link for brakes.

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/jonas l
http://cerrol.wordpress.com (my cyclingblog)

It's all in the setup. My first time installing the Nokon cables I found them to not work consistently. I talked to a trusted LBS owner who gave me a few pointers. Ultimately, it really came down to making sure you get all of the free-play out of the system. You need to make sure there is no free play. Once this is accomplished they work as good if not better than the standard cable. I now use the Nokon cables exclusively without any problems.

I've never really been entirely clear how PowerCordz provide any net benefit. Their website consists of a store but no explanation, and the discussion on the internet is all over the place.

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Riding the Catskills

I like them because they seem to make short raduis curves better and I think they look great.

I was running Nokon cables for a while. They definitely are a pain to set up. I managed to get them dialled and shifting fine. No better/worse than trusty Jagwire though.

They look great, they work fine if set up properly, but I didn’t go back to them again. To me, the benefits don’t really outweigh the fiddly set up. They are pretty expensive too.

Just my 2 cents.

re advantage of cordz....about 30g-60g weight advantage and the later version have a better and smoother profile than most cables so do run pretty well. The earlier versions have some fibre overlaps which changes the diameter slightly making them inferior.
Follow the link and scroll down for a review By Adrien of Roue Artisanales....he does good reviews
http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-3447065.html
(edited...forgot the link)

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Used to race....got too wrinkly and old Updated: Racing again! Thought this was unlikely! Eventually, I may even have a decent race!

I am installing some full-length nokon with the supplied cables and there is a lot of friction. I tried lubing with triflow, but it's still quite bad. Should I give powercordz a try?

Also, is it worth buying liner made by a different manufacturer? The nokon liner doesn't seem particularly smooth.

You need to unwrap l your bars and see if it clears up. If so, your bends need a larger arc or you have a kink coming out of the shifter. Butt the rubber frame protector as close as is reasonable to the end fitting at the shifter (ignore this advice for older shimano). This will help support the transition for mini ilinks and provide cushion for your hand. They are very narrow and do not have enough support coming out of the shifter. Use the short end piece at the shifter. This will eliminate the cantilever effect that the longer piece presents.

Been running Nokons for over a year. Love the sealed system. Smooth and easy shifting as day #1 and I've taken this bike through some crappy weather through the year. Set them up correctly and you be rewarded with a quality system.

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2013 Cannondale F-Series 29'er, Carbon 3
2012 Cannondale CAAD10-1 custom build, 14.06 lbs
2011 Specialized Crux, Alloy
2009 Specialized Roubaix Pro SL SRAM Red
1980 Palo Alto custom build