Tefon-covered cables were installed for all brake and shifting cables on our New World Tourists, which we got three years ago. This past week my front brake started misbehaving – continuing to grip my rim for the first second or two, then releasing. I brought it in to a bike shop and they diagnosed it as a problem with the teflon-coated cables.
We have found that Teflon-coated cables are great for a little while, but the Teflon can fray and cause more problems than it solves. We have found simalar problems with Gore-Tex cables.
We prefer and use (at present) die-drawn stainless steel cables. For brakes it is important that the cables not be braided as these cause a bit of drag. Any local shop can provide these cables. If you have difficulty finding them, you can order them from us (see order form below).