Bowden cable

Bowden Cable:
The Bowden cable was invented around 1880 by the Englishman Frank Bowden. He sought a solution to the problem that a single steel cable over pulleys did not last long and was vulnerable. That is why he invented the cable to apply it to the bicycles and motorcycles he manufactured.

A Bowden cable is a flexible cable with an outer sheath through which an inner cable runs. Because the outer cable is attached to something, the inner cable can exert a tensile force (and a minimum pressure force). The cable can often be adjusted with an adjusting device, so that it can be mounted free of play and neutral.

Some applications for which a Bowden cable is used:

• Throttle cable from accelerator pedal to throttle body
• Handbrake cable
• Clutch cable
• Mechanical seat adjustment release cable

Often the cable is pulled on one side (e.g. by operating the parking brake) and pulled back on the other side by a spring, which returns the control lever to the neutral position (e.g. at the brake caliper or brake shoes).