How to make your Alivio transmission work really well. No matter how low the level of your transmission parts the wires and the wire housings should be the highest. And if we go from another side - no matter how high level of your transmission parts they won't work good without good wire and good wires housings. So yes I have got cheap alivio but I also have got Jungwire "Reinforced with Kevlar (TM)" (http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/13948469/) wire housing and shimano's stainless steel covered with PTFE wire. With this wire you don't need to use any grease at all -> means to maintaining in the future, no fear of getting it to the water. But that is not all... Also you need to cut wire housings with a special tool or if you haven't got one (as I haven't) then you need to work up the ending in such a way that all the little wires inside the "corset" of wire housing will be the same length like this: http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/13948470/ Sorry but that is not all againSmile Dead Horse The last but not the least is cup ending on the wire housings. They also should be the best : http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/13948468/ There are some frames in which wire goes without wire housing placed on special mountings, I don't have a one. So all my wire housing is of one piece. Don't know if it is important... And now a little bonusWink The wire housing showed previously is intended for transmission and brakes both. When I installed it on my AVIB BB7 they started to work so good like "they were electric". And the ending cup showed previously reduces the thickness of housing for brakes to transmission level... So the only thing you need to do is to buy housing and some amount of different cups and your alivio transmission will work perfect.