Best bike brake hoses according to redditors

You are right about the knarps, they won't work with those brakes.

Just measured a bike and the brake posts are 3 1/4" apart. So yeah those are pretty close.

I did a little searching and the 220mm double ended cables do seem hard to find, but 300mm+ seems pretty easy to find. Now that probably wouldn't work on the back brakes but it's fine for the front ones.

http://www.amazon.com/BRAKE-STRADDLE-CABLE-ACTION-330MM/dp/B0047MH6AY/ref=pd_sbs_sg_15?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z3CXZPD8W9E71VTKRBC

http://www.amazon.com/Jagwire-Double-Ended-Straddle-1-8mm-380mm/dp/B001GSSKWU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1M3JA5N2M11BZG0VBHHB

And here is a link to the barrel shaped knarps, again you are probably right about these not working but they are much smaller than the standard knarp and I found some evidence these are made to fit in that small recess that takes the cable end.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/brake-straddle-cable-end-clamp-vintage-Avid-Grafton-Dia-Compe-mixte-mafac-bmx-ok-/251853665007?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa3a5f2ef

Edit: Found an auction for 250mm double ended cables: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weinmann-or-Dia-Compe-Center-Pull-Brake-Double-End-Straddle-Cable-250-mm-Mixte-/301202610973?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4621131b1d

Nevermind, seems I was mistaken. $28USD for a mechanical brake and shifter cable set on Amazon. It'd be about $45 retail for a hydraulic brake hose and a shift cable set.

Since a bike shop buys this stuff wholesale they can easily afford to charge exactly retail or under for a service like this and still make a fair profit, so OP is either being upcharged in parts too if it's a mechanical brakeset, or were charged a reasonable price for hydraulic.