Protecting Flexible Brake Lines

[richard.arnold@juno.com (Richard D. Arnold)]

All:

I'll be installing new flexible brake lines on Miss Molly this weekend. 
The outside coverings of the old ones are in horrible shape:  cracked,
weather checked, dinged up from road debris, etc.  I have thought about
wiping the hoses down with a rubber protectant then sliding a length of
heat shrink tubing over them to provide a measure of protection.

Will this cause more problems than it prevents, or should I just keep the
hoses clean and wiped them occasionally with a protectant?

Rich