Road Cycling - What is this????

I'm confused on a part I see that is attached to the frame of this bike. On the Bianchi website it shows that the derailleur cables are running through it. Yet I have heard that they are downtube shifter bosses. What are they, maybe it's used for both reasons:confused:

zman92atl, I think you are right. That part is related to shifting. On that section of the down tube, you can probably install a boss/guide for the derailler cable.

BTW Nice welds on that Bianchi. :confused:

Bikes that have downtube shifters will have them mounted there. For bikes with STI, Ergo, or shifters mounted elsewhere there will usually be cable stop/guide with probably a barrel adjuster or click-adjuster for tuning mounted there.

Yep both of you are right, I used to have a Bianchi also, and normally that peice is there and it's for the derrailur cables and that, on some bianchi's like the boron steel on I had that part was on the head tube, depends on the bike, but normally they are on the downtube like this one is, all my road bikes have that there..But you're right it probably could be used for a shifter also, like Lance uses on his mountain climbing road bikes..


Benjamin

I have an older model Trek 2000 and that's where I shift. The levers are on both sides, but the cables run on the outside of the down tube (though my brake cables are run through the top tube). I don't think it would work if the cables ran *through* the bike because you'd have to have entry points near the BB which would case weaknesses...

cable stopper + tension adjuster is placed in place of DT shifters..

See pic below..