This classic frame has a braze-on for the RD cable, but none for the FD. No under the BB shell guides, either. I’ve tried several different cable options, but I don’t get the leverage needed to move the FD spring. The photo shows a VO twisted cable. Do I need to (must I) use a strap-on/clamp-on metal cable guide? Am I missing something really obvious? (Quite possible, of course.)

Thanks.

Some older Front Deraileurs had a housing stop as part of their assembly. I don't know what kind of FD you have now, but I suspect it doesn't have a housing stop.

Unless the FD has a housing stop, you've essentially made the FD immovable because once the arm touches the non-compressable housing it's gone as far as it can go. As IthaDan says, it's likely your FD doesn't have the stop, because use of a FD housing loop went out of fashion about 30 years ago, (probably after this classic was made.

You can either find an older FD which has a housing stop. You're looking for something about from the 50's through the 70s.

Or modernize the routing by looping the housing under the BB shell and up between the chainstays. The housing must end short of the FD arm. Most of working on bikes like yours looped the housing and ended it is space about even with the top of the chain stays. All that matters is that the housing ends where it's free to flex into the line of the cable. You don't ant the cable making a bend just as it enters.

Some of us back then dispensed with the housing entirely, and simply looped the bare wire under the shell, using a piece of tape, or even plain plastic to prevent the cable from cutting into the paint.

Just install a plastic cable guide under the BB shell. Drill one little hole for mounting and use a pop rivet; the hole will help drain water if you ride in the rain.

Get one of these and your problem will be over.



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+1 Actually the guide doesn't have to be bolted on as the cable tension will keep it in place. A dab of Superglue will strengthen attachment if you want the extra security but don't want to drill any holes. These guides come with every shifter set so most bike shops will have dozens of extra ones and will probably give you one at no or negilgable cost.

old front derailleurs, that i am aware of, came with a clamp on mount AND a separate clamp for the FD derailleur guide (usually attached to the seattube above the BB and below the FD.) as shown in one of the posts above. the cable adjuster was usually on the FD, on the ones i am familiar with. it looks like you will need all of them!

You can also use this as a 2nd stop:

another detail overlooked before you paid for that old bike frame
and got the nice repaint, abroad, Eh?
after the bent up seat lug problem..

oh well..

the Campay 626/a clip may not work for him because of his pumps location. He'll probably need the wire to be more inboard, so looping under the BB shell, with or without a guide or cable loop, and up between chainstays may be his best option.

When I work on classics like this, I prefer to use some housing because it makes the stop seem functional, and avoids the choices of skipping it entirely, or threading through it and having a sharp bend in the wire leaving to go below the BB shell.

The elimination of the FDs housing loop was an evolutionary process, that started when enough riders individually found that the BB shell made a great "pulley" and started rerouting the wire that way. What made this possible was a change in FDs to actuation arms that pulled down. On many earlier models the wire was tied off to the body, and the housing connected to the movable arm which moved up, and therefore needed the flex.

^This^

For those of you who are going to do a total frame repaint: Do a trial build up of the bike with the components you plan on using BEFORE YOU HAVE THE FRAME PAINTED. If you had installed the components before you painted the frame you would have discovered that you were lacking a cable stop or cable guide. It would have been easy to braze a cable stop on the down tube at that point. A welding shop would have charged you very little money to braze on a cable stop. Hell, I have a bag full of braze on steel cable stops, if you had asked, I would have gladly sent you a couple.

I know that you like to get somewhat snarky from time to time, but this isn't the right time.

The OP never mentioned a repaint, and the photo looks more like it's the original paint job, though it could be a good repaint. I doubt even you would expect that the builder envisage what FD might be installed some 30-40 years after he sold it.

This is sound advice for those who do strip and paint on classic restorations. But the OP never said this was a repaint, so your advice may be lost on him.

Thank you gentlemen (minus one),

The BB shell has the serial number, as well as the Nervex lug id, so I'm loath to go that route.

I have three FD's from which to choose. I have a nice Mavic FD, plus these two.

None have cable stops. Even the Mavic is just too modern. The period-correct would have had a cable stop, but I'm building to what I have and like to use.

I had a nice old Campy clamp, as suggested by CapeCodder. Naturally, it broke. I think they can be spread maybe three times. I suspect this one was past that number. So, I guess I'll have to track down another.

An old frame from the 50's, located in England thru intermediaries. Very few of these exist. Refinishing was easier and much cheaper in England. Small details to sort out. Using the clamp is not a major impediment.

Thanks.

Thanks, FB. It IS a repaint, but I never had my hands on the frame before it went to the finishers. A risk, but one I took based on larger calculations. The small details being sorted are not big. The advice is worthy WHEN you can get the frame first.

Fabricate..
Hire a Custom builder to make a steel band for a braze on type FD to clamp
around the seat tube,
and that band will have to be designed to have the cable stop on it.

the kludge of using housing to route the cable under the BB . is adequate..
It does not have to flex,
so you can even bend stainless tube used for automotive hydraulic brake lines,
into the needed curve.


cold reality is what it is.

that looks kind of like a Rally RD, but the outer side piece is modernized looking.

I would give the Campy guide at try, it just might sneak around that pump peg. It will also be the best looking option considering your use of the other Campy bits.

Thanks. This is what I will do. The one I had broke as I tightened it down. It does "just" sneak under that peg. I'll have to cut off the RD side, as it runs into the braze on, but that can be done easily enough.

It was the absence of the cable stop that had perplexed me. One of those things staring me in the face that I could not see.

Routing the cable under the BB and using a clamp on cable stop should work it just won't look very pretty and may bind slightly if not set up just right. Your best option is likely to find a nicer vintage FD with a built in cable stop which is what is what this frame was made to use.

I believe Sheldon Brown recommended that in cases like this, you just run a short 'floating' piece of cable housing under the bb shell, and ignore the downtube cable stop entirely. Apparently the cable tension is sufficient to keep the short piece of housing in place. A plastic cable guide held on with a dab of superglue would also work well, but you may feel it detracts from the looks of the frame.

Well in the bike coop when doing it for free to make stuff work I just route the cable under the BB and use a zip ty to hold the cable generally in place and the tension does the rest not pretty but it works. I think the OP is looking for a more elegant less make shift solution.

I did note the RD braze-on and was going to mention that you would need to cut that side of the clamp off with a Dremel or the like.

Well, if truly elegant was the goal, I'd be spending a fortune on going period correct. But that's out of my comfort zone, at best.

Passably elegant? It's not a show bike, but it will be a bit of a show-off bike. This is a frame by an obscure builder who is/was distant family, so there were a number of constraints in tracking one down. Presuming I can get a replacement cable guide within a couple days, I'll be patient. The kludge would work, but it would be unbalanced with the RD cabling.


Thanks, again.

.

Yes. Hate to do it, but the end result will be worth it.

Thanks.

This is the other side, so one can see the RD braze-on. Bit dark...



A bit lighter:

Bummer! I'd probably settle for the 2nd problem solvers stop so the cable can run through the braze on and housing like it is suppose to. Mostly because I wouldn't want to cut anything off the bike. It's your decision though! Great looking color.