Smokinapankake

A lot of bikes have some really neat little touches that set them apart from others. But most people don't have huge exposure to lots of different bikes. What may make one frame or maker stand out among the crowd could be missed by so many people. I asked about the mystique of Miyata a while back because I'd read here that they were wonderful but I'd never seen one in person. I just hadn't had the exposure. With that said, I've been thinking I'd like to see something interesting - some frame or fork feature that is a little nicer than the competition. Or something that struck you as kind of cool, kind of interesting. Doesn't have to be some super high end handbuilt unobtainium, (but if you want to post that you're more than welcome to) and it doesn't have to be some revolutionary part or process that set the industry on its ear. Just something that when you see it you think "hey, that's kinda neat!" Or something that was executed really nicely. Like a brake bridge or a fork crown, an ingenious dropout, something like that. What makes your bike "special"? I'll start with a few examples:

Wishbone seatstay on my 2003 Curtlo Epic Mountaineer MTB:


Hydraulic brake hose guide, hand cut from steel tubing:


Tiny rear brake cable noodle on my 94 Norco Nitro:

Converted to V brakes

Pump peg on the non drive side seatstay - I've never seen one mounted here before, but apparently Paul Brodie did it back in the olden days:



I have a few more examples I'll save for later but I'm sure you guys have loads of neato features you're dying to share. So show me something interesting!

Roger M 

Fork crown. Sort of..

Smokinapankake

I think the twin down tubes is pretty interesting....

merziac

@Smokinapankake

The SS pump pegs are a long running bespoke thing, seeing them on modern bikes like yours is more unusual and very cool.

French constructors, randonneurs, etc had them. Jeffery Bock is a fan as well as Peter Weigle and Brian Chapman.

In the meantime, here's some front and rear fork crown goodness that you have probably seen before.

Dave Levy/TiCycles/Strawberry



DiNucci

Smokinapankake

Cantilever brake cable housing stop on my Fishlips Toxic Tuna, approx. 1992:



Very much like the Ibis Hand Job in that it is only supported on one side. I don't know if this predates Ibis' or not. Kind of interesting....

Ironfish653

1988 KLEIN Pinnacle:. All three cables in the downtube, with an under -the-stays U-brake


Triple bottle mounts, too. Also all on the downtube. (3rd one's underneath)

ehcoplex 

Aquired an 80's steel Trek this summer (sorry state, but very rescuable), first Trek I've owned. Not exactly an oh, wow feature, but I though the minimalist chain hanger integrated into the dropout was kind of nifty....


(I know, I know.....blurry photo )

RustyJames 

Fancy lugs are always a bonus but a bonus++ on a MTB. (~1983 Diamond Back Mean Streak)

RB1-luvr

1989 Supergo Access Compe Deore (Columbus tubing, Taiwan made) pump peg features on the seat tube and chain stay. The bike came with the Zefal Mtn Pump from the factory. Unfortunately, the pump expired, and now that I'm using fenders, the pump head didn't fit anyway.

Smokinapankake

Yes! This is exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for! Thanks for participating and keep it up!

non-fixie 

This is easily my favorite bike when it comes to 'interesting'. Designed by Bridgestone engineers Ritsuo Nishimura and Nobuaki Shimada it won the Good Design Award in 1984.

The only folder I know of that retains the weight and the geometry of a standard lightweight sports bike. If only they had made them in my size ...

streetsurfer

A bike in the family, from my childhood, had these. I hadn’t seen them again until recently (but my exposure was limited).
From a ‘95 Le Tour. Last is another chain hanger on mid ‘80’s Le Tour Luxe

merziac

You kept the pump for posterity, identifying purposes, right?

swen0171 

1988 Fisher MTB press fit bottom bracket.

Smokinapankake

Interesting cable routing on my 94 Norco Nitro:



Rear brake and rear derailleur housing run along the top tube. Usually this would mean front shifting would run along the top tube as well.... But nope. Along the down tube, up under the bottom bracket.


And I think the cable housing stops for the rear end is an interesting piece with the plate attaching the two together....

dedhed

The Raleigh USA "Quickstands" and Rhode gear knockoff "Flickstand".

CO_Hoya 

Internally-cabled DT shifters

scarlson 

Maybe this is very niche, but I always liked the feature of old Jack Taylors, where the dynamo light wire wasn't just internal, it actually ran through an internal conduit made of tiny diameter tubing brazed through the frame. This allows you to rewire the bike in a second, just by pushing wire through the internal conduit. No fishing around for wire inside the tubes.


I liked it enough that I copied it on my commuter.



And I copied it again on the randonneur fork I built.



I had quite a hard time doing it. Pushing semirigid tubing through tiny drilled holes in a bike frame or fork, around curves, without kinking it, is not easy!

Andy_K 

What bike is that on? I've seen it on a Casati and it took me quite a while to even realize what was going on.

dedhed

The early '90's Trek mountain bike use of bottom pull FD via top pull by anchoring the inner cable and moving the housing with the shifter.

grant40

merziac

Did you run a fish wire with/for them?

I have a Merz that has some long ago trashed and abandoned internal cabling that would be cool to fix, likely way above my pay grade but I do think about it and wonder.

merziac

Cecil Behringer, plenty of interesting details, stay mounted RD hanger, through bolt water bottle bosses and open fork/stay ends for drainage and no water intrusion.

Drillium Dude 

Used to have an Olympia from the 80s with an interesting take on RD cable routing - an under-then-over transition halfway down the stay:



Note the milled dropout faces as well.

Here's the stainless coil housing exiting the top o' the stay:



DD

Lattz