It seems that nobody took my question about when _over_-the-BB cable routing was introduced seriously. But it wasn't meant as a joke.
So I looked over the bikes of the Tour de France winners from "Le Monde de Daniel Rebour." Here we go:
1950: Kubler, Frejus, under BB, appears at least open cable run on the chainstay, but cable housing along the down tube. Braze-ons for rear cable stop, rear brake cable housing also interrupted between braze-ons 1951: Koblet, La Perle, over BB, cable housing all the way, clamps 1952: Coppi, Bianchi, over BB, cable housing all the way, clamps 1953, 54, 55 Bobet, Stella and L. Bobet, over BB, appears to be open cable (his Huret derailleur had a second cable for the tension adjustment, so two cable housings would be a lot), braze-ons for all cable stops, including 1956 Anquetil, Helyett, over BB, braze-ons for cable stops and shift lever, rear brake cable housing also interrupted between braze-ons
Then we have over BB cable routing until the 1970s, when the book ends.
It appears, then, that in the early 1950s, both over and under BB cables were in use. For those who ran full cable housing from the shift lever to the rear derailleur, it appears to have been over BB cable housing (a more logical and shorter path). In the case of open cables, both forms were used at first, but then, over BB cable routing became "standard."
The number of braze-ons and the interrupted rear brake cable housing on Kubler's 1950 Frejus and Anquetil's 1956 Helyett are noteworthy. Most people would associate these with "innovations" of the 1970s or 1980s.
If somebody can illuminate the history of cable routing before 1950, I'd love to hear it here. Just to be safe, I am _not_ claiming that Kubler's Frejus was the first to use interrupted brake cable housing, under BB cable routing, etc.
However, I do have a few questions:
1. When were open cable runs between cable stops first used. The latest issue of Bicycle Quarterly showed two Reyhands. The older, from about 1934, had cable housing all the way. The younger one, from 1938, had interrupted brake cable housing, but still derailleur cable housing all the way. Any 1920s instances of interrupted brake cable housing, anyone? Or even earlier? -- Jan Heine Editor Bicycle Quarterly 140 Lakeside Ave #C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.bikequarterly.com