Bill Talbot wrote:
> Has a timeline been put together regarding frame evolution. When did the in
> itial "extra" braze-ons begin to displace the clamp on everything frameset.
> Perhaps what maker brought out the feature, what year, and then when it be
> came a standard.
I don't think there's a hard and fast date for this. IIRC, braze-on bits for brake cable guides started appearing on mass-produced bikes in the early 70s, although many of these weren't actually brazed on but rather spot-welded. By the early 80s most mid and high level frames had brake and chainstay guides brazed on, but lever stop-plates under the down tube were stall more common than lever bosses. As the 80s progressed, additional water bottle bosses appeared, lever bosses trickled down into lower level frames and eventually the ultimate horror -- the front derailleur braze-on -- started showing up on production frames. The non-ferrous frames with oversize tubing all but required something like that, but we're moving off-topic now.
--
John (john@os2.dhs.org)
currently in London, UK