List, The wood plug in the steerer tube has been mentioned in this forum before, but no harm in revisiting the topic. Like old books, old movies, and old symphonies, classic bike trivia can and should be enjoyed by repetition, at suitable intervals.
A quick check of the archives reveals that in 2001 the wooden plug was linked with Peugeot PX-10's, but not lower level Peugeots. In 2002/03 Bob Freitas and Jim Merz noted plugs in Bianchi Team Issue frames. In 2003 Chuck Schmidt confided that both of his Team Peugeots (late '70s and early '80s respectively) were plugged. In 2005 one was spotted in a 1976 PY-10. In 2008 Mark Petry was shocked, shocked, to find "A FRIGGIN WOOD PLUG" in his Motobecane Le Champion. Lynn Travers corroborated ("Yup....about two inches long.") and added rather wistfully that there had been one in his LeJeune Champ du Monde until it was sent it out for refinishing and came back sans plug. I will divulge that my 1977 PX10LE, bought as new old stock from a Peugeot dealer, sports this legendary timber accessory, discreetly hidden from view, of course. Alas, it no longer fits tightly and drops right out if the front brake is removed.
I could slip it out, measure, weigh, and photograph it, and post it to Velobase as a classic accessory. This would be a service, no doubt, to the advancement of knowledge, but what of our need for a few unsolved mysteries, a few unexploded myths and legends, to fire the imagination?
On the other hand, once removed from the realm of the Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster, and placed in full public view, naked and unashamed, the wooden plug would come into its own as a classic component. We could discuss at length the technical merits and provenance, the ideal species and dimensions, production methods, etc., and the nagging questions of why it was or was not used by certain builders, and why alternate materials were not employed. Perhaps someone could produce replicas on a modest scale, for actual use or as conversation pieces. In this regard it should be noted that historical evidence clearly indicates wooden plugs were found only in top-of-the-line racing bikes. Anyone fortunate enough to possess a bike fitted with such a device must consider himself part of an elite fraternity. Furthermore, no restoration of such a machine to its original grandeur could ever be regarded as complete without the fabled wooden plug inserted snug in its proper place.
John Hurley
Austin, Texas, USA