Ingenious? Idiotic Brake Cable Routing on 1972 Paramount
 

I picked this Paramount up two days ago, check out the routing.

I'll put the first picture up where it almost looks "normal"

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...20c9c309_k.jpg1972 Paramount Brake Cable by bill, on Flickr

Now the pictures that show the modification in "fine" detail:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...47b419df_k.jpg
1972 Paramount Brake Cable by bill, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fb88049d_k.jpg
1972 Paramount Brake Cable by bill, on Flickr

PO also did a job with his engraver on this over wise nice Cinelli stem.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b5a5227c_k.jpg
1972 Paramount Stem by bill, on Flickr

Some people... :notamused:

I have a hard time imagining that the PO wasn't concerned about the seat post failing . . .

:)

I had a Cinelli SC, around this era, with a hole in the seat post, and I wasn't sure what it was for...

At first, I thought maybe drillium? Then, because the post had a tendency to slip, I thought maybe he was sticking a bolt in there to add further support in the seattube. Maybe he was doing this.

The Cinelli I still have has the POs initials carved into the NR cranks.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...964475ca75.jpg

Lovely. :rolleyes: Lucky the PO didn't try to go full-Routens and drill cable transit holes in the seat tube.

Have you filed for his Social Security yet?




And I've seen that seatpost modification before - it's not that unusual.

Even this post was not as extreme as some... (and this one https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...129271d592.jpg
withstood a crash that destroyed my Unicanitor saddle, separating the top from the rail on one side).

Seeing as the speedometer is "Made in Holland" it might even be an import. Engraving the frame was a fairly common thing to do back then as an anti-theft measure.
As for the seatpost, it's still a hip thing to do on some custom frames, albeit inside the frame.

I would mostly worry about losing the rear brake if the saddle slides down a bit too much. ;)

I like that the lug and scratch in the first pic spell CV

I am just glad the frame is not full of holes.. which is what I feared to see by the title.

More aerodynamic. Probably saves 0.2 watts at 40mph. Plus of course the weight savings. Win/win. Smart.

Both of these mods -- the number scratched in and the seat post nonsense -- look like some half-assed theft protection to me.

Less brake cable friction without the bends !

Elegant!

https://www.cxmagazine.com/wp-conten...s_NAHBS_07.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...Ui_52CSK9ULg&s
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/aa...4e366617f9.jpg

It is analogous to routing the front brake cable down through the handlebar stem, as on my mountain bike, whose Nitto stem was made that way. Neither is very good if you want to adjust the seat or bar height.

Chances of you being able to use seatpost st the same height or slightly higher? Marginal.
it could have been a contender if it had been done with more skill.
French Constructeurs did similar - through seat tubes and seat posts but with more finesse.

Well now that I have the SSN all I need is a name and addy so I can do some identity theft! It is not the safest theft protection these days. Smiles, MH

Campy had a holder accessory, anchored to seatpost clamp pinch bolts that lined up the rear brake cable, centered above their Delta rear brake calipers. If only they invented it earlier, these drill happy owners from earlier times, might have thought twice about drilling their nice seatposts....

IKU speedos were sold here, just as the Huret Multito (French) and later Cateye (Japanese) stuff.

So aero

That seat post is safer than the old cyclocross hole in the stem thing for the front canti.

That's a Kentucky SS number....