Originally Posted by
Salamandrine
Your plan is exactly right. I am 99.9% sure that using the top tube braze ons with step down ferrules was the original intent. It would have been a slightly retro thing in 1986 to have lower side mount top tube cable stops, but not that unusual really. Maybe it was a JDM thing. 5 mm cable stops at that time were generally intended for MTBs and would look kind of bulky on a fine road frame. Helmet stops were a better choice.
Beautiful frame. Clearly artisan built. A notch above the normal top model.
Thanks - that seems to be the current consensus on those top tube braze-ons. My 95 Gary Fisher has those multitude of open cable runs across the top-tube. Understandable on a MTB with all the dirt flying around, less water to get into the cable jackets when cleaning. I've seen more of these external top tube runs on some European road bikes in the 70-80's time frame. It sure does add to the uniqueness of this frame though.