Heart on downtube

I acquired a bike recently which had been shoddily painted black and just generally looked like shit. I stripped it and sprayed it green and in doing so found that there's a little heart shape brazed onto the downtube about half way down.

I've googled and asked about but nobody seems to have any idea what it is or why its there.

Does anybody have any clue as to what it is or whether it'd allow me to identify the frame? I'm not expecting it to be anything special but would be nice to know what it is. It takes 27" wheels if that helps?

De Rosa?

It's just a stop for a band-on derallieur shifter. quite common.

It's just a stop for a band-on derallieur shifter. quite common.

Halfway down the down tube?

EDIT: Didn't read 'shifter'

Pics or it didn't happen..

If it wasn't dark I would take a picture and I can't be arsed to go to the shed.

I don't really understand how what you're saying can be correct BlueQuinn - it definitely looks like an aesthetic thing rather than practical.

I'll get a photo tomorrow.

This is like that episode of Antiques Roadshow when that old guy brought in an ornate glass bottle which turned out to have originally been used to house Tesco olive oil.

?

This is like that episode of Antiques Roadshow when that old guy brought in an ornate glass bottle which turned out to have originally been used to house Tesco olive oil.

Uhm, not really, considering I didn't pay much money for it and I'm not expecting it to be anything of any value - just simply interested

?

Nah, it's on the underside. Should really have said that before.

This is like that episode of Antiques Roadshow when that old guy brought in an ornate glass bottle which turned out to have originally been used to house Tesco olive oil.

That was fucking hilarious.... "and it's worth... fuck all!"

Damn, I thought I was on a winner with that find.

It's a Nishiki btw.. 27"..

From

to

http://www.cyclofiend.com/ssg/2009/ssg225-marcazevedo0109.html

It's just a stop for a band-on derallieur shifter. quite common.

It's this, my 70's falcon has one.

Works like this and can be any shape.

Prevents the shifters from sliding down the tube.

As above, its a stop. I have a diamond shaped one on my down tube.

Here's the one on my Harry Quinn.

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I have a heart shaped one underneath on my Taiwanese Tange sjs training bike. Not exactly a De Rosa.

Why hasn't anybody told this poor old OPer that its a stop for a down-tube shifter? Jeebs! You lot are cranky on monday mornings.

The pointy bit of the band is why they're often heart-shaped, so it can settle snugly in the cleavage of the heart.

Apparently, it's a stop for downtube shifters..

I just means your bike loves you very much.

So we've had hearts and diamonds. Can we have some clubs and spades for a full house?

a full house is 2 of a kind and 3 of a kind. suits have nothing to do with it.

Pedant.

Cool cool. Just surprised nobody was able to tell me this at a shop.

So we've had hearts and diamonds. Can we have some clubs and spades for a full house?

racist

The one that makes you feel like you've done something wrong? Oh, that one. If this shop only wanted to sell you new complete bikes but not help you with your little question, use the Bike Whisperer. Apparently there's this guy called hippy, somewhere out there on the internetz, who really rates them.

Worth remembering that band-on levers on the down tube aren't common on newly-built bikes (said in defence of average bike shops everywhere).