lug - Pronunciation: \ˈləg\ - Function: verb - Inflected Form(s): lugged; lug·ging - Etymology: Middle English luggen to pull by the hair or ear, drag, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian lugga to pull by the hair - Date: 14th century - transitive verb - Definition(s) 1: drag, pull, 2: to carry laboriously <lugged the bags to the car>, 3: to introduce in a forced manner
Behold the bicycle lug, a work of industrial art, the byproduct of dragging, pulling — and sometimes introducing with a forced manner. So much effort. So much beauty. Although I am a T.I.G. weld admirer first, a steel lugged bike still turns my head every time. Who says you can’t take a look at the menu after you’ve ordered. The brazing and laboring required to build a steel-lugged bike creates a certain emotional bond with the owner, not just practical bonds among frame tubing. Today’s carbon fiber weaves are glorious as both technological aesthetic and advantage in the pro peloton. But bicycle lugs remain timeless.
Credits: Photo one (French Prugnat lug), two (Paul Smith Mercian), three (Rivendell Rambouillet), four (Kirk Frameworks), five (helmet lug), six (Richard Sachs), seven ( 1961 Mercian). Have a BikeCrave-worthy photo you’d like to share? Or just want to show off? Shoot it on over to bikecrave(at)gmail.com
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