Bicycle frame and method of converting to electronic shifting system

An assembly, comprising:

• a bicycle frame including a down tube member defining an opening therein;
• a mechanical gear-shift actuator coupled to the frame;
• a mechanically-actuated gear shifter coupled to the frame;
• a removable bracket member including a curved main body defining an opening and including at least one cable stop, the removable bracket member being secured to the down tube member by a fastener extending through the opening defined in the removable bracket member and into the down tube member;
• and
• a mechanical cable extending between the mechanical gear-shift actuator and the mechanically-actuated gear shifter via the at least one cable stop of the removable bracket member;
• wherein the removable bracket member is secured to the down tube member such that the main body of the removable bracket member is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the down tube member.

An assembly, comprising:

• a bicycle frame including a down tube member defining an opening therein;
• a mechanical gear-shift actuator coupled to the frame;
• a mechanically-actuated gear shifter coupled to the frame;
• a removable bracket member including a curved main body defining an opening and including at least one cable stop, the removable bracket member being secured to the down tube member by a fastener extending through the opening defined in the removable bracket member and into the down tube member;
• and
• a mechanical cable extending between the mechanical gear-shift actuator and the mechanically-actuated gear shifter via the at least one cable stop of the removable bracket member;
• wherein the at least one cable stop is a first cable stop, and the removable bracket member further comprises a second cable stop on the opposite side of the opening from the first cable stop.

An assembly, comprising:

• a bicycle frame including a down tube member defining an opening therein;
• a mechanical gear-shift actuator coupled to the frame;
• a mechanically-actuated gear shifter coupled to the frame;
• a removable bracket member including a curved main body defining an opening and including at least one cable stop, the removable bracket member being secured to the down tube member by a fastener extending through the opening defined in the removable bracket member and into the down tube member;
• and
• a mechanical cable extending between the mechanical gear-shift actuator and the mechanically-actuated gear shifter via the at least one cable stop of the removable bracket member;
• wherein the down tube member defines an opening comprising threads to engage the fastener.

A method of converting a bicycle frame from a mechanical gear-shifting configuration to an electronic gear-shifting configuration, comprising:

• removing a mechanical cable extending between a mechanical gear-shift actuator coupled to the bicycle frame and a mechanically-actuated gear shifter coupled to the bicycle frame, the mechanical cable extending between the mechanical gear-shift actuator and the mechanically-actuated gear shifter via a cable stop of a removable bracket member secured to a down tube member of the bicycle frame, the down tube member defining an opening therein, and the removable bracket member being secured to the down tube member by a fastener extending through an opening defined in a curved main body of the removable bracket member and into the opening of the down tube member, the cable stop being circumferentially offset from the opening in the removable bracket member along the main body of the removable bracket member;
• removing the removable bracket member from the down tube member of the bicycle frame;
• removing the mechanical gear-shift actuator and the mechanically-actuated gear shifter from the bicycle frame;
• and
• mounting an electronically-actuated gear shifter to the bicycle frame in electrical communication with an electronic gear-shift actuator such that actuation of the electronic gear-shift actuator causes the electronically-actuated gear shifter to shift gears.