Comments on: I am Schwinn's (what?)

Question: I am Schwinn's (what?)

Fuzzy Skinner — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:52:22 -0800

What do you call this part of a bike? (Photo inside)

Here's a photo I took today at a bike repair clinic. (Other views are in the set as well.) I notice that a lot of bikes from days gone by have a similar decorative embellishment connected to the top tube, sort of resembling a motorcycle gas tank. I'm writing captions for the photos, and want to call attention to the vents in the (whatever it's called). So... does it have a name?

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:26:12 -0800

I think it's just called a "tank."

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:26:59 -0800

Or bicycle tank.

By: the dief

the dief — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:36:53 -0800

Yup, I've always thought of it as a tank. Now that cruisers are sort of coming back into style, expect to see more of them.

By: RichardP

RichardP — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:41:10 -0800

Like the earlier posters, Wikipedia's Cruiser bicycle article refers to it as a "decorative tank."

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:48:15 -0800

Vintage Schwinn collectors also call it "tank."

By: Fuzzy Skinner

Fuzzy Skinner — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:53:46 -0800

Thanks all. I was thinking of it as "faux tank" so I guess I wasn't far off! You're all best answer!

I think I'll refer to it as "decorative tank" in my captions, though. That seems to make sense.

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:09:02 -0800

In that article, decorative is just an adjective to "tank" and not a part of the actual name of the bicycle part.

By: Fuzzy Skinner

Fuzzy Skinner — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:17:11 -0800

In that article, decorative is just an adjective to "tank" and not a part of the actual name of the bicycle part.

Yep, understood. But I think it's more understandable to the average reader. Not that more than a dozen people will ever read my captions, but still.

By: Gungho

Gungho — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:06:58 -0800

Some 'tanks' held batteries for headlamps.