 |  | | | |  | |  |  | The Rake's Progress... |  | |  |  | |
 Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 3:13 pm |
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| verktyg |
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| Joined: 14 Jan 2007 |
| Posts: 2814 |
| Location: SF Bay Area |
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| greyhundguy wrote: |
Maybe Lucien Juy considered all of them "Prestigious".  Jay |
In his book "The Dancing Chain" Frank Berto accused Lucien Juy of singlehandedly destroying the French bicycle industry! 
In 1961 Simplex brought out their EXPORT 61 all metal derailleur with top and bottom pivot springs. It's performance blew away the competition. It was the late 80s before Campy had anything to compete with it.
Unfortunately, Peugeot was pressuring (and financed) Simplex to bring out "plastic" derailleurs. In 1962 the Simplex Prestige "SENIOR" (532) was the result. The parallelogram was made of DuPont DelrinŽ plastic.
Putting it into perspective, from the late 50s to the late 60s, plastic was the wonder material of the age! 
You could make cheap, affordable products out of plastic that required little or no machine work after molding.
Unfortunately plastic soon equated to cheap as the operant word. Maybe it was the cheap plastic toys in gaudy colors imported from Hong Kong.
Anyway, bikes equipped with Simplex DelrinŽ plastic derailleurs were viewed as being cheap bikes! This was especially so after Suntour and later Shimano all metal derailleurs took over the low to midrange bike market.
I always found it odd that Peugeot got away with using Simplex DelrinŽ Criterium derailleurs on their top of the line PX-10 model until 1976? 
Gitane used Simplex DelrinŽ Criterium derailleurs on their Tour de France and similar models through 1974 and 75. I've seen pictures of a few 1976 TdFs with them too.
While these Simplex plastic rear derailleurs when properly adjusted and lubricated worked as well or better than anything Campagnolo had on the market at the time, the image of plastic derailleurs wreaked of CHEAP!
When Simplex introduced their all plastic bodied Prestige "SENIOR" (532) in 1962, they discontinued all of their metal derailleurs until 1973 when they brought out the Super LJ series. By that time their reputation was permanently tainted!
Here's Lucien's final model released in 1992. Notice the ubiquitous plastic knuckles!
Thank you Lucian! 
Here's a link to the history of Simplex rear derailleurs:
http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Simplex_derailleurs.html  |
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Last edited by verktyg on Fri Sep 24, 2010 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Chas.
SF Bay Area, CA USA
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1984 Criterium
1969 TdF
1971 TdF
1974 TdF
1984 TdF x 2 Bikes
1970 SC
1971 SC
1972 SC
1984 SC
1984 Team Pro
1985 Professional
1990s Team Replica |
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| | | | | | | | | Golden Simplex | | | | | |
| Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 5:04 am |
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| gabrielnogueira |
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| Joined: 23 Sep 2010 |
| Posts: 5 |
| Location: Spain |
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| Gtane wrote: |
Bowser,
Here's a Simplex Prestige rear changer finished in the colour gold that's currently for sale - http://tinyurl.com/37gps3k
The seller also has other Simplex Prestige items finished in gold.
No connection.
Tim |
My Gitane TDF Racing Team has all gold stuff (not a matter of lighting when taking the picture, indeed!!). They work like a dream...
Pictures are here: http://www.gitaneusa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1659. |
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| | | | | | | | | spidel | | | | | |
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