Equipment/Product Review (1980) Bench Testing Rear Derailleurs
10-13-19, 01:45 PM
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Equipment/Product Review (1980) Bench Testing Rear Derailleurs
This post presents the first in a series of 3 articles in which rear derailleurs, front derailleurs, and shift levers are subjected to bench testing and compared.
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WTB: American Cycling May - Aug, Oct, Dec 1966.
WTB: Bicycle Guide issues 1984 (any); Jun 1987; Jul, Nov/Dec 1992; Apr 1994; 1996 -1998 (any)
WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
WTB: Slingshot bicycle promotional documents (catalog, pamphlets, etc).
WTB: American Cycling May - Aug, Oct, Dec 1966.
WTB: Bicycle Guide issues 1984 (any); Jun 1987; Jul, Nov/Dec 1992; Apr 1994; 1996 -1998 (any)
WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
10-13-19, 02:43 PM
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Oh man, C&V could spend a long time arguing the pluses and minuses of these derailleurs.
10-13-19, 03:35 PM
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It was old news that most all Campagnolo, Huret, and Simplex, rear derailleurs WERE JUNK compared to Shimano and Maeda SunTour, by the time in 1979 that this article was written. SHIMANO HAD QUALITY ENGINEERING IN EVERY REAR DERAILLEUR. Low priced, bottom line SHIMANO rear derailleurs shifted flawlessly, as did every other unit across their spectrum of product offerings.
It was no secret that the no-name import 10 speed that you'd buy at Kmart beginning in about 1972, did have a much better quality rear derailleur than what was seen on the finest expensive Italian, English, and French 10 speeds of 1972 and for many years after. The lowest line Shimano Eagle and Shimano Skylark rear derailleurs were on all those very inexpensive K-mart 10 speeds. Sure, those rear derailleurs weigh about 360 grams or so, but they worked perfectly and flawlessly which was not the case for the infamous Campagnolo units, and Simplex models, and Huret units, most particularly the Huret Allvit, which was fitted to so many "decent" bikes.
Folks that were riding 10 speeds in 1973 and 1974, instinctively saw that the SHIMANO rear derailleur on their buddy's or their sister's el-cheapo Kmart 10 speed was so much better than the unit that was seen on their own European "quality" ten speed that was four times the cost of the $83 Kmart 10 speed. You could not help but notice if you just test rode any bicycle so equipped with SHIMANO at that time, no matter how el-cheapo and no-name that 10 speed might have been.
Schwinn folks were certainly becoming hip to the realization that the GT-120 ( first seen on the 1974 Collegiate and 1974 FIVE speed SUBURBAN) was light years better than the HURET ALLVIT schwinn approved rear derailleur that was STILL FACTORY EQUIPMENT on Continental/VARSITY/Suburban ten speeds.
Folks already knew that the earlier GT-100 (the first shimano built rear derailleur for Schwinn first seen on 1970 COLLEGIATE and 1970 Suburban FIVE SPEEDs)
The March 1970 Bicycling magazine has an article on the GT-100 rear derailleur calling it the most durable of any to date, at that point in time.
That GT-100 was Shimano quality in a sort of ALLVIT meets LARK packaging that Schwinn engineering wanted. Shimano got the message of the cable saver and bash guard features that Schwinn engineers thought added ruggedness and operational durability should you have the gorilla from the American Tourister/Samsonite luggage tv commercials, beginning to ride and own a 10 speed. For those of you under 60 years old, those tv commercials were just the suitcases in a cage with a giant gorilla that attempted to destroy them in every way possible, a very memorable tv commercial. Schwinn engineers thought that teenaged riders would be as rough as the gorilla, and probably about as careful and intelligent too.
Call it what you want, but the Japanese just destroyed the Italians, and French with their far superior rear derailleurs that worked so much better. They took existing designs and just took it to a level that was not seen before. If you're also beyond 60 years old, you will certainly remember that the Japanese wiped the old guard electronics, radio-stereo and tv manufacturers out with substantial product innovations in the mid to late sixties. SONY's Trinitron ('68) made other existing color tv technology immediately obsolete, and SONY , the one and only and Matsu****a's NATIONAL/Panasonic was just slightly ahead of their time. Nobody came close to them between 1965 and 1980! SONY and Panasonic/Technics(name seen from '75 onward on hi-fi stereo gear) were unbeatable because they were that much better than everyone else. SHIMANO and Maeda-SUNTOUR were the Sony and Panasonic equivalent in the bicycle equipment during the Seventies.
Every thing else in terms of rear derailleurs, from that time period by comparison is JUNK, even if it has the cool looking Campagnolo, Huret or Simplex piece of __ .
It was no secret that the no-name import 10 speed that you'd buy at Kmart beginning in about 1972, did have a much better quality rear derailleur than what was seen on the finest expensive Italian, English, and French 10 speeds of 1972 and for many years after. The lowest line Shimano Eagle and Shimano Skylark rear derailleurs were on all those very inexpensive K-mart 10 speeds. Sure, those rear derailleurs weigh about 360 grams or so, but they worked perfectly and flawlessly which was not the case for the infamous Campagnolo units, and Simplex models, and Huret units, most particularly the Huret Allvit, which was fitted to so many "decent" bikes.
Folks that were riding 10 speeds in 1973 and 1974, instinctively saw that the SHIMANO rear derailleur on their buddy's or their sister's el-cheapo Kmart 10 speed was so much better than the unit that was seen on their own European "quality" ten speed that was four times the cost of the $83 Kmart 10 speed. You could not help but notice if you just test rode any bicycle so equipped with SHIMANO at that time, no matter how el-cheapo and no-name that 10 speed might have been.
Schwinn folks were certainly becoming hip to the realization that the GT-120 ( first seen on the 1974 Collegiate and 1974 FIVE speed SUBURBAN) was light years better than the HURET ALLVIT schwinn approved rear derailleur that was STILL FACTORY EQUIPMENT on Continental/VARSITY/Suburban ten speeds.
Folks already knew that the earlier GT-100 (the first shimano built rear derailleur for Schwinn first seen on 1970 COLLEGIATE and 1970 Suburban FIVE SPEEDs)
The March 1970 Bicycling magazine has an article on the GT-100 rear derailleur calling it the most durable of any to date, at that point in time.
That GT-100 was Shimano quality in a sort of ALLVIT meets LARK packaging that Schwinn engineering wanted. Shimano got the message of the cable saver and bash guard features that Schwinn engineers thought added ruggedness and operational durability should you have the gorilla from the American Tourister/Samsonite luggage tv commercials, beginning to ride and own a 10 speed. For those of you under 60 years old, those tv commercials were just the suitcases in a cage with a giant gorilla that attempted to destroy them in every way possible, a very memorable tv commercial. Schwinn engineers thought that teenaged riders would be as rough as the gorilla, and probably about as careful and intelligent too.
Call it what you want, but the Japanese just destroyed the Italians, and French with their far superior rear derailleurs that worked so much better. They took existing designs and just took it to a level that was not seen before. If you're also beyond 60 years old, you will certainly remember that the Japanese wiped the old guard electronics, radio-stereo and tv manufacturers out with substantial product innovations in the mid to late sixties. SONY's Trinitron ('68) made other existing color tv technology immediately obsolete, and SONY , the one and only and Matsu****a's NATIONAL/Panasonic was just slightly ahead of their time. Nobody came close to them between 1965 and 1980! SONY and Panasonic/Technics(name seen from '75 onward on hi-fi stereo gear) were unbeatable because they were that much better than everyone else. SHIMANO and Maeda-SUNTOUR were the Sony and Panasonic equivalent in the bicycle equipment during the Seventies.
Every thing else in terms of rear derailleurs, from that time period by comparison is JUNK, even if it has the cool looking Campagnolo, Huret or Simplex piece of __ .
10-13-19, 05:18 PM
#4
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^OK then^
I'm old school. Still dont use japanese derailleurs and just dont like Shimano. Swapped the SunTour Cyclone for the much better shifting Simplex on my Super Course.
I'm old school. Still dont use japanese derailleurs and just dont like Shimano. Swapped the SunTour Cyclone for the much better shifting Simplex on my Super Course.
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10-13-19, 05:59 PM
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Thanks for posting the article- good read.
Not much interest in old Shimano, and will go out of my way to swap to early Suntour + freewheels.
Funny, not sure when the steel Campy Velox ended but they always seem to work without fuss and are TOUGH, rarely wear out pivots. Can be setup to take a wide range ratio. Exception for the crap pulleys.
Campagnolo will always get the nod of approval for character and style, though need to be used with patience and finesse. Long cage jobbies are not something I desire. Tried a N.Record long cage that was was pretty fresh but it lacked precise shifts, required over lever action with great caution.
Huret had some gems. These days I have more interest in them over Campagnolo. Bored with Campy and even with the reliable Suntour. Jubilee stuff is pretty and svelte - work quite well.
A few goodies from Simplex like the 6xx series - nice shifter, reliable except for pivot springs. A big pass on any Delrin experiments.
Lastly and jumping to modern. You would think today Shimano has the entire offering dialed in. Not so. (Psss.. The Shimano Claris is nit picky and almost all I know having complain of constant needed adjustments.) Not trying to diss the maker as I really do love my modern atb full XT however expect flawless and reliable shift systems, even with the low end series.
Not much interest in old Shimano, and will go out of my way to swap to early Suntour + freewheels.
Funny, not sure when the steel Campy Velox ended but they always seem to work without fuss and are TOUGH, rarely wear out pivots. Can be setup to take a wide range ratio. Exception for the crap pulleys.
Campagnolo will always get the nod of approval for character and style, though need to be used with patience and finesse. Long cage jobbies are not something I desire. Tried a N.Record long cage that was was pretty fresh but it lacked precise shifts, required over lever action with great caution.
Huret had some gems. These days I have more interest in them over Campagnolo. Bored with Campy and even with the reliable Suntour. Jubilee stuff is pretty and svelte - work quite well.
A few goodies from Simplex like the 6xx series - nice shifter, reliable except for pivot springs. A big pass on any Delrin experiments.
Lastly and jumping to modern. You would think today Shimano has the entire offering dialed in. Not so. (Psss.. The Shimano Claris is nit picky and almost all I know having complain of constant needed adjustments.) Not trying to diss the maker as I really do love my modern atb full XT however expect flawless and reliable shift systems, even with the low end series.
10-13-19, 06:30 PM
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It was old news that most all Campagnolo, Huret, and Simplex, rear derailleurs WERE JUNK compared to Shimano and Maeda SunTour, by the time in 1979 that this article was written. SHIMANO HAD QUALITY ENGINEERING IN EVERY REAR DERAILLEUR. Low priced, bottom line SHIMANO rear derailleurs shifted flawlessly, as did every other unit across their spectrum of product offerings.
It was no secret that the no-name import 10 speed that you'd buy at Kmart beginning in about 1972, did have a much better quality rear derailleur than what was seen on the finest expensive Italian, English, and French 10 speeds of 1972 and for many years after. The lowest line Shimano Eagle and Shimano Skylark rear derailleurs were on all those very inexpensive K-mart 10 speeds. Sure, those rear derailleurs weigh about 360 grams or so, but they worked perfectly and flawlessly which was not the case for the infamous Campagnolo units, and Simplex models, and Huret units, most particularly the Huret Allvit, which was fitted to so many "decent" bikes.
Folks that were riding 10 speeds in 1973 and 1974, instinctively saw that the SHIMANO rear derailleur on their buddy's or their sister's el-cheapo Kmart 10 speed was so much better than the unit that was seen on their own European "quality" ten speed that was four times the cost of the $83 Kmart 10 speed. You could not help but notice if you just test rode any bicycle so equipped with SHIMANO at that time, no matter how el-cheapo and no-name that 10 speed might have been.
Schwinn folks were certainly becoming hip to the realization that the GT-120 ( first seen on the 1974 Collegiate and 1974 FIVE speed SUBURBAN) was light years better than the HURET ALLVIT schwinn approved rear derailleur that was STILL FACTORY EQUIPMENT on Continental/VARSITY/Suburban ten speeds.
Folks already knew that the earlier GT-100 (the first shimano built rear derailleur for Schwinn first seen on 1970 COLLEGIATE and 1970 Suburban FIVE SPEEDs)
The March 1970 Bicycling magazine has an article on the GT-100 rear derailleur calling it the most durable of any to date, at that point in time.
That GT-100 was Shimano quality in a sort of ALLVIT meets LARK packaging that Schwinn engineering wanted. Shimano got the message of the cable saver and bash guard features that Schwinn engineers thought added ruggedness and operational durability should you have the gorilla from the American Tourister/Samsonite luggage tv commercials, beginning to ride and own a 10 speed. For those of you under 60 years old, those tv commercials were just the suitcases in a cage with a giant gorilla that attempted to destroy them in every way possible, a very memorable tv commercial. Schwinn engineers thought that teenaged riders would be as rough as the gorilla, and probably about as careful and intelligent too.
Call it what you want, but the Japanese just destroyed the Italians, and French with their far superior rear derailleurs that worked so much better. They took existing designs and just took it to a level that was not seen before. If you're also beyond 60 years old, you will certainly remember that the Japanese wiped the old guard electronics, radio-stereo and tv manufacturers out with substantial product innovations in the mid to late sixties. SONY's Trinitron ('68) made other existing color tv technology immediately obsolete, and SONY , the one and only and Matsu****a's NATIONAL/Panasonic was just slightly ahead of their time. Nobody came close to them between 1965 and 1980! SONY and Panasonic/Technics(name seen from '75 onward on hi-fi stereo gear) were unbeatable because they were that much better than everyone else. SHIMANO and Maeda-SUNTOUR were the Sony and Panasonic equivalent in the bicycle equipment during the Seventies.
Every thing else in terms of rear derailleurs, from that time period by comparison is JUNK, even if it has the cool looking Campagnolo, Huret or Simplex piece of __ .
It was no secret that the no-name import 10 speed that you'd buy at Kmart beginning in about 1972, did have a much better quality rear derailleur than what was seen on the finest expensive Italian, English, and French 10 speeds of 1972 and for many years after. The lowest line Shimano Eagle and Shimano Skylark rear derailleurs were on all those very inexpensive K-mart 10 speeds. Sure, those rear derailleurs weigh about 360 grams or so, but they worked perfectly and flawlessly which was not the case for the infamous Campagnolo units, and Simplex models, and Huret units, most particularly the Huret Allvit, which was fitted to so many "decent" bikes.
Folks that were riding 10 speeds in 1973 and 1974, instinctively saw that the SHIMANO rear derailleur on their buddy's or their sister's el-cheapo Kmart 10 speed was so much better than the unit that was seen on their own European "quality" ten speed that was four times the cost of the $83 Kmart 10 speed. You could not help but notice if you just test rode any bicycle so equipped with SHIMANO at that time, no matter how el-cheapo and no-name that 10 speed might have been.
Schwinn folks were certainly becoming hip to the realization that the GT-120 ( first seen on the 1974 Collegiate and 1974 FIVE speed SUBURBAN) was light years better than the HURET ALLVIT schwinn approved rear derailleur that was STILL FACTORY EQUIPMENT on Continental/VARSITY/Suburban ten speeds.
Folks already knew that the earlier GT-100 (the first shimano built rear derailleur for Schwinn first seen on 1970 COLLEGIATE and 1970 Suburban FIVE SPEEDs)
The March 1970 Bicycling magazine has an article on the GT-100 rear derailleur calling it the most durable of any to date, at that point in time.
That GT-100 was Shimano quality in a sort of ALLVIT meets LARK packaging that Schwinn engineering wanted. Shimano got the message of the cable saver and bash guard features that Schwinn engineers thought added ruggedness and operational durability should you have the gorilla from the American Tourister/Samsonite luggage tv commercials, beginning to ride and own a 10 speed. For those of you under 60 years old, those tv commercials were just the suitcases in a cage with a giant gorilla that attempted to destroy them in every way possible, a very memorable tv commercial. Schwinn engineers thought that teenaged riders would be as rough as the gorilla, and probably about as careful and intelligent too.
Call it what you want, but the Japanese just destroyed the Italians, and French with their far superior rear derailleurs that worked so much better. They took existing designs and just took it to a level that was not seen before. If you're also beyond 60 years old, you will certainly remember that the Japanese wiped the old guard electronics, radio-stereo and tv manufacturers out with substantial product innovations in the mid to late sixties. SONY's Trinitron ('68) made other existing color tv technology immediately obsolete, and SONY , the one and only and Matsu****a's NATIONAL/Panasonic was just slightly ahead of their time. Nobody came close to them between 1965 and 1980! SONY and Panasonic/Technics(name seen from '75 onward on hi-fi stereo gear) were unbeatable because they were that much better than everyone else. SHIMANO and Maeda-SUNTOUR were the Sony and Panasonic equivalent in the bicycle equipment during the Seventies.
Every thing else in terms of rear derailleurs, from that time period by comparison is JUNK, even if it has the cool looking Campagnolo, Huret or Simplex piece of __ .
10-13-19, 06:35 PM
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Thanks for posting the article- good read.
Not much interest in old Shimano, and will go out of my way to swap to early Suntour + freewheels.
Funny, not sure when the steel Campy Velox ended but they always seem to work without fuss and are TOUGH, rarely wear out pivots. Can be setup to take a wide range ratio. Exception for the crap pulleys.
Campagnolo will always get the nod of approval for character and style, though need to be used with patience and finesse. Long cage jobbies are not something I desire. Tried a N.Record long cage that was was pretty fresh but it lacked precise shifts, required over lever action with great caution.
Huret had some gems. These days I have more interest in them over Campagnolo. Bored with Campy and even with the reliable Suntour. Jubilee stuff is pretty and svelte - work quite well.
A few goodies from Simplex like the 6xx series - nice shifter, reliable except for pivot springs. A big pass on any Delrin experiments.
Lastly and jumping to modern. You would think today Shimano has the entire offering dialed in. Not so. (Psss.. The Shimano Claris is nit picky and almost all I know having complain of constant needed adjustments.) Not trying to diss the maker as I really do love my modern atb full XT however expect flawless and reliable shift systems, even with the low end series.
Not much interest in old Shimano, and will go out of my way to swap to early Suntour + freewheels.
Funny, not sure when the steel Campy Velox ended but they always seem to work without fuss and are TOUGH, rarely wear out pivots. Can be setup to take a wide range ratio. Exception for the crap pulleys.
Campagnolo will always get the nod of approval for character and style, though need to be used with patience and finesse. Long cage jobbies are not something I desire. Tried a N.Record long cage that was was pretty fresh but it lacked precise shifts, required over lever action with great caution.
Huret had some gems. These days I have more interest in them over Campagnolo. Bored with Campy and even with the reliable Suntour. Jubilee stuff is pretty and svelte - work quite well.
A few goodies from Simplex like the 6xx series - nice shifter, reliable except for pivot springs. A big pass on any Delrin experiments.
Lastly and jumping to modern. You would think today Shimano has the entire offering dialed in. Not so. (Psss.. The Shimano Claris is nit picky and almost all I know having complain of constant needed adjustments.) Not trying to diss the maker as I really do love my modern atb full XT however expect flawless and reliable shift systems, even with the low end series.
10-13-19, 07:44 PM
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10-13-19, 08:09 PM
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Sweet article, lots of information! Serious research. I had a reasonable idea of how vintage Campagnolo, Shimano, and Suntour stacked up at various time periods, but cool info about the other European manufacturers.
