In your opinion, what is the best looking rear derailer?
 

Pick any rear derailer to set on a pedestal under showroom lights. What is it? If it's something old or rare, please provide as nice of a picture as possible. You're helping me with an art thing. Thanks!

Not the best rear derailleur but certainly one of the prettiest... The Campy Rally First Generation.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b66de78c2.jpeg

For me, its M900 XTR

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6cf115fd0.jpeg

Depends on the bike. I probably prefer Super Record for an '80s bike, but Nuovo Record usually works for '60s - '80s.

https://live.staticflickr.com/8790/1...724a3d46_b.jpg

First gen Suntour Cyclone is pretty nice as well.

https://live.staticflickr.com/773/21...441fa888_b.jpg
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Haven't found one that didn't collect debris. That'd be a favorite if it exists.

It is also one of the best, at least for the era. Basically a MTB badged Dura Ace that will run larger cogs with more capacity.

I’ve run both and I’ll take the M900 any day.

Of course the successor disaster they called the M95x only made the M900 that much better.

John

I would put out there the Dura-Ace 7703
https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site...l_image_01.jpg

All derailleurs are ugly.....When it comes to bicycle aesthetics, nothing beats the beautiful and aesthetically pleasing look of a SS or FG drivetrain.

not having a rear der imo is like buying neapolitan ice cream, but only to find vanilla in the container. blahhh

Vanilla ice cream is my favorite :thumb:...that's the only flavor I care about.

Then buy the container marked with only vanilla. I like Vanilla with fresh strawberries & coooh whhhip

Campagnolo C Record


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b58cd7784.jpeg

Got my vote…

No disagreement but I'm among at small, detailed, technical, iconic bike parts.

Great suggestions so far, thanks guys.

https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/...9w1R/s-l96.jpg

Campy 50th Anniversary

Those are pretty much it for me, but…

Since I always ride on dusty or muddy routes, not dealing with a constantly messy RD is yet another benefit of running SS.

Otto

Knock-offs usually don't look nicer than the derailleurs they copy, but this one is an exception. Not that the Crane GS looks bad by any stretch, but Shimano's properly-designed b-knuckle isn't quite as pretty as Campagnolo's exploding b-knuckle (at least prior to it exploding), and I'm not quite sure what Shimano was going for with the sorta-drilled-esque tensioner cage plates.

One extra-beautiful thing about Shimano's 600 Arabesque derailleurs is that its knock-offs are beautifully weird.

https://i.imgur.com/XXiS3TC.jpg

Big fan of the tri-color!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...208525f3b0.jpg

That comes with my favorite group of all time. Everything is so ugly today.

https://media.karousell.com/media/ph...rogressive.jpg

Aesthetics of the NR and C Record are superb and cannot get any better. Amazingly the designers intentionally put beautiful form into function with these models. The Japanese counterparts were also aesthetically appealing, however the designs are more function than form, which produced a better shifting mechanism albeit at the cost of beauty.

Huret Jubilee, FTW. One of the lightest, as well.

Nothing else in this thread even comes close to this.

The finish on all the C Record Grouppo was spectacular. My C Record RD has a Crit scar on it but is still beautiful

No other comes close