Shaneferd

Here's a quick link to a pair currently listed on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nice-Simplex...item19d9acc990

I've read somewhere that these were the Simplex company's first retrofriction offering, from the early '70s.
They appear to be intact & in good shape, hope they're useful to someone here.

Chombi

Now you've done it! It will certainly go for lots and lots of money with half the C&V world finding out about the auction here!............ Before you posted, it might have gone for just lots of money.......

Chombi

Shaneferd

I do believe you could Buy It Now for $79.
Oop, they're gone...

Shaneferd

Them rascals have been coming out of the woodwork lately, not terribly hard to discern from the standard variant either.

Chombi

Hehehe...got it! Thanks for the tip!
$ I guess BIN 79 bucks wasn't a bad price, considering a lot of standard retrofriction shifters had gone for that much and more.... and this one looks to be in very good condition, much better than most I've seen in the past. Had to check if they really were retrofrictions in the pics. I could just see signs of a spring end between the mounting body and the levers......wouldn't know 100% till I get them, I guess, but I guess that's the chances I had to take to finally snag a set of them...
Now I have to find a bike to build around it! Or maybe......I can pass it on to someone here who'll need it more than me for a classic/70's Tout French build in the near future....

Chombi

Pars 

Are the ones in that auction actually retrofriction? Seemed to be some dissension on velobase regarding some that looked like that?

Shaneferd

Bike projects have been started around lesser components...

I have a pair for a French fashion touring project, and a spare for backup(in case one of them springs fail). A demultiplicator is specifically designed for these levers, and recommended for use when pairing with a vintage rear derailleur.
Glad to hear they've found a good home!

Chombi

As I noted, If you look at the pics closely, there seems to be a spring end in a slot on the levers. I suspect that would be the retrofriction spring that goes over and grips the pivot barrel. Regular friction levers shouldn't have those.....but then they could also be just some sort of ratcheting spring.....ulp!....I'll worry about it when I get them, I guess....

Chombi

Pars 

Didn't mean to pee in your Cheerios! When I looked at the auction, I also said, given the starting vs. BIN price, why would you let it go to bid, so good job just snagging them.

ascherer 

Same question, and I can't find anything definitive. Some say Simplex never made retrofriction barcons. I have a NOS set that I put on my MTB drop bar & road tires conversion that look identical and have no springs. Chombi, I can send you a scan of the tout francais documentation with parts diagrams, pm me if you want them.

southpawboston

Having just rebuilt a couple of sets of retrofrictions, and looking at the auction pictures showing the placement of the spring ends, I would be very confident those are retrofriction bar-ends. It would seem that the very design of the retrofriction mechanism lends itself to nicer integration as a bar-end shifter than as a down tube shifter, and perhaps that's why Simplex introduced the mechanism in their bar-ends first, and later in down tube shifter form?

ascherer 

I see it now in photo 6. Mine don't have that bit. QED.

onespeedbiker

Here is a diagram of the the Simplex bar end retro friction shifters..

qd-s

Yes, they are.
I have both versions - retrofriction and non-retrofriction bar-ends - mounted on my PX10s. The difference is clearly visible from the outside (apart from the above mentioned tiny spring end slot): the retrofriction variant's levers are significantly wider around the pivotal axis.

First comment and third picture on Velobase are mine. I was, perhaps ambiguously, referring to the barcos in the first two pics on V.B. allegedly being retrofriction shifters, as stated ("shifting systems"). What I still believe they actually are not...
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.as...=104&AbsPos=10

Grand Bois

You'll find that it's difficult to get a wrench on the locknuts.

Chombi

Well, I got it!...A little late because of some delay with USPS but the shifters are as what was pictured in the eBay auction.
It looks to be in barely used condition. the lever rubber cores look brand new, no cracks or splits on them and they are not hardened. The cable grooves do not even have cable marks on them yet. could have been a take-off from a new bike a long time ago, or the owner just did not adjust to barends and took them off....
At first I was alarmed as the levers felt limp going both directions, but I noticed that the pivot bolt and locknuts were loose. After disassembly, and cleaning, I reassembled it with the bolts tightened as how I would have it on my other retrofrictions, and the levers "re-retrofied"! So they are indeed retrofriction bar end levers! Friction is applied in only one direction of the lever swings....
As for the hard to get at locknut for the pivot bolt end, I have a mini open end wrench set that worked great at getting them. But as GB noted, most other wrenches and sockets will not be able to get at it. I'm thinking of just maybe removing the two nuts and replacing it with an appropriate sized Nylock nut, but I'll figure that out when I mount it on a project bike, I guess....
Thanks for the heads up on these again Shaneferd! I've been wating such a long time for a chance to snag a good pair of these!

Chombi

Grand Bois

I use an ignition wrench.

Chombi

Not familiar with that wrench GB, would that be one you use on distributors? My little open ended wrench worked but it would be good to find something closed ended like what I suspect the ignition system wrench you mentioned.

Chombi

southpawboston

You can get thin-walled sockets for this type of application.

Grand Bois

Here you go:

https://www.sears.com/search=ignition...e=CAT_REC_PRED

Mine are probably 30 years old. It's been along time since I've had to work on a distributor.

Chombi

Thanks for that link GB!, I just realized I have the 8 piece open ended set shown on the page. Never realized that they were ignition wrenches. I'll check out the closed ended one next time I'm near a sears store cause I think those would work better anyway.

Chombi

mountaindave 

There is quite a definitive thread on Retrofrictions here.

At the risk of cross-threading, I'll add a photo of my retrofriction bar ends - one exploded for details and compared to a disassembled DT Retrofriction. The bar end naturally matches the diagram above (save the broken spring).