Yours obviously,shifted a WHOLE lot better than any that I had any experience with. Sincerely,Harris Spracher,Waynesboro VA.
jerrymoos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote: When Simplex first jumped wholeheartedly into part-plastic construction, plastics were still being touted as "space age" materials, but in a very short time the market was flooded with inexpensive plastic goods, and the perception of plastic rapidly changed from "exotic" to "cheap". So Simplex's timing proved to be poor marketing-wise. In addition, the plastic parts, while very light and "self-lubricating" simply proved much less durable than the steel and later alloy that Campy used. Simplex's move was characteristic of the more daring and innovative technical approach of Simplex versus Campy and of French component manufacturers in general versus Italian ones. But this time the innovation didn't work out and Campy's conservative design philosophy paid off for them. Simplex also took a long time to give up on plastic, and by the time they did it was too late to catch up to Campy in the market, let alone deal with the onslaught from Shimano at the same time. Being innovative and daring doesn't always end in success.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Houston, TX
>
> In a message dated 2/19/04 11:19:09 AM, Jerry writes:
>
>
> >The Simplex Prestige found on Peugeot UO-8 and other lower end bike boom
> >models had the spring loaded upper pivot, but unfortunately had a cheap
> >stamped steel jockey cage, which flexed too much and led to the lack of
> >feedback you speak off. Ruined an otherwise good design. Campy
Valentino
> >and (at least in some years) Nuovo Grand Sport had similar crappy jockey
> >cages with the same result. But Campy sold a higher percentage of
high-end
> >NR's in the US, while Simplex sold a high percentage of lower end models.
> >Thus the myth of poor Simplex shifting was born. I fell victim to this
myth
> >myself in 1973 when I (in retrospect) foolishly replaced a perfectly good
> >Simplex Criterium on a new LeJeune F-70 (equivalent of PX-10E) with an
> >all-alloy Simplex Super LJ as an original dealer upgrade - this must have
> >been one of the first years for the SLJ. Because the plastic Prestige on
my
> >former Peugeot UO-8 had shifted badly, I thought the plastic OE Simplex
> >Criterium on the LeJeune would do likewise, and I never gave it a chance.
> >Only years later when I bought a used PX-10 did I didcover that the
plastic
> >Criterium, with its proper forged jockey cage shifted splendidly.
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Jerry Moos
>
>
> Jerry, don't feel bad, you probably did the right thing. I kept the
> Criterium on my '73 PX-10 and it only lasted a couple of years. The
Delrin (is this
> the French word for Nylon? ;) body had wonderful self-lubricating
properties
> and shifted well but it trapped grit quickly and thus would not stand up
to
> regular use any better than the Prestige (though it did have a much nicer
pulley
> cage). I eventually replaced it with LJ /Bullseye, as well as an LJ front
der,
> and they lasted until I sold the bike 20 years later.
>
> As for the Simplex/Campy thing, I'll have to admit I liked the LJ better
than
> any NR-equipped bike I ever rode... the LJ shifted with more sureness and
> there was less chain bounce when riding on bumpy roads. It was also
easier to
> clean (it had one removable pivot held with a C-clip). And adjustment was
> easier too since both screws were side-by-side and facing the same
direction. A
> wonderful design (the front der was nice too), a shame that it was too
little
> too late for Simplex.
>
> Bob Hovey
> Columbus, GA
>
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