Peter Kohler wrote:
>
(cut)
> But you gotta really put the blinkers on if you're excluding France, of all
> countries, in the equation. Amazing, really. These are the people that call
> it the TdF so they don't have to use the word. I am pretty sure Coppi,
> Bartali ecc. rode to victory with Simplex derailleurs. But someone will tell
> me they were really designed by Italians and secretly made there.
Hope you're sitting down Peter...
Simplex had a factory in Italy and Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi won their Simplex-equipped races on Italian made Simplex.
"Simplex Catalog, Italian Edition, 1950 -- 20 pages covering the following derailleurs: Champion Du Monde, Tour De France 1948, Tour De France 1949, Tour De France Competition 1950, and the Competition front changer. Also a picture of the complete "Gruppo Speciale Corsa Simplex" in its box! Catalog pictures Coppi winning 1949 TdF on Simplex. The color cover is the famous Art Deco Simplex poster! $ 12"
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, CA http://www.velo-retro.com (Reprints, Timelines, and T-shirts on line)
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