This brings up a question I've long been meaning to ask about Huret dropouts and derailleurs. Most Huret dropouts I've seen were threaded and notched like Campy, and I long assumed that they should accept a Campy RD, but other comments here suggest that wasn't the case.
If Huret DO's were not comaptible with Campy, what is the difference in dropout geometry that would affect RD mounting? If a Campy RD doesn't mount on a Huret DO without modification, what modifications are necessary? Was the Huret Jubilee that mounted to the Huret DO's of the Raleigh Competition not the same one that worked on Campy DO's? If not, what was the difference?
I think many other Huret RD's (including Duopar) did not come in different versions, but used little keyed washers to adapt them to different DO's. I believe John Barron once sold these washers, with a picture on his website with the caption, "You know which one you need." In fact, I for one, did not know which one would be required for a given DO. How can you tell?
I believe that on unthreaded, untapped Simplex DO's, one uses a nut inside the DO to thread onto the upper pivot bolt of Huret derailleurs. But what about the forward stop? Simplex RD's with spring loaded upper pivot did not require a stop notch on the DO, but no classic Huret RD I know of had a sprung upper pivot. How did one limit the forward rotation of a Huret RD on a Simplex DO?
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Mark Bulgier <Mark@bulgier.net> wrote:
Kevin Salyer writes:
> [...] a 1973 Motobecane Team Champion [...] a Pat.
> 74 Nuevo Record rear derailleur [...] The
> Simplex dropout, while threaded for the Campy NR, has no
> forward stop. [...] Sheldon Brown suggested that I file a
> notch in the dropout but this did not work.
Jerry Moos's analysis is right on except when he says you might have a Le Champion - they were Campy dropouts too, at least as far back as '71, the oldest one I know of for sure (I sold them in a Motobecane shop back then, and own a '71).
Another thing that doesn't add up for me is: How did you mount the derailleur before you filed the notch? Filing a Simplex SHOULD be necessary to even bolt the thing on - otherwise the tab on the derailleur that contacts the stop should be hitting solid dropout steel where there needs to be air, preventing it from screwing on. If you forced it, then you probably mooshed (technical term) or broke the derailleur tab off.
Another possibility is that your dropout isn't Simplex, but rather Huret. What made you say Simplex? Does it have Simplex forged into it, or were you guessing? 'Cuz Huret makes more sense, as Motobecane never used Simplex dropouts (on any frame I saw) but they did use Huret, on the Grand Jubilé. Any chance what you have is a Grand Jubilé that someone put Team Champion decals on?
Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA