Indeed that is exactly right - but Campy stuck with the design when those ratios started changing. And a study of deraillieurs already in existence would have revealed that there was another way...
Mike Kone in Boulder CO
> One must remember the era that these derailleurs were introduced and the
\r?\n> ratios used at the time. The Gran Sport worked perfectly well, and
\r?\n> better than almost any other racing derailleur of the period, when used
\r?\n> with 52/48 and 14-24 (5 speed) which was almost universally used at the
\r?\n> time.
\r?\n> The Sport derailleur was designed for use on city bikes with a three
\r?\n> speed freewheel of 16-19-22 or a four speed 15-23. It worked perfectly
\r?\n> well with these ratios and it is still possible to see them in everyday
\r?\n> use in Italy fifty years after they were made.
\r?\n> Mike Barry.
\r?\n> In sunny Toronto.