Charles T. Young wrote:
>I'm in the process of setting up my first Huret Allvit gear train. NMind
>you, it is not the first I've ridden a bike so equipped, just the first
>time assembling same. Are the friction cups on the shifters best run dry
>or with a light coating of grease or oil? They appear to have been dry
>when last in service.
Definitely dry!
>
>The RD is the more modern model with two detents for tensioning the
>spring for amount of takeup instead of the 1961 model four with four.
>While I expect that I can figure it out, which of the two provide the
>greatest amount of chainwrap?
These have no effect on chain wrap, only chain tension.
>
>Finally, are these components as wonderful as Frank Berto holds them to
>be in The Dancing Chain?
When I bought my first Alvit in probably 1961 or '62, it was the best derailer available to poor a high school student who couldn't afford Campagnolo. It was notably superior to the Benelux Mk VII it replaced.
However, it is functionally inferior to basically everything that has come out since, at least as far as shifting performance is concerned.
This is kinda puzzling, becasue the design looks great on paper, particularly the orientation of the parallelogram, which makes the jockey pulley track the cluster pretty well.
The Alvit has lovely ball bearing pulleys, I used to cannibalize them to upgrade newer derailers.
A key to getting best results from an Alvit is careful adjustment of
the parallelogram pivot bolts and locknuts
>Judging from their sparsity among photographs
>of vintage lightweights of the era on the web, they seem to have been
>the decidely poor cousins to the Campagnolo Gran Sport in the 1960's.
Right. I think the biggest problem is an excessively strong parallelogram spring, and the resulting cable stretch issues.
Sheldon "Not A Fan" Brown
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