Re: [CR]How to distinguish a Simplex TdF derailleur from a 3 spd to 4 spd

In-Reply-To: <2e251fe70706270909g4600c928q2727c5ec80060e73@mail.gmail.com>
References: <2e251fe70706270909g4600c928q2727c5ec80060e73@mail.gmail.com>
From: "Chuck Schmidt" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]How to distinguish a Simplex TdF derailleur from a 3 spd to 4 spd
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:58:44 -0700
To: CR RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

On Jun 27, 2007, at 9:09 AM, Raffaele Giordano wrote:
> Hello guys,
>
> thank you for the wonderful pictures of the Cirque, it looked amazing.
> I have a bit of a dilemma, is there a way to distinguish an early
> Simplex Tdf from a 3 speed to 4 speed without mounting it? I have a
> few sets of these derailleurs, as carefully as I dug around the web,
> the only source I have found to date them is from
> http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/simplex.html. Which to me look
> they are early 50s. Any tips would be gratefully appreciated, if
> anyone has a copy of the original instruction sheet that would be
> amazingly helpful.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Raffaele
> Stockholm, Sweden

Raffaele, I believe the single pulley Simplex Champ du Monde was the 3 speed derailleur. The Simplex Tour de France was for four or five speed (4 or 5 accomplished by adjusting the derailleur).

Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA USA
http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)