Chris Ioakimedes wrote:
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> (cut) Has anyone out there ridden the earlier 2 speed type? Is it easy to change gears without stopping? From what I've read, you have to move the rear axle and backpeddle?
Chris, the only derailleurs that had a moving rear axle was the Campagnolo Cambio Corsa and the Paris-Roubaix gears. Double lever and single lever. They shifted four and five speed freewheels.
I have ridden my 1950 Bianchi Folgorissima on quite a few local vintage gatherings and if you come out to the Rose Bowl vintage ride again I'll show you how it works.
Hey, that was a very cool ex-Keirin bike you rode. I loved the "Ace Hardware" Japanese front brake adapter!!!
Here's an old post about my 1950 Bianchi:
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Jim McCoin wrote:
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(cut)
> Classic content, I bought the Coppi, Anquetil combination DVD and there
is a brief seen of Fausto shifting a Cambio Corsa, very smooth and elegant.
The last couple of days I have been riding this '50 Bianchi Folgorissima that I'm the current caretaker of, thanks to the generosity of list member Steven Maasland. It is pretty much a dream come true because it is a touchstone to Fausto Coppi and his '50 victory in Paris-Roubaix and of course I had always wondered how it was to ride a Campagnolo Paris-Roubaix derailleur.
I've put about 60 miles on it so far and I'm getting better, but "smooth and elegant" doesn't describe my technique yet ;) Only dropped the chain twice. No front derailleur to pick up the chain off the BB shell and I'm too chicken to put the chain back on with my fingers on the fly (I've read that quite a few old racers were missing a finger tip or two).
I can see why you were expected to pull out of the pace line to execute a shift with Cambio Corsa and Paris-Roubaix derailleurs, as you definitely have to look down to see what cog the chain shifted to.
I might try the double chainring next with the Simplex (It.) Competition Changer front derailleur next. That will make for truly interesting shifts, but I'll be able to shift the chain back on a chainring if it overshifts onto the bottom bracket without stopping.
How's it ride? Like you're on a cloud; the del Mondos measure an actual 29 mm! And all you hear is the hiss of the tires on the pavement as there are no pulleys to make noise. Gear is 49T with a 16-18-20-22, so spinning is the name of the game.
Chuck "maybe L'Eroica is in the cards for next year" Schmidt SoPas, SoCal =============================================================================
Chuck Schmidt L.A.
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