At 8:42 AM -0800 11/22/09, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:
>What rod type FD's were used with triples in the 50's and earlier?
Triples were very much the realm of high-end cyclotouring bikes in those days. Most of these used custom-made front derailleurs, as you can see in our book 'The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles.' However, there is a 1950s Balleuil with a triple and a Huret rod-operated front derailleur. I haven't ridden the bike, so I don't know how it shifts. Since those derailleurs are relatively common, it might be worth a try.
The late 1940s Mayeux also has a (cable-operated) front derailleur
with a triple crankset. I am not sure who made that one, but it looks
like a factory-made item with a big return spring. Perhaps Spirax?
I'd have to look through my old magazines...
>But I believe many constructer bikes used a two-wire Cyclo. When
>did Cyclo change to a single-wire chainstay RD, or did they make
>both simultaneously?
Both were made simultaneously. The two-wire was the high-end model.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
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