Country: Italy

Based in Legnaro, near Padova, Gian Robert manufactured a range of bicycle components, including chainsets and derailleur systems. It is difficult to find clear information, but it appears that they may have started manufacturing derailleurs in the early 1960’s, and may have ended in the mid 1980’s.

There are reports on the web of Gian Robert being original equipment on 1959, 1960 and 1963 models (particularly from Torpado, also based in Padova). Frank Berto shows models dated 1962 and 1964. Gian Robert derailleurs also feature in the 1981 Ron Kitching catalogue. Classic Rendezvous shows a Torpado spec sheet from the ‘early 1980’s’ showing a Gian Robert derailleur (model unknown) fitted to their cheapest ‘Alfa’ model. Classic rendezvous also shows a 1981 Bicycle Magazine test of the twin seat tube Rigi fitted with a special Gian Robert front derailleur. When considering chronology I think there is some virtue to the ideas that:

1. 
   

2. •The earlier parallelogram designs had the spring visible in a cutout in the paralellogram plate. Later parallelogram designs had completely concealed springs.
   

3. • Early pulleys are round and early pulley bolts have screwdriver heads. Later pulleys are toothed and later pulley bolts have hex heads.
   

4. • Earlier logos are ovals with no pattern inside them, later logos involve the writing on a criss-cross background.
   

5. 
   

Gian Robert used one basic design throughout their history, a derivative of Campagnolo’s design, with one sprung pivot, but with the adjustment screws integrated more tidily into the knuckles. They delivered this design at different times in bronze(?), in pressed steel, in plastic and in aluminium. All the examples that I have seen have the pulley cage pivot off-set from the axis of the pulleys which suggests to me that Gian Robert probably copied the 1963 Campagnolo Record, 1962 Campagnolo Sportman or at the earliest the 1961 Simplex Juy Export 61. It is hard to see Gian Robert as a technical innovator. This makes me slightly dubious about the claims that these gears were around in the 1950’s.

In terms of finish and quality Gian Robert were never up to Campagnolo standards (and never really seemed to care). However, Campagnolo deliberately made their cheaper Sportman, Valentino and Velox gears look very different from their better Gran Sport, Record, Nuovo Record and Nuovo Gran Sport designs. This left an opening for companies like Gian Robert to produce low-price derailleurs that (from a distance at least) looked more like these more expensive and refined models than Campagnolo’s own offerings.

Gian Robert also manufactured rebadged versions of its derailleurs for the French Cyclo company up until about 1975.

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