See also: Osgear documents

Country: UK

Osgear was the derailleur brand of the Constrictor Tyre Company, based in London. Hilary Stone reports that the company was formed just after the start of the twentieth century and finally closed its doors in the late 1960’s. it is not hard to find adverts for Constrictor bicycle tyres (The Python!) that claim to date from 1913, and magazine articles about Constrictor rims that appear to be from 1963.

As was the fashion at the time, Constrictor liked to use a particular aluminium alloy that they called ‘Conloy’. Due to the success of the company’s Conloy rims, the word ‘Conloy’ became the name by which consumers came to refer to the company, in place of the more correct ‘Constrictor’.

Constrictor imported Oscar Egg’s Super Champion range of derailleurs into Britain from the late 1930’s until the early 1950’s. Constrictor rebranded these derailleurs as ‘Osgear’ - it is not impossible that the ‘Os’ of ‘Osgear’ refers to Oscar Egg. Constrictor also liked to change some of the French model names - but did not do this with the Grand Sport.

To complete the confusion Constrictor also manufactured some derailleurs of their own design and branded these ‘Constrictor’, ‘Constrictor Conloy’ or ‘Constrictor Osgear’ or several of these all at once.