Tiso's first design, the Tiso Venda 601 (1st style), was an idiosyncratic essay in weird right angles, even weirder finishes and was weirdly aimed at mountain bikers. For their second generation of derailleurs Tiso went to the other extreme, producing a very conventional series of, mainly, road derailleurs that were a rather derivative take on the theme of the Shimano Dura-Ace 7401. The unique selling points were, firstly, the extreme rarity and exclusivity of the brand, secondly, the totally CNC machined construction and thirdly, the derailleur was completely disassemblable and rebuildable.
After describing how Shimano dominated the derailleur world at the time, Frank Berto ruefully commented that the existence of these Tiso derailleurs showed that 'hope still springs eternal'!
Tiso produced this fine derailleur in a range of variants:
- It came in Campagnolo or Shimano compatible versions. The difference was in the outer parallelogram plate, with two different placings for the cable clamp bolt giving the two different actuation ratios.
- There were three possible pulley cage lengths, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm (although mine measure 99mm). Most examples (95%+?) have the 50mm cage.
- I am aware of four different model names, 'Sereo 130' for the Campagnolo 50mm and 75mm versions, 'Altore 366' for the Shimano 50mm and 75mm versions, 'Tri 300' for a Shimano 50mm version that was designed to appeal to triathletes and 'Venda 601' for a Shimano 100mm version for mountain bikers. These model names and numbers are exactly as incomprehensible and meaningless as you would expect from a derailleur manufacturer!
- There were more colour options than a Pride parade.
- The number of variations in graphic treatment is unknowably large. In general, the graphics were fairly horrid, in the Tiso tradition, and got marginally less attractive as time went on.
But how did it work? My very limited experience is that it shifted gears just slightly less precisely than a Shimano Dura-Ace and cost considerably more. But how can you put a price on the artesanal skills of an Italian craftsman?
This, reasonably tidy, later example is a Tiso Sereo 130, sporting tasteful, silver anodised, parts. Some of its features are:
- It is Campagnolo compatible, with the cable clamp bolt very close to the p-knuckle.
- The pulley cage is 50mm, centre to centre.
- It has a standard cable adjuster.
- The cable clamp bolt is steel.
- 'TITANIUM - ALU' is written, the right way up, across the front of the p-knuckle.
- 'MADE IN ITALY 03-04' is wrtten on the underside of the p-knuckle.
It is impressively lightweight at 166g. This is 12g lighter than my earlier example, even though the earlier model has an aluminium cable clamp bolt.
- Derailleur brands: Tiso
- Themes: Ultra-lightweight - road racing models
- Country: Italy
- Date of introduction: 2004?
- Date of this example: March 2004 (the p-knuckle is labelled '03-04')
- Model no.: 130
- Weight: 166g
- Maximum cog: 27 teeth (Tiso)
- Total capacity: unknown
- Pulley centre to centre: 50mm
- Index compatibility: Campagnolo 9 speed and 10 speed
- Chain width: 3/32”
- Logic: top normal
- B pivot: sprung
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: aluminium with some titanium small parts and, surprisingly, a steel cable clamp bolt
