Dodsun Bicycle & Machinery is a company founded, possibly in Taoyuan City, Taiwan in 1972. It was one of the very first Taiwanese bicycle brands that I became aware of (possibly in the very late 1970s). I remember rather well constructed, but very, heavy, bikes usually equipped with SunTour steel gears. For some reason I think that I also remember some improbably glamorous chrome work, with glistening chrome spokes.

There is some internet chat indicating that Dodsun was the first Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer to achieve ISO 9001 and was a prolific contract manufacturer for the likes of Univega, Nishiki and even Specialized. This sounds more than possible - although I cannot personally vouch for it. Dodsun still exists today although in a somewhat diminished form. Its web site states its, rather admirable, goal as "moderate growth, annual profitability and maintaining our sense of humor".

Dodsun appears on this web site because I have seen a small, but unmissable, number of derailleurs branded 'Dodsun'. These are very faithful copies of Simplex Prestige derailleurs of the late 1960s, but are branded 'Dodsun' (rather than 'Simplex') on the outer parallelogram plate. Crucially they also have no writing on the inner parallelogram plate and have no writing on the pulley wheels. I believe these derailleurs were manufactured in Taiwan at some time in the 1970s. Page 162 of the famous May 1981 edition of New Cycling magazine shows what is possibly an example of one of these derailleurs, but labels it simply 'China'.