The 1980s Zeus New Racer/Alfa Touring/ series are some of the Zeus/Alfa derailleurs that I liked the best. They were light, reasonably well finished and inexpensive. Although their geometry was out-of-date in an era of sophisticated SunTour and Shimano designs, they demonstrated a likeable humility and even honesty.
The history of the many different models is slightly unclear, but may go something like this:
- First up is the exception that proves the rule. In 1981?, /Alfa released a gold Touring which has an aluminum b-knuckle and titanium main Allen bollts. At 166g it is the lightest Zeus/Alfa derailleur in this collectiion. The weight, the gold anodising and the use of titanium is bamboozling in what was supposed to be an economy brand.
...
- Possibly also in 1981, Alfa launched a version with both knuckles made of plastic and steel main Allen bolts. The b-knuckle on this version had the 'Alfa' logo cast into it, and it had no reinforcing metal plate between the b-knuckle and the hanger. The b-knuckles on all the examples of this that I have ever seen have been broken by the hanger.
- A little later, possibly in 1982, the Alfa Touring was updated, losing the logo on the b-knuckle and gaining a metal reinforcing plate between the b-knuckle and the hanger This version was also released as a Zeus New Racer - identical except for the logo and wording on the outer parallelogram plate.
- Then, possibly in 1983, both the Alfa Touring and the Zeus New racer were updated with a redesigned outer pulley cage plate. This repositioned the p-pivot rotation stop to allow more chain wrap.
- Finally, possibly in 1985, the pulley cage was changed again to the more flowing shape used on the 1984 Zeus Supercronos. This iteration may have only been released as a Zeus New Racer - I have never seen an Alfa version.
I think that this is a 1981?, gold version of a Alfa Touring. It has:
- An aluminium b-knuckle and a plastic p-knuckle.
- A rather lurid, gold anodised outer parallelogram plate and outer pulley cage plate.
- Titanium main Allen bolts - contributing to an impressively low, all-up, weight of 166g.
- A design of pulley cage plate and p-pivot rotation stop that stops the pulley cage at about 90 degrees to the parallelogram. This is typical of Zeus/Alfa designs up to about 1981.
- Derailleur brands: Alfa
- Categories: Alfa - the bad and the ugly
- Country: Spain
- Date of introduction: 1981?
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: unknown
- Weight: 166g
- Maximum cog: 26 teeth (stamped on the inside parallelogram plate)
- Total capacity: 28 teeth?
- Pulley centre to centre: 46mm
- Index compatibility: friction
- Chain width: 3/32”
- Logic: top normal
- B pivot: unsprung
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: largely aluminium, but with a plastic p-knuckle and titanium main allen bolts
Ref. 497
