To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1920, Huret decided to create the ultimate derailleur - and, given that this was 1970, that meant ultimate weight loss. The result was the Huret Jubilee - a masterpiece of minimalism unsurpassed to this day. Groove on the tiny adjustment screws, the pulley wheels with adjustable ball bearing races and the worlds lightest steel Allen key hanger bolt.

This example is a very well used 2248, the touring version designed for a Huret drop-out (the 2254 was the same thing for a Campagnolo drop-out). A super lightweight touring derailleur is not for the careless, and many of the long cage Jubilees met an untidy end knotted up in chain and spokes. But a touring derailleur that weighed 145g, without a hint of titanium or carbon, was an honourable effort and it still has a fanatical following of devotees.

Brian Eno once confessed that he liked to explain to ‘young people’ that, back in the bad-old-low-tech-flared-trousered-analogue days things were so backward that you could fly from London to New York in three and a half hours and men regularly walked on the Moon. He might have added that you could buy an off-the-peg touring derailleur that weighed 145g.

• Derailleur brands: Huret
• Categories: Huret - the amazingly light Jubilee
• Country: France
• Date of introduction: 1974?
• Date of this example: unknown
• Model no.: 2248
• Weight: 145g
• Maximum cog: 28 or 24 teeth (Source: Huret quoted different figures at different times)
• Total capacity: 40, 38 or 32 teeth (Source: Huret quoted different figures at different times)
• Pulley centre to centre: 82mm
• Index compatibility: friction
• Chain width: 3/32”
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: unsprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: aluminium (with a curious lack of any titanium)