Between 1929 and 1935 Simplex released a somewhat confusing goulash of rather similar, twin pulley, derailleurs which it described as being suitable for 'le tourisme', 'le travail' and 'la ville' (touring, work and town use).
To spice-up the confusion, these models, in true Simplex style, carried a rather random set of, beguilingly similar, model names. It is possible that the sequence of names goes something like; 'Le Simplex', 'Le Simplex Route 2 Vitesses', 'Le Simplex Route 3 Vitesses', 'Le Simplex 3 Vitesses', 'Le Simplex Route 1934', 'Le Simplex Route' and finally 'Simplex Route'. Or there may have been no order, or even no formally defined model names. For the sake of my mental health I shall call them all 'Simplex Route'.
Some of the, many, variables were as follows:
- I believe that they started out as low-normal pull-chain designs. Then used a rod-operated lever format. Then reverted to a low-normal pull-chain design, Then, later, adopted a top-normal, bell-crank architecture.
- Earlier bell-crank models were designed to accept the cable nipple (with the cable clamped at the lever). Later bell-crank models clamped the cable at the derailleur (with the nipple at the lever).
- It's possible that they started out with a guide pulley with 12 teeth, but later adopted a guide pulley with 14 teeth.
- There was a blizzard of different mounting brackets.
I believe that this is a three-speed pull-chain model from 1933. It was once lushly chromed, but it has lived a hard, high-mileage, life. Some its features are:
- It is low-normal and uses a toggle chain.
- The guide pulley has 12 teeth.
- The tension pulley has 60mm diameter flanges and a 25mm diameter centre.
- It mounts onto the axle.
- The chain tension spring hooks into a hole in the end of a curved arm on the pulley cage.
- There are triangular 'Simplex' logos on the mounting arm and the cable stop arm. The pulley cage is stamped 'LE SIMPLEX BteS.G.D.G'. The tension pulley is not branded.
The mounting arm has the usual oval slot for attaching the sliding rod mechanism, but this time the lower end of the slot is open. This is not so usual.
- Derailleur brands: Simplex
- Categories: Simplex - before 1945
- Country: France
- Date of introduction: 1933?
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: unknown
- Weight: 356g including the axle mounting bracket, but excluding the chain tension spring.
- Maximum cog: 28 teeth?
- Total capacity: 28 teeth?
- Pulley centre to centre: 70mm
- Index compatibility: friction
- Chain width: 1/8”
- Logic: low normal
- B pivot: none
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: steel with aluminium flanges on the tension pulley
Ref. 1679
