This mysterious derailleur should probably be called the 'Simplex Jekyll & Hyde':
- The whole forward part of the derailleur - the p-knuckle, pulleys and pulley cage - is very similar to that of Simplex's late 1980s mid-market SX650 touring model. There is nothing particularly special about it - the chrome is dull, the pulleys have plain bearings and the front parallelogram pivots are firmly rivetted in place.
- The whole rear part of the derailleur - the parallelogram plates, cable clamp bolt and washer, cable adjuster and b-knuckle - is very reminiscent of MAVIC's luxurious 840 series. Suddenly the rear parallelogram pivots are removable, the chroming is exquisite, the adjustment screws are clearly labelled and neatly placed at the rear, and the cable adjuster is a finely machined joy to the touch. Only the crappily painted logo and the horrific casting lines on the b-knuckle differentiate this half of the derailleur from the MAVIC product.
Weird huh?
The, even weirder, concealed b-pivot design is identical to that on my MAVIC 840 prototype and on the initial images of the MAVIC 845.
Unfortunately I have been unable to find this derailleur in any Simplex literature, so I have no name or number for it and can only guess at its date. If you know anything about what is going on here, please let me know.
- Derailleur brands: Simplex
- Categories: Simplex - the bitter end
- Country: France
- Date of introduction: 1989?
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: unknown
- Weight: 298g
- Maximum cog: 32 teeth (based on Simplex SX650)
- Total capacity: 38 teeth (based on Simplex SX650)
- Pulley centre to centre: 75mm
- Index compatibility: 5, 6 & 7 speed
- Chain width: 3/32”
- Logic: top normal
- B pivot: sprung
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: fully aluminium parallelogram and steel pulley cage plates
