The Zeus Alfa Touring fills a slightly confusing place in the Zeus product range. I had, up to this point, thought that Zeus used the Alfa sub-brand to offer lower cost models for more utilitarian bikes. But the Alfa Touring does not quite fit with this idea:
- I have an earlier (1981?), gold version which has an aluminum b-knuckle and titanium main Allen bollts. At 166g it is the lightest Zeus derailleur in this collectiion. The weight, the gold anodising and the use of titanium hardly point to an economy model.
- I also have a later (1983?), silver version, which has both knuckles made of plastic and steerl main Allen bolts - this is more utilitarian - but is also extremely simliar to a contemporary Zeus New Racer).
In both cases, the only mention of Zeus is on the plastic pulley wheels.
I think that this is a 1983? version of a Zeus Alfa Touring. It has:
- Both knuckles made of plastic.
- A plain aluminium outer parallelogram plate and outer pulley cage plate.
- Steel main Allen bolts.
- A design of pulley cage plate and p-pivot rotation stop that give greater chain wrap, stopping the pulley cage at about 110 degrees to the parallelogram. This is typical of Zeus designs around 1983.
- Derailleur brands: Zeus
- Categories: Zeus - the bad and the ugly
- Country: Spain
- Date of introduction: 1983?
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: unknown
- Weight: 179g
- Maximum cog: 30 teeth
- 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 plastic knuckles
Ref. 1104
