Tag Archives: simplex Tour de France

Simplex Tour de France Rear Derailleur Adjustment

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It’s been quite a few years since I last posted about how to set up a Simplex Tour de France rear derailleur.  These mechanisms were found on bikes dating from the late 1940’s to the early 1960’s, but are not in any way intuitive to fine tune.

The routing of the chain through the pulleys was so puzzling that Simplex had to include a chart in their technical instructions to indicate how this was to be done.  In fact, when I had first started my vintage bike restoration endeavors many years ago I had taken a vintage Peugeot to a reputable bike shop for some repair help with a rear wheel.  When the bike was returned to me, the chain had been incorrectly routed through the Simplex rear derailleur.  That shows just how perplexing this rear derailleur can be.

1953 French mystery mixte with Oscar Egg lugs

Recently, I have been working on my mystery French mixte with its Oscar Egg lugs.  The bike was equipped with tubulars which have proven to be a challenge to keep maintained, as I haven’t ridden this bike on a regular basis, even though they do offer a beautiful and comfortable ride. The glue holding the tires to the rims is no longer robust.  So, upon deciding to temporarily replace the tubular wheelset with a clincher set from the same early 1950’s era, I needed to perform a few tweaks to the Simplex TDF rear derailleur in order to get this bike set up so that I can ride it with more regularity.

My replacement clincher wheels are 700c 1950’s Super Champion rims laced to Normandy hubs.  I wanted to lower the gearing from the the original configuration, but had read that these rear derailleurs can only manage about 24-25 teeth maximum on the freewheel.  I found a 5 speed freewheel with French threads with a largest 25 tooth cog, and then adjusted the internal threaded shaft on the Simplex TDF rear derailleur to tune out the highest fifth gear, as this derailleur can only accommodate 4 gears.  (The bikes’ original drilled Regina freewheel’s largest cog is 21T).  This is accomplished by loosening and removing the nut on top of the knurled washer, and turning the threaded shaft as needed to position it correctly so that the chain lines up with the smallest and largest cogs as the pull chain is moved through its range of motion.  It takes a bit of trial and error.  The knurled nut is meant to be used to turn the shaft, but if that proves difficult, there are flats on the shaft which engage with a 12mm wrench.

Once the alignment to the cogs was correct, I proceeded to adjust the derailleur using the two spring tension adjustments available in this 1950’s rear derailluer:  chain tension, and pulley tension.  The chain tension is controlled by the spring on the arm, and the pulley tension is controlled by the tension on the pulley spring, using the notched mechanism, shown above.  Moving the pulley spring’s position clockwise increases the pulley tension.

Before going further into the weeds, it’s always a good idea to look at a component’s schematics.  Here is the front page of the TDF instruction guide included with these models.  I also consulted the excellent advice from Peter Underwood at the Classic Lightweights website.  After some contemplation, I decided to overhaul a NOS Simplex TDF that I had in inventory, which needed cleaning and re-greasing, hoping this would illuminate this derailleur model’s nuances.

Upon removing the outer nut with a 17mm wrench, I proceeded to removed the pulley cage, which takes an 11m wrench.  The outer steel flexible cover over the shaft reveals an internal spring.  This model had lots of extra washers, which I ended up not replacing (more later!).  After cleaning and lubricating all the parts, came the difficult task of getting the pulley cage back on to the shaft, with its attendant spring.  After some trial and error, I realized there is always a trick to getting derailleur spring back where it should be.

After taking time to review the schematics, I realized that I needed to move the threaded shaft as close as possible to the notched piece, so as to push the moveable part of the shaft down as far as possible.  While holding the spring and cover tightly in place, I was finally able to thread the pulley cage back on, sans a few washers!

And finally, I was successful at re-assembly.  This NOS derailleur now has free-running pulleys with all parts lubricated and is ready to roll.

Meanwhile, I had tried various adjustment scenarios, changing the chain tension and the pulley tension.  The above is a video I made discussing the various adjustments possible for this derailleur.  I initially set the chain tension to push the derailleur back so that I could use the 25T freewheel I had selected.  But, you will see from this video, that by doing so, my shifting performance has suffered.

So I decided to reduce the chain tension by adjusting the nut at the back of the mounting bolt (which has the chain tension spring threaded around it).  This is done by removing the spring from the arm, releasing the bolt, moving the spring back or forward (in this case, forward to reduce tension), and re-tightening the nut.

You can see from the above video that my shifting has improved dramatically.  However, upon taking the bike on a test ride, the torque on the drive train while riding caused the derailleur pulley to contact the 25T cog, making the bike unrideable in that gear.  So, back to the drawing board!  I’ll either switch the freewheel back down to a 24T model, or fiddle with the tension adjustments yet again (NOT!), and most likley swap out the front chain ring for something a bit smaller to help make this bike more rideable for a Portland commute.

1950 Huret Competition Rear Derailleur

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This Huret Competition rear derailleur was equipped on the Mercier Meca Dural bicycle I have been restoring.  When I removed the derailleur from the frame, I wondered whether it was original to the bike.  And, I really didn’t like it – with it’s rigid connecting arm and weird large upper opening which is supposed to connect to the space above the frame’s vertical drop outs.  Perhaps I am a Simplex snob.

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This plunger/pull-chain derailleur is similar to the Simplex TDF and Simplex Juy derailleurs of this era.  But there is an important difference:  there is no upper pivot on the derailleur arm, so it cannot move under chain tension.  During this era, Simplex offered this extra feature on its plunger/pull-chain derailleurs, and I have enjoyed restoring a number of fine Simplex derailleurs from the early 1950’s which work well out on the road.  Instead, this Huret derailleur mounts with a rigid arm extending from the chainstay.  But because this Mercier Meca Dural has vertical dropouts, is the derailleur in the correct position?  The Daniel Rebour drawing shown above shows this derailleur mounted on a frame with semi-horizontal dropouts.  The position of the upper pulley in Rebour’s drawing, allows for more chain wrap, as opposed to my project, with its vertical dropouts pushing the derailleur down, with less engagement of the freewheel cogs.

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Even so, I decided to overhaul the derailleur and keep my misgivings at bay.  The pulleys have ball bearings – a really nice feature – which I overhauled by removing the pulleys from the cage, and cleaning and lubricating them. Each pulley has a set of cones under which the ball bearings reside, which can be tightened or loosened.  I decided to leave the cone adjustment as found, but I did note that one pulley’s cones were quite a bit looser than the other’s.

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I also cleaned and lubricated the pull chain – removing it completely from the derailleur and, cleaning and greasing it,  then re-threading it.  The re-threading is a little challenging – it takes patience to get the threads to re-engage.

One of the challenges with these types of derailleurs is to get the pulley cage in the correct position.  Simplex even offered a drawing in its owner’s manuals to help cyclists install these derailleurs correctly.  Generally speaking, the derailleur should be installed so that the monikers appear upright and/or readable, as shown below:

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I’m not enamored with this derailleur, but after researching its origins, I believe it may be original to the bike.  Even so, I may decide to replace it with a nicer Simplex model from this same era.  First, I’ll test this derailleur to see how it performs.

 

Early 1950’s French Mystery Mixte, Part II

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1953 Oscar Egg Mixte

I have dated this bike to the early 1950’s.  It is most likely a 1953 model, given the “53” code on the Fratteli Brivio (F.B.) hub cones, the “53” code on the Regina 4 speed freewheel, and the Simplex Tour de France rear derailleur, which matches visually to photos of other TDF models I have located dated as 1953 models (and includes a few features not seen on the late 40’s models).  However, there is also a “51” code on the Melas fork mounted dynamo, but an earlier date code for a component such as this doesn’t necessarily indicate the bike’s date of creation.

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Oscar Egg lugs. Note the small diameter tubes.

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I say “creation” instead of “manufacture”, as clearly this unique mixte, with its Oscar Egg lugs, was a custom build.  Unfortunately, there is no headbadge, nor are there logos of any kind present on the frame.  However, some barely visible white and orange paint artifacts still remain on the seat tube indicating the presence of transfers which have either faded or were removed.  And, on the headtube there is a shadow of what was once an oval or triangular sticker.

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The fork is likely not original to the frame.  Its brake reach is 7 mm longer than that of the rear brake reach, necessitating the use of longer reach Weinmann 810 sidepulls on the front (with the rear using a Weinmann 730).  In addition, the downtube shows evidence of a front impact, further supporting my theory that the original fork was replaced.  The fully chromed fork, although in beautiful condition, is not as nicely finished as the rest of the frame, with crude file marks still visible on the inside of the fork crown lug.

The use of a longer fork than original means that the headtube angle is slacker than originally conceived.  I measured it at 68 degrees, compared with the 71 degree angle of the seat tube.  According to this helpful guide from Damon Rinard, you can determine the effect of using a longer or shorter fork on your bike’s original frame geometry.  Conclusion: even fairly large length differences don’t matter all that much.  An 11 mm difference in fork length only changes the head angle by .64 degrees.  In this case, the slacker angle increased the wheel flop a bit, but the trail measurement of 58 mm and the wheel flop of 20 mm are still well within the normal range.

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Ideale TB 14 Saddle

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City style Scheeren bars, highly polished, with original grips

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Clement tubular rims

 

Fratelli Brivio (F.B.) hubs

Fratelli Brivio (F.B.) hubs

This bike is a study in contrasts.  It is built with top end, very light components.  As pictured it weighs only 22 lbs.  The use of the very best hubs available at the time laced to the Clement tubular rims indicate a rider who wanted speed and comfort, and was willing to pay for it.  The timeless Marcel Berthet Lyotard pedals include Christophe toe clips and leather straps, further evidence that the bike was meant for spirited riding. On the other hand, it has slack geometry, city style bars, and a heavy, but comfy Ideale TB 14 saddle.  It is also a larger mixte frame, measuring 55 cm x 55 cm, with a very long 109 cm wheelbase.  Although there are single fender eyelets front and rear, there are no rack mounts.  When cleaning the bike, I found evidence that a rear saddlebag support had been clamped on the seat stays.

Regina Model Fulgur Regina Model Fulgur

The Regina drilled 4 speed Model Fulgur 15-17-19-21 freewheel was an especially nice bit to find on this bike. The teeth show no wear, and with a little oil and cleaning, it looks and sounds brand new.  Some freewheels, such as SunTour and Regina, emit an incredibly pleasing sound, and this one is no exception.

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Simplex TDF rear derailleur mounted to the model specific Simplex drop out

After setting up Simplex TDF plunger/pushrod style rear derailleurs more than a few times, I have finally got the hang of it.  For this build,the derailleur responds extremely well and shifts as quickly as any modern derailleur, without any over shifting required.  Fortunately, I had the original chain, so I was not left to guess about chain length, and I think that helped a lot.  The new chain is a bit longer than I would have cut it if I had not had the original.

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Titan seatpost, gold lined lugs

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Favorit PWB (Prague Warsaw Berlin) crankset

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Highly polished stem, bars, and headset.

All of the components had been highly polished, even the Weinmann sidepull calipers.  Cleaning them was very easy.  The frame took more work, as there was a heavy layer of gunk over the paint.  The resulting sparkle was well worth it.  I was very surprised at how nicely even the silver paint on the stays cleaned up.  The bike really does look impressive.  An unusual feature is the curved rear stay, to allow the brake cable to lay flush against the frame.

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Curved rear stay

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Through the frame wiring for the fork mount dynamo, not yet installed.

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Flush mounted levers, Scheeren bars, Phillipe stem

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Simplex shifter with helpful cable stops

This was one of those bikes that I wanted to keep as original as possible.  However, the frayed brake cable housings had to go, as they were not usable.  I have a stash of vintage cable housing in various colors and from various periods.  I have found that this silver colored housing which I believe dates to the 1960’s has a really nice vintage-y look.  I had a length that was in good condition, so used it to replace the brake cable housing.  I decided to keep the shifter cable housing original.  Although the outer casing is cracked in areas, far less forces are exerted on shifter housing and the interior coils were fine, so I lubricated the original shifter housing and installed a new cable, which had to be sanded down a bit in order to fit into the Simplex shifter mechanism.  I did not install the Melas fork mount dynamo – it had probably failed long ago and was not useable.  I hooked up the pretty rear lamp, and will now try to source a fork mount dynamo from the period which has an integrated head lamp.

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I have yet to test ride the bike and to experience the tubular tires, the mounting and gluing of which not only expanded my knowledge (and possibly fried my brain), but made me feel glad to live in the era of high performance, supple clinchers.  Back then, tubulars were really the only option for comfort and performance.

I’ve got some friction in the rear brake cable, and I suspect I’ll also have a bit of noisy braking when I venture out.  So, there’s more effort still to make in getting this bike back on the road. It will be interesting to see how the bike rides, given its contrasting features.