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Cool. Thank you.
Shame he doesn't go into more detail of how the derailleurs performed. As I understand it Simplex's success was mostly due to rugged simplicity -so it was adopted by pro racers and advertising/sponsorship, rather than technical innovation or performance.
More context would be good - the French innovators (such as Nivex and Cyclo) who had less of a business/pro appeal & sponsorship approach or Huret who kept innovating,
The Japanese derailleur book is lush.
absurdbird-
I certainly would not describe the Simplex Tour de France as 'rugged' - it was flimsy and very prone to going into the spokes with terminal consequences. It was also tricky to set up compared with the Campag Gran Sport, and could never cope with anything bigger than a 23 tooth sprocket. Even restricting yourself to 22 teeth you would still have been well advised to pray when engaging bottom gear, especially when it mattered in race.
It is a misconception (encouraged by the trade, naturally) to imagine that professionals 'adopt' equipment through choice - they use what they are paid to use - and this has even applied to top 'amateurs' at times. I have heard that Dave Bedwell (an independent at the time, so perfectly entitled to be paid) when asked why he still used a Simplex (in 1960) he replied: 'Cos I get paid three quid a week to use it'. My informant was dead impressed at the time because as an apprentice he only earnt £3.17.6d (£3.87.5p). Another story is that a big name in Cyclo Cross was given a new 'plastic' Simplex for every event he rode.
Paradoxically, Coppi insisted on having a Simplex TdF for the 1949 Tour, which he duly won. He did this in the face of strong opposition from his Italian sponsors. This was before the advent of the Gran Sport, and I think the alternative would have been the 'Cambio Corsa' which Bartali had used to win the previous year. This victory must show either that Gino was the greatest rider ever, or prove the power of prayer. Times change and we change with them, but Fausto never had any time for the Cambio Corsa.
There were plenty of Simplex adverts in 'Cycling' in the late '50's and early '60's, usually a full page near the back, with plenty of those excellent Daniel Rebour drawings.
Going back to the original question about that double pully, if you look at the text on the copy of page 154 (is it from The Dancing Chain?) you will note the words 'second cable to adjust the cage torsion spring' which is exactly what I was talking about in my previous post. This was certainly a Huret feature and quite possibly Simplex also. I don't think it's possible now to be sure what any particular double cable roller was intended for when it was installed, so I suggest you use it any way you can.
What a pity the 'Fifty Years of Simplex Development' was not more carefully edited. The large number of errors makes the whole thing a bit doubtful. For example between page 49 and 50 Henri Pelissier changes to his brother Charles, and on page 58 Louison Bobet is only credited with two Tour victories when in fact he won in 1955 also.
clubman
It has taken some time to get something that might be readable
Sent to me a low-resolution jpegs taken in low light at strange angles with a 12-year-old point and shoot.
Not as much as I would have liked.
Perhaps I should get this