Originally Posted by
Vcycleta
So this one is definitely a keeper. I honestly have a crush on this bike lol
https://flic.kr/p/Fqte9o
Not sure if drop bars are original as it isn’t shown as so in catalog I’m guessing it’s 1975. The rear derailleur despite cleaning is pretty stiff. It is a simplex. Any compatible upgrades? I do no wish to change front derailleur at this time. I will also upgrade brake levers as it has the suicide ones on it.
I vote for keeping the simplex. That bike is just crying out for one. It should not feel stiff. If it feels stiff, it just needs to be properly lubed. Also, almost certainly the cable needs to be pulled and greased. That's probably where most of the stiffness comes from. There was no teflon lining then. Shift levers could probably use a cleaning and a
light wipe of grease too. After a few decades, old grease turns into something akin to parmesan cheese.
Oh, the chain probably should be cleaned and oiled. (If you have it, or put a new SRAM on there) Get all that set up, and that drivetrain will shift just fine.