sunvalleylaw

From my new project bike.



I thought it was a Sachs-Huret duopar, but now am unsure. It shifts fine but has a bum lower pulley wheel which will need to be replaced.

I bought another Duopar, which has its spring not properly hooked up apparently, to either replace the original with, or scavenge for parts, but it looks a little different. The parallelogram is not the same.



Can someone help me identify the parts?

clubman 

Looks like a Huret Challenger.
It came in two long cage versions. From Disraeli Gears

sunvalleylaw

Ok, will have to look that one up.

sunvalleylaw

Did the challenger come long cage? When I looked them up, it seemed to specify that they are short cage, and this one on this bike appears long to me. I will get a better pic too.

Oh, I see you answered my question about cage size. Will still get a closer pic.

What can you tell me about them? Should I just fix up/service the challenger? or use the Duopar? As I say, the current RD shifts fine. Just needs to be cleaned, and the Freewheel needs to be de-gunked, and chain replaced I would suspect. And the lower pulley wheel looks worn out. Though one shop guy I talked to claimed they came that way.

clubman 

I rode them on a bike and it worked quite well, like most Hurets. I'd leave it unless I wanted more range. Even the long cage was only rated for 6 cogs and a 28 tooth max.

3speedslow

Older DRs had round pulley wheels as OEM. Huret was one of those companies. Even Campy used the round pulleys.

sunvalleylaw

Well cool! Then I guess all I really need to do is clean up what is already there.

Here is a better pic:

sunvalleylaw

PS, thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding of what derailleur I had. I guess I will re-sell the duopar.

3speedslow

@sunvalleylaw that bottom pulley is not one of the round ones, it just looks worn.

sunvalleylaw

OK, then I am back to deciding whether to switch the pulley wheel over, or replace the current derailleur with the newer one.

The Golden Boy 

Go Suntour.

For that bike- Cyclone MII GT.

You're building this bike up to dominate- not dick around with cutesy parts. Duopars were an expensive and fine functioning device for their time. But all the complications and fragility aren't necessary.

Have you seen how many triple pivot derailleurs there are currently being produced? How many other triple pivot derailleurs do you know of? What is the reputation of the most common triple pivot derailleur besides the Duopar? What is the best triple pivot derailleur besides the Duopar? How successful was it?

Metacortex

It's not one of the round ones but it's also not worn. That is the style of idler pulley used on many Huret derailleurs from 1975 on.

GAJett

While the initial photo in this thread is ambiguous, the two later close-ups clarify the question.A review of VeloBase.com shows that this it the Series 1 Huret Duopar Eco. The plain finish of the outer parallel arm, and the shape of the area for the Huret decal (decal now missing) along with the lower parallel are diagnostic. This differs from the subsequent Huret Duopar Eco with a black anodized outer parallel arm, the earlier Duopar Ti, and the later Sachs-Huret Duopar that you purchased as a spare.

If you're going to cannibalize the S-H Duopar I don't know why the lower pulley wouldn't work, but individual pulleys can be purchased from a number of sources. But it's probably has more value as resold, or fixed and used on this or another bike.

I've been running my Duopar for nearly 35 years and going. It replaced a SunTour Cyclone that had broken at the mount after a couple of years. Shifting for the Duopar and the Cyclone were about the same. It may be a bit of a boat anchor (but not the boat anchor of a Campy Ralley, and shifts much better).
Cheers!

BTW I also have a Huret Jubilee set (front, rear, shifters). Still using the front and the shifters on a 1/2-step+granny, 49/46/26 chainwheels. Works just fine, just be gentle shifting!

sunvalleylaw

Great! Thanks for that answer. Other than some stiffness, likely just cable and housing maintenance required to improve, the bike shifts fine. I am loathe to replace the RD if I don't need too. Would love to find the sticker, and will find a source for pulley wheels. If you have a lead, please let me know. Will hold on to the newer one as a spare for now, and may just sell it again once I am satisfied with the original one. I am away at my daughter's soccer tournament at the moment, but later will take a pic of the front derailleur as well, in case you are interested, and also for your help in identifying. I believed it is stamped Sachs-Huret. But will verify.

I am a newbie to all this classic stuff. I now wish I had held onto my old Schwinn Continental and Stingray. The Stingray especially.