$1,000 derailleur system with 1930's technology
 

I'm sure the Atelier will be completely booked with this new derailleur system. I'm disappointed that $1k doesn't get you a front derailleur and shifter, however.

Having subsided on the trickle down economy, I'm all for the Billionaire class having hobbies and nice toys.

I’d want prettier for 1K, kind of clunky looking. But I guess derailleurs back in the 30s weren’t that attractive either. Why would I want a 30s inspired derailleur, someone convince me, add copy just not doin it.
Possibly, if I had a 30’s frame to put it on, I’d have more interest, non of my CV vintage enough.
The people who would be excited about this have long passed on, but if still here, would never spend that kind of money on a derailleur.
Tim

$1k gets you a rear derailleur and shift lever. You'd also need to modify your frame, and if you're spending all that money, you'll repaint it as well. Also note that it won't work well with horizonal dropouts, so replace those with the (currently out of stock) special vertical rear dropouts. The bit that holds the derailleur needs to be accurately placed, so your framebuilder will need to spend $150 to braze it on properly aligned.

Che cosa potrebbe andare storto?

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...and remember ffolkes -

you'll want gugie to mount it for you so you can qualify your steed for a gugieficazione transfer for the chainstay


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Can't believe they didn't have that carbon frameset built to work with this! Just a huge missed opportunity to create the world's funniest bike right there.

I'm excited for the blog post about how they constructed a suite of tests that show this is, in fact, *objectively* superior to anything built after the year 1950. I feel ok poking fun because I have a rapid rise XTR derailleur on my commuter, so really I just drink a different brand of wacky-retro-koolaid.

...and for a $1000 system, they couldn't include cable tension adjustment!?! No, adjustment will cost another $39.

Can you believe the shifters are already sold out!?! What, did they only make three?

Well that makes me want it more!

I like their tires and the support that has been shown for maintaining older technologies or niche items (center pull brakes, fenders, lights etc.) but this seems even further disconnected from reality.

I'm not at all surprised at the scoffing tone here... BF C&Vers are, for the most part, cheapskates. This is pricy, yes. So is the top line Dura-Ace Di2 and SRAM eTap. This, unlike those, is acknowledged as a niche, very small market, hand built piece. Will someone be likely to retrofit this onto the nice vintage frame they found on FB marketplace for $150? No. Will a few folks who are getting custom bikes built be willing to splurge and try it? Almost certainly. Top-line carbon bikes are $14-$16,000 +. Are they for me? No. Are all those who buy them top riders? Almost certainly not. Does this mean we should excoriate the companies who make them because other products that we feel work almost as well, as well, or possibly even better are available for far less, especially on the used market? What's the point? The existence of this does not negatively impact anyone -- no one is being forced to adopt it. Why not let folks create interesting things and provide other folks the opportunity to buy them without disparaging the mere existence of the effort?

The Nivex is not for me, but I think it is fantastic to see someone putting so much effort into creating something different in the bike world and making it available. That sort of passion is great, IMHO.

In the "immortal" words of another passionate cycle industry creator who, among his Don Quixote-like obsessions, is also having a go at the weird niche derailleur market because he wants to, not because he thinks it will set the world on fire or to please the BF naysayers, perhaps we should "Just Ride."

:50: :hug: :beer:

If we momentarily put the baggage of price, piecemeal sales tactics, and Heine's marketing aside, it is a genuinely beautiful RD. The downtube shifter possibly even more so.

I'd love to see someone give the RD the high polish treatment. It's nice in satin, but a mirror finish would be striking.

I'm glad the stars aligned for a homage derailer like this to exist, even if it is woefully impractical in terms of price and practicality. But vive la différence in a world dominated by black carbon Soullessmano derailers.

-Kurt

It really is beautiful, all the rest aside.

Cool. More power to Heine/Compass/Herse/et al.

Thus was it ever: 1930s index shifting for the cloth cap set:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...13b873750.jpeg

:)

I'm glad to see something like that being made. I am not going to buy, it but it could be right for some people. The price must include amortizing the development and tooling costs that would be spread over the few people willing to spend that much money on this derailleur. I certainly look forward to seeing ride reports on it and it would be nice on a vintage or custom bike. And if I wasn't so financially challenged I wouldn't mind putting that derailleur, with a custom braze-on on an old $150 Peugeot, Motobecane or Astra. My first ten speed was an Astra. Or since I am dreaming having one of the local frame builders make a frame with the derailleur mount on the chainstay.

I remember Mr. Hirose working with this style of derailleur as well. I think he was working toward making his own version of this chainstay mounted derailleur too.

I will admit that I am easy to annoy, but people who come along in an industry that has a history that goes back, say, at least a hundred years and present themselves as the first smart person to address a problem like changing gears on a bicycle are just a bit full of themselves in my opinion. As though every design engineer that came before them was a few french-fries short of a Happy Meal.

I am also bothered by the re-purposing of branding - Jan Heine is NOT Rene Herse, the "new Nivex" may be a fine derailleur but it is not THE Nivex. What people think is a Mini today does a dis-service to the genius of Alex Issigonis who developed the original Mini back in the fifties. The BMW-built Mini has more in common with a VW Rabbit (a design itself copied from the Autobianchi A112 and it's derivitives the Fiat 127 and 128) than the real Mini. Reusing a brand is a marketing ploy to exploit name recognition without having to earn it through inspired design or quality in execution. It dilutes the reputation of those (eg: Rene Herse, Alex Issigonis, Cino Cinelli....the list is long) who were indeed inspired creators.

I know he did some Le Cyclo pull chain derailleurs.

https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site...7_-_cyclo.html

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...96f94b9477.jpg

SunTour is once again, ahead of its time before it became behind the times. Placement not double cable tech.

its interesting...

Yeah the ~1993 chainstay-mounted SunTour derailleur mentioned above was the first thing I thought of.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4042/...6132347d_b.jpg

At least it will still work in 10 years, unlike the much more expensive electronic groups on the market now, the older versions of which will be basically garbage soon if they aren’t already. 🙄

Goes to show we’re reading the Herse emails. The Dancing Chain book, from years ago speaks very highly of the Nivex design. And along with the placement location, I thought having a chain rest on the inside of the rear dropouts, where you could shift the chain completely off the rear freewheel pretty cool. Being able to set one up, and adjust the desmodromic cables is probably beyond me, though. Too much? There’s a lot of bicycles, and their parts that are too much for me, but a handmade steel bike with an almost handmade derailleur system is going to be expensive. If Gugie was to build one for me, it would be a 126mm with the cable rest and a freewheel. How much? It would be worth every centime.

When I checked my email this morning, I knew C&V and iBob would be good today. :lol:

All the derailleurs, and shifters on my bikes will be working 10 years from now, not sure I will be though.
Tim

https://i.imgflip.com/d7dsd.jpg

Wow! Usually you have to wait until April 1 for this kind of announcement.

I saw a link to the article from another site and read about half of it. I expected it to be expensive, but I was imagining something closer to their $200 center pull brakes. This? Wow. I don't even know what to think.

The most reasonable framing I can come up with is that he did this for himself and decided to offer it for sale at around what it would cost him to make another one.

I saw a Cyclo with very similar mechanical operation being restored about 4 years back. Although the dual cables made it seem a bit Rube Goldberg-y, it shifted surprisingly well.

Image from before the break-down and tune-up, and sadly, not the best.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2a3c380b96.jpg

It's beautiful.... looks like a love child of Porsche Design and Schindelhauer bikes (just for kicks, since those are belt driven). But while as an object on its own, it is a beautiful piece, for my limited imagination it is hard to picture on a bike where these crispy clean laser cuts are not off. But as said maybe its just me. If it gets enough attention, I'm also curious how fast the stock at Alibaba will be filled with its copycats.