NoGaBiker

Somebody posted a few days ago about a website they were building for Peugeots in general, or perhaps it was PX-10s in particular. I can't find it now in the first few pages, so I'll post a few pictures here and if you would like to use them you may.

This is an 81 CFX-10, which was the frameset only, 531 frame and fork. I bought and built it in college while working at a Peugeot dealer. It has Nuovo Record crank, BB, headset, rear deraileur, and the pedals are called Superleggera, which I can't remember if that was part of the NR gruppo or what. I used a Super Record front derailleur because one came available cheap. The bars and stem are ATAX, the seatpost SR Laprade, and the brakes are a nod to the Japanese because I thought that the Gran Compe line from Diacomp was as good as Campy and much cheaper. Did I mention I was poor? The wheels are Super Champion Gentleman with Shimano hubs. I've had the bike continuously since I built it in 1983, and it was ridden as my primary bike till 2002. Rear der has been replaced with a NOS NR from Switzerland. The rest is original, down to all the spokes! Oh, I've replaced the saddle also. The picture of me riding is from 1984.

It used to seem so light back in the day. Now that I ride a 15 pound titanium bike... not so much. But it's a lovely old bike that I can't see myself parting with. I've packed a lot of grease into a lot of bearings on this guy over the last 25 years.

Matt, Atlanta

Antipodes

Nice bike! It would be better off with Simplex Super LJ derailleurs and Retrofriction shifters though.

RK1963

Very beautiful. So nice, I am going to re-finish my marred & scratched 84 psvn in pearl white and apply the same decals you have (acquired a NOS set recently) w/o the "super competition" label, of course.

NoGaBiker

Hmmmm... that certainly wasn't the hot setup in 1983 when I built mine! In fact, the same frame could be had with Simplex and other french stuff on it at the time as a built-up bike, but none of us in the business wanted that bike-- we sold them and got to ride them! I certainly preferred Campy at the time, when riding was all that mattered to me.

That said, perhaps you are thinking of some other Simplex derailleur than what was available on the top Peugeot bikes at that time; I don't remember any of the Simplex names or numbers.

Matt

P.S. I sense from the tone of your post that "Simplex vs. Campy" must be a standing discussion topic on this forum, much like Shimano vs. Campy is on the Roadbike forum. If so, I assume you were elbowing me in the ribs with your comment!

Picchio Special

The Super LJ was a great rear derailleur, from a time when Simplex was getting its act together too late to do any good. Simplex had already reuined its reputation by that point, at least as far as high-end components were concerned. The argument has been made that the Super LJ is the best friction shifting rear derailleur ever produced.
Also, a lot of folks with otherwise all-Campy bikes used the Simplex retrofriction shifters. They are very conspicuous in photos of the 80's pro peloton. Definitely part of the "hot set-up" for many.

Antipodes

The Simplex wasn't the "hot setup" at the time because Campy's prestige was so entrenched in bicycle racing, even if the performance was questionable.
The Campy looks great, but there is no way a Nuovo Record setup will shift as well as a Simplex Super LJ setup. The Simplex stuff looks cool too! Besides, your bike is a Peugeot, so Simplex is more "fitting". Either way your bike looks great.

miamijim

Matt,

I was the one looking for pictures for my website, www.cyclespeugeot.com . Thanks for posting, your bike looks awesome!!!

Q. What Super LJ's are you talking about? Aren't there many different Super LJ's?

retyred

Very nice Peugeot. It really shows the pride of ownership and the bond that one can develop with a bicycle. I fully understand your statement that you could never sell it. That is exactly my feeling towards my 1972 PX10. It's rusty and dusty but that Peugeot took me many miles back in the day. Affordable and reliable, what more could one ask for? I recently had the good fortune to purchase a NOS never ridden 1981 CFX10 built up with Campi. Beautiful bike, but sadly I'll never ride it. Destined to be a garage queen or perhaps sold to a collector for the right price. (Aside to miamijim: It's all your fault for telling me what a find it was.) Anyway ride that Peugeot every so often. You'll find that it's packed with memories.

cyclotoine

So, I have tested the shifters and agree they are superior. But I don't see how the non-drop paralleogram SLJ can be that much better, I mean it's essentially exactly the same as a nuovo record. If I ever happen upon one I will be sure to try it out with record shifters on my super record bike to see if indeed it is any better.

Picchio Special

Good point - there were a lot of versions of this derailleur from 1972 on. Initially, they shifted better than NR, and could shift a wider range of gears, but perhaps weren't vastly superior. But the later versions, circa 1983-84 or so, used a drop parallelogram and were some of the best friction shifting derailleurs ever made. This is the version I was referring to re: the OP's bike, and the one that would have been extant when the OP originally built up his bike in 1983, give or take. The later Simplex SLJ derailleurs remain sought after for period-type builds when performance remains a primary concern, i.e. many classic-style randonneur and touring bikes. A case in point:

https://www.mariposabicycles.com/650b-touring.html

cyclotoine

This is what I suspected... on another note, IN THEORY the 1st generation campagnolo Rally would be a better derailleur than the one on the mariposa again because they are so similar but the 1st Rally has a drop parallelogram... but this also made me think... perhaps the sprung upper pivot made shifting with the original SLJ better?

miamijim

If I understand SLJ's correctly they are simply an all metal rear derailleur. I think I've identified 3 distinct versions.

1. Campy style with cage pivot near top pully wheel with 'T' designation or 'touring' SX4** series
2. Campy style with cage pivot centered between pully wheels with 'CP' designation or 'course' for 'racing' 5500 CP series
3. Suntour patent style drop parrallogram style SX6*** series

nomenclature:

S: Super
L: Lucien
J: Juy
T: Touring
G: Grand (long cage)
P: integrated hanger
SP: no integrated hanger
CP: Racing
AR: Front

miamijim

Do you think the SLJ's have a slightly bigger/wider box section that in turn makes it a bit stiffer than the Campy?

Grand Bois

The SX series derailers were not SLJ's. They were cheaper and had steel cages and the arms were plastic with a metal skin on three sides. The SX610 had the slant parallelogram design years before the Suntour patent ran out. The SLJ with a slant parallelogram is the "Aerodynamic". I'll bet I've been outbid on a half dozen of those over the last couple of years, usually by "Banana Brain" who sells them for twice what he pays.

The SX610 is my favorite friction derailer. I have one on my Gitane and I have a couple of spares. I know everybody likes Suntours. To be honest, I've never tried one.

CV-6 

I think the difference I have noticed between shifting qualities of an SLJ vs an NR lies in the attachment to the dropout. Simplex is spring tensioned and the Campag is not. Maybe it is perceived, but I find the SLJ shifts smoother and more precisely than the NR. And that is using retro-frictions on both.

04jtb

Nice Bike!

Picchio Special

That's one version of the story - that the sprung upper pivot meant the SLJ could wrap more chain.
As far as the Mariposa goes, a compelling argument could be made that the Ti Duopar would be the best option of all. But a key to the continued use of Simplex, I suspect, is that stocks of NOS ones continue to be available. Also, the use of retro components on newer frames is big in Japan among the TOEI, Watanabe, Hirose, etc., crowd, and of course French parts, and Simplex in particular, enjoy high status there.

miamijim

I'll respectfully and politely disagree. My SX660 is all metal and very clearly marked 'Prestige' "Simplex' Super LJ.

Simplex had(s) 3 drop parallelogram dreailleurs, the SX610, SX660, and the SX6600 (aerodynamic). I cant comment on the SX610 but the SX6600 is stamped SLJ6600 on the front side and the SX660 is stamped Super LJ on the back.

Grand Bois

I've never seen an SX660, but I don't doubt what you say.

There are some very good shots of an SX610 here:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

As you can see, the arms are metal-covered plastic. They're not as light as the SLJ's, but they shift very well.

miamijim

Here's a couple of an SX660.....hopefully in another week or so I'll have my Simplex ID page up. I'm not very educated on them so its been long process.

cyclotoine

That makes sense. Thank-you. One of these days when one fall into my lap.