NOS simplex from Harris Cyclery
 

http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=2416

I was thinking about getting one of these and had a quick question: Are these among the "crappy" simplex derailleurs?

Its the modern version of the crappy ones, but I bought one a couple of years ago and its still working fine. It has more metal than the really bad ones and IMO shifts quite nicely.

Mark

btw: I think I got mine from VO and it only cost $14.....but it was several years ago.

I'm pretty sure that's the updated Prestige model. Still plenty of delrin, with some steel thrown in for good measure.

there good price is right too

Whatcha putting it on?

That's the late 1970's S001, which was one step down from the Prestige's replacement, the SX100. The Delrin is quite flexible and, as system, the shifting effort was high. However, a lot of this was due to the levers. Switching to metal levers and a HyperGlide compatible freewheel makes a world of improvement. Still, some people had/have concerns of breakage. This can only get worse with age and environmental exposure, and a NOS derailleur will not be any more reliable. So, why not just go down to your LBS and offer $5.00 for a good, used Prestige, which most shops have lying around. Save yourself $20 plus shiping and taxes. Buy something else you need, like cables and brakes pads, and I wouldn't be surpised if they threw in a Prestige for free. I know, I would, if you had walked into my shop.

^ Good advice.

+1

Is that S001 from Harris really Delrin or is it cast metal of some sort? I'd expect the latter if it's a modern "repro" unit, the former it if is really NOS. I may have to ride over there and ask.

I put a similarly styled but long-cage SX810GT RD on our tandem and it shifts quite well, better than I expected and better than I remember of the original Prestige on my UO8.

Look for an SX610 on eBay. Mine shifts like it thinks it's a Suntour with a twist tooth Shimano 14-28 and a KMC X-chain.

You know, it just may be nostalgia or more likely bad memory, but I recall that the Delrin Prestige on the UO8 I had in the 70's worked rather well. It did self destruct after a decade of use though.

Then again, I really like my Duopar too.

-G

Worried about shifting performance from a a Delrin "infected" Simplex RD??
Heck!, just match it up to these Delrin babies and your troubles could be over!....:D
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44...Picture031.jpg
Deal with fire with fire, I would always say!

Chombi

There is a Gipiemme-branded SX610 on ebay right now going for ~$94. It's not the same design as the Prestige-based derailleurs. The parallelogram is rotated up to be more or less horizontal so it looks like a slant-parallelogram, but it isn't slanted.

Here's what I'm talking about. I paid $21 and got an SX810 long cage and an SJA 102 FD with it.

http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/48...600x600Q85.jpg
Here's one with Bullseyes. The rear cage half is upside down. Too many beers.
http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/12...600x600Q85.jpg

I just found one of those Simplex 610's at the LBS. Nice shape too, I gave it to Kurt.

Just curious, had there been any problems with the sheet metal covered Delrin arms on the Simplex SX610 RD. Did that little bit of metal over the Delrin put an end to the cracking problems they on earlier models?
The SX 610 did shift real nice on my PSV, but just a bit noisier and slower than Suntours.

Chombi

Yeah, well, that was just lucky. Try finding a completed SX610 or 810 auction today that went that cheap... not happening.