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From: shauns@vice.UUCP (Shaun Simpkins)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Touring derailleurs, specifically the Duopar
Message-ID: <151@vice.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 16:10:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: vice.151
Posted: Wed Aug 14 16:10:44 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 04:47:20 EDT
References: <157@uw-june>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 45

> Allow me to share with you my experience with the Huret Duopar:
> 
> << terrible experience related >>
> 
> I'd be interested to hear other people's experiences with touring
> derailleurs.
> 
> 			Dave Wagner

Well, I somewhat disagree with your evaluation of the Duropar, since I've
ridden with one for the last year on a Trek 620 and have NEVER had chain
mangles, reversing problems, slack takeup problems, or anything else for
that matter since I got the bike - and I've been on several tours. Nothing
like 1100 miles, but hevay touring in the Canadian Rockies plus
lots of hilly local touring.  I do agree with you that the Duropar is a very
flexible derailleur; this shows up in some shifting vagueness.  I think
you've double trouble with barcon shifters and a flexible derailleur. Barcons
make for sloppy shifting anyway.  With the Duropar you want to be sure that
the control linkage is very crisp.  I have down tube shifters and like them
a lot better
than barcons - they never get bumped unexpectedly, and there's no shifting
mush.  I do notice now that after a year the shifting is a little sloppy,
but this could be due to a whole bunch of problems - chain stretch, to name
one.  I may try the Sedis Traveler chain to make the shifting as crisp as
I can.

A derailleur that I haven't tried but that looks interesting is the
Shimano Super Plate, a double pivot/movable jockey pulley design intended
to equal or exceed the Duropar's performance.  Bicycling magazine verified
Shimano's claims,
finding it stiffer than the Duropar as well. It certainly looks less fragile
than its French competitor.  If you're into very wide gear ranges and
bulletproof shifting this may be a possibility.  Anyone out there had any
experience with the Super Plate?

Until something really terrible happens, I still think the Duropar is an
excellent, reliable design - but I'm openminded.

The wandering squash,
-- 
				Shaun Simpkins

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