Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site vice.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekcrl!vice!shauns 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 uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,chico,pur-ee,cbosg,ihnss}!teklabs!tekcad!vice!shauns CSnet: shauns@tek ARPAnet:shauns.tek@rand-relay