borgward
Finally riding a big boys bike
I got my Continental 10 speed in mid summer 1961. I came with the Simplex derailleur. How did that happen, since the only Schwinn approved ones were Huret or Allvits? Was it up to the store to outfit the bike and it decided to go no Schwinn approved?The Allvit branded derailleur came out in 1958. The Continental 10 speed was introduced in 1960 and was upgrade for the 2nd half of the 1961 production with Huret equipment. The Varsity was upgraded to a 10 speed from an 8 speed at the time also but did not have Huret equipment until the 1962 model. So the facts are more than incorrect in the DISRAELI GEARS write up.
Quote:
In 1955 Schwinn introduced their first derailleur bicycle - the Schwinn Continental. It was not a success. However in 1960 they introduced the Schwinn Varsity model and kicked off the first in a series of booms in the sales of derailleur bicycles that reverberate to this day.
The first Schwinn Approved derailleurs were Huret Allvits. I have been told that the ‘bash guard’ on the outside of the second style of Allvit (introduced in 1961) may have been added at Schwinn’s request. Certainly the timing would match, as Schwinn moved their Varsity model from Simplex to the Huret Allvit for the 1961 model year. This was before the Schwinn Approved label was in use.