Index shifting history?

[Tony T]

Originally Posted by ElvisMerckx

I remember seeing Dura Ace indexed downtube shifters in 1985 or '86 -- about the same time Look introduced clipless pedals and Giro introduced the first lightweight styrofoam racing helmet. It was an innovative time to race bikes.

Still have the Dura Ace SIS that I installed in the 80's on my Bianchi (haven't ridden that bike in about 10 years)

[Hellgate]

Originally Posted by BdaGhisallo

And wasn't it Suntour's double parallelogram rear derr that made crisp indexed shifting possible and meaningful?

Yes, you are correct. The brake calipers, and pedals were amazing too. The pedals were perhaps the best quill pedal ever made. I had a pair of the track pedals that migrated to my mountain bike and served me well in that capacity for many years.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by BdaGhisallo

And wasn't it Suntour's double parallelogram rear derr that made crisp indexed shifting possible and meaningful?

I think you mean Suntour's slant parallogram derailleur (a double parallogram derailleur is a different beast).

The slant parallogram definitely can help, but it isn't the only way to skin the cat. For example, the first commercial electronic derailleur systems, the Mavic ZAP (1994) and Mektronic (1999, and the first wireless electronic derailleur) used a slanted plunger design instead of a parallelogram:




Most of today's index derailleurs use several features to improve shifting performance. In addition to the slant parallogram (developed by Suntour), they use dual spring pivots (developed by Simplex) and dropped parallogram (developed by Shimano).





By the way, here is an example of a dual parallogram derailleur from Huret. The upper parallelogram moves the cage laterally, while the lower parallogram moves the cage vertically. This was no an indexed derailleur, and would probably not index well.

[flydhest]

I think the point about industry standard is key. Or undefined. But agree that as indexing became standard it was very quickly overtaken by brake-shift levers so indexed downturn shifters were sort of like pagers. Cool stuff but an awkward position in history because other developments made them irrelevant quickly.

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

I think you mean Suntour's slant parallogram derailleur (a double parallogram derailleur is a different beast).

That's the one! I was doing some serious dredging of the memory bank.

[marciero]

Originally Posted by marciero

Earlier, actually. The first production derailleur, Panel's Le Chemineaux in 1911, had indexing...

also the Super Champion in the 30's. Apparently lots of others. All indexed using detents on the levers.

Edit: Correction-Some, if not all of these had studs on the levers that were inserted into holes on the base plate. So not detents. The rider had to slide the lever out, then forward or back to shift, then back in to insert stud into a different hole.

[smontanaro]

Originally Posted by marciero

Earlier, actually. The first production derailleur, Panel's Le Chemineaux in 1911, had indexing. There is an article on history of shifting in Summer 2018 BQ.

And if you don't care whether there was a derailleur at the other end or not, the Sturmey-Archer system came out in the 190something time range.

[Dasarbule]

Super Champion c.1937

https://www.flickr.com/photos/speedp...als/7188175093

I have a set on this Hercules