UKH

For some time I’ve been getting old photographs on my FB page from the Horton Collection, pictures mainly from the Tour De France archives. Today’s picture shows three riders on the Tourmalet in 1936 who all seem to be riding single gear machines (though they may have a different sized sprockets on the other side of the hub). Set me wondering about when gearing systems of any sort appeared on bikes. My father was a notable time triallist in the late ‘30s and I don’t remember seeing photos of him riding anything other than a single fixed, so maybe such things hadn’t been invented then. Too late to ask him now.

Yes, early days you had to take the wheel out, spin it around to get a different gear. I've actually had a couple of fixed wheel bikes setup like that, works a treat with slotted dropouts (allows for different chain lengths). Sebsequent to that were manual derailleurs where you'd need to shift the chain sideways often reaching down or back for physical nudge across, eg

Found this:

The derailleur system was introduced in the Tour de France for the first time in 1937, but one of the biggest changes came in 1949 when Campagnolo introduced its Gran Sport, a refined cable-operated parallelogram rear derailleur.

There is an old ex-Tour bike hanging up in the cafe on the Tourmalet, and it has a baffling rear drive set-up. I have a photo of it somewhere.

How would you adjust the chain tension? The only way I can see is to stop, move the wheel backwards or forwards and shift the chain. And look how skinny that tyre is!

Mm, on the green example the second lever opens the wheel quick release. I think the other is the same sort of thing but out of shot, looks like the 1950 Paris-Roubaix Bianchi example on this page: https://mariposabicycles.ca/2020/05/18/derailleurs/

Love this quote…

“I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn’t it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur? We are getting soft. Come on, fellows. Let’s say that the test was a fine demonstration–for our grandparents! As for me, give me a fixed gear!”

Henri Desgrange

I decided at 51 to retire my fixed gear bike.

(although I have ridden geared bikes throughout my youth - it just time to stop the commute on the single speed, legs struggling towards end of the week on the hills, must be getting soft - and the hills arent exactly Alps!)

There was something of which I have a faint memory called an Os (Oz?) gear system where the chain tension was varied with a sprung arm under the bottom bracket. I seem to recall that you changed the rear gear by reaching down the seat stay like the second of your pics.

That looks very much like one of my 4oz silk tubulars that I used in TTs  around 1960. When pumped up to (I guess) about 100 psi they made a lovely sound on the tarmac!

That is a great link. That is how I recall the Os gear. I heard of people putting their back out reaching down the seat stay to change gear.

One day, I'll find time to restore my Dad's old Philips Kingfisher road bike. Comes with a 4-speed reverse-pull Resilion rear mech, which mounts on the chainstay:

https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/resilion_derailleur.html

That is fascinating. Never heard of anything like that, though the name Resilion rings a bell. Were there not Resilion brakes long ago? My sister and I were put on custom-made junior-back tandems aged about 5 and 8 and I think they had them. As I recall, the brake pads were about 2 or more inches long and curved to match the curvature of the wheel rim. I can’t recall the exact nature of the brake mechanism but I think they weren’t something we’re familiar with now.

There’s a set on E bay for £110!

More memories stirring.  I think that a prominent devotee of the Osgear was Dave Keeler, sometime holder of the end-to-end record.

I’m getting confused now. Just Googled Dave Keeler and found an obit. For DK by someone from Mercian cycles. This mentions the use of a Pais-Roubaix gear. Not yet quite sure what that is, but suspect it has a system for moving the wheel  back and forth in the rear ”ends” to tension the chain. Can’t waste any more time just now…..

Here's a link to a not very clear photo of the bike in the Tourmalet cafe. It's the bike on the right, you can just about make out the odd drive arrangement.

https://www.picfair.com/pics/027109-cafe-col-du-tourmalet

That pic at the top of the post is the Paris Roubaix changer I think - another view here: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mabvith/29818656278/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mabvith/41880531980/in/photostream/

So it is.