Everything about FM derailleurs is always bamboozling. I have three steel derailleurs, loosely derived from the classic Shimano Skylark, that are clearly related to each other. They share the same geometry, the same knuckles, the same inner parallelogram plate and the same outer pulley cage plate. They are:
- A derailleur with a logo on the outer parallelogram plate that says 'FREFIL FM-80'. The pulley wheels are labelled 'FREFIL AGUEDA - PORTUGAL'. The back plastic caps at the b- and p-pivot are unbranded. The word 'Frefil' seems to me to be likely to be a brand name. At various times in the last 50 years, Portuguese companies that were called, say, 'Gonçalves & Filhos' (Gonçalves & Sons) had a tendency to use the brand name 'GONFIL'. Frefil seems like the brand of a company originally called 'Fre_______ & Filhos'. What exactly this company was and how it relates to FM is unclear. In terms of a timeline, this derailleur looks early from the cable stop, to the cable clamp to the inner pulley cage plate with no spoke protectors.
- A second derailleur that also has 'FREFIL FM-80' on its outer parallelogram plate. But this one has pulley wheels that are branded 'FM'. The back plastic caps at the b- and p-pivot are branded 'FM'. It also has a cable clamp arrangement and an inner pulley cage plate that are straight from the FM Sprint. This looks like it is definitely an FM product. So why does it have the word 'Frefil' on it? It also looks later than the derailleur described above - with spoke protectors on its inner pulley cage plate etc..
- A third derailleur that has 'FM' in an oval on the outer parallelogram plate. The pulley wheels are branded 'FM'. The back plastic caps at the b- and p-pivot are also branded 'FM'. The cable clamp arrangement is completely different from the two above. Everything about this example indicates that it is the latest of the three...... except the inner pulley cage plate is the 'old' design with no spoke protectors.
Just when you start to think you know what is going on, you find out that you have no idea.
Finally I should say that I have absolutely no real information on the date of these derailleurs. I have just used my best guess.
This example is the second of the three types listed above. It has:
- A silver hanger plate that is weirdly mis-forged.
- A red plate on the outer parallelogram branded FREFIL FM-80 with two mysterious groups of three asterisks.
- Two square holes in the outer parallelogram plate.
- Black plastic caps at the main pivots that are branded 'FM'.
- A nasty, pressed steel, outer cable stop.
- A cable clamp that is a bolt and washer mounted on a pressed arm.
- A short, 45mm, pulley cage.
- Black pulley wheels embossed with 'FM'.
- Derailleur brands: FM
- Country: Portugal
- Date of introduction: 1983?
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: FM-80
- Weight: 290g including the hanger plate
- Maximum cog: 28 teeth?
- Total capacity: 28 teeth?
- Pulley centre to centre: 45mm
- Index compatibility: friction?
- Chain width: 3/32”
- Logic: top normal
- B pivot: sprung
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: largely steel
Ref. 786
