In a rather charming way, FM's plastic derailleurs are highly derivative of Simplex's 1970s Prestige.
I have 4 variants:
- A black plastic derailleur, branded 'Sprint' on the outer parallelogram plate, with a bolted on hanger plate. The bolt, as on a Simplex, does not, of course, have a standard 10X1mm thread.
- The same thing as the first variant, but designed for a braze on hanger. Like a Simplex this attaches with a bolt from the inside.
- The same thing as the second variant, but in white plastic and with a very slightly different (and arguable nicer) cable clamp arrangement.
- A derailleur very like the first variant, but with the outer parallelogram plate branded 'FMAIAL' in an oval, 'FM' in an oval cast into the b-knuckle and '601' in an oval cast into the p-knuckle. This has the same cable clamp as the first variant above.
I find it difficult to date these variants and even to guess the order in which they were produced.
They all have:
This example is the first of the four variants listed above.
- Derailleur brands: FM
- Country: Portugal
- Date of introduction: 1983?
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: unknown
- Weight: 259g 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: plastic parallelogram, with steel reinforcements on the parallelogram plates and steel pulley cage plates
Ref. 1338
