Velobase as previously posted in another recent blog post great for researching what group that certain Campagnolo headset may have come from, but for you all you rear derailleur gear-heads out there, Desraeli Gears is for you. Michael Sweatman, the author of this website is a big derailleur fan and geek, particularly rear derailleurs. Here’s what he has to say in the introduction page of his homepage:

“The rear derailleur is, in many ways, the definitive bicycle component, it defines the ‘groupset’ and that in turn, defines the bike. Cyclists often use the shorthand of talking about an ‘Ultegra’ road bike or an ‘XTR’ mountain bike. In addition to this the rear derailleur is the most complex and machine like bicycle component, unlike handlebars or hubs it is a real ‘mechanism’, with plenty of mechanical action going on. Finally there may be something to Arnfried Schmitz’s whimsical idea that ‘collecting derailleurs is fascinating because they are small, complex and have two wheels – like a bike!’”

The photos of all the various rear derailleurs as managed by brand and years are fantastic. He has worked in bicycle shops since the 70′s and provides for a wealth of knowledge on most rear derailleurs known to man. Please check out the website!

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