What refinement, developed in the mid-to-late 20th century, made derailleur shifting nearly foolproof?
Answer
Indexed shifting.
Indexed shifting represents a significant evolution in control for multi-speed systems, particularly derailleurs. Before this refinement, shifting required the rider to gauge the necessary lever movement precisely to move the chain exactly to the next cog without jamming or overshooting. Indexed shifting solved this by engineering the shifter such that each distinct click or detent corresponded precisely to the physical movement required to advance the chain to the next specific sprocket size. This integration of the control system with the mechanical actuation made the process predictable and eliminated much of the guesswork involved in prior shifting methods.
Related Questions
What characterized James Starley's 1871 invention described as the first gear cycle?What inherent limitation defined the direct-drive pedals on the 'boneshaker' or 'penny-farthing'?What two fundamental features did the safety bicycle introduce to enable widespread practical gearing?Which gearing system generally offered very high durability because it was sealed from dirt and weather?Besides making hill climbing easier, what primary speed goal did early gearing systems help riders achieve?How does the external derailleur system physically accomplish shifting between different gear ratios?What practical difficulty often caused many cyclists to stick with fixed-gear bikes for decades?What refinement, developed in the mid-to-late 20th century, made derailleur shifting nearly foolproof?What was the initial function of the earliest devices separating pedal speed from wheel speed?Which cycling niche ultimately favored the external derailleur system over the internal hub gear?According to the comparison table, which system generally carried more weight?