What technical feature did Campagnolo’s 1949 Gran Sport utilize for smoother shifts?
Answer
Parallelogram rear derailleur
The 1949 release of the *Gran Sport* by Campagnolo marked a significant technical revolution in derailleur refinement, moving past friction-based adjustments. Its breakthrough feature was the **parallelogram rear derailleur** mechanism. This design allowed the chain guide cage to swing left and right while maintaining a constant parallel relationship to the cassette cogs throughout the movement. This parallelism ensured that the chain alignment with the next sprocket was smoother and far more reliable compared to the less consistent geometry of earlier designs, ultimately dominating the market and establishing the core design language for rear derailleurs.
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