Rene Herse Direct-Lever Front Derailleur
$139.00
For riders desiring the simplicity and feedback of analog shifting, Rene Herse offers our direct-lever front derailleur. As the name says, the lever directly moves the shifter fork. Shifts are lightning-fast. The rider only needs to push the lever until they feel the chain engage on the big ring during upshifts—or disengage during downshifts. The derailleur weighs just 86 g including the shift lever, making it the lightest front derailleur available today.
Is the Rene Herse front derailleur difficult to shift? About as difficult as retrieving a water bottle from your seat tube bottle cage, which is in pretty much the same spot. We ride our Rene Herse derailleurs on the rough terrain of Unbound XL and the Oregon Outback without problems.
The Rene Herse front derailleur requires a special square tube and pivot on the back of the seat tube. The derailleur is supplied as a kit for experienced framebuilders. Two reusable jigs (available separately) guarantee perfect alignment: One jig is for brazing together the derailleur parts, the other for attaching the square tube and pivot to the seat tube. The square tube that is brazed onto the seat tube comes pre-machined with a slot. Some builders prefer to braze the tube onto the frame before machining the slot—making it easier to avoid distortion. An un-machined square tube is included with the kit.
For brazing the derailleur parts, we strongly recommend:
Pro Tip: The derailleur’s location behind the seat tube means it’s best used on bikes with fenders to protect it from road spray.
- Technical Specs
- For brazing onto seat tube
- Raw steel parts should be plated after assembly
- Includes limit stops
- Hand-formed shifter fork
- Made from steel, aluminum (lever) and titanium (mounting screw)
- Shifter fork does not fit into the square tube of classic mid-century Rene Herse bikes. The original square tubes were slightly larger—a dimension that is not available any longer.
- Weight: 86 g (plus frame braze-ons)
- Made in Taiwan
