Suntour Accushift question.

[Hobbs1951]

Hi guys,

I have never used Suntour (on a roadbike) before and am building up my restored Philbrook tourer over the next few weeks - question is I am using Suntour Cyclone RD and FD, are Accushift shifters* friction or ratchet ?

With-initially-a Campagnolo chainset (Nuovo Record 48/42), until I can source a TA.

Many thanks.

John.

*downtube band on

[Brucey]

accushift shifters were indexed; 'accushift' is SunTour's name for their premium index system introduced in 1987 (they had a much earlier sort-of lever-indexed system but only on much lower groupsets, called 'the mighty click' or something) . Cyclone existed in several versions, not all of which were index-compatible. Cyclone 7000 is one version that is index compatible. The SunTour indexing isn't necessarily compatible with other systems. Some SunTour accushift shifters supported friction and indexing, some even supported friction, and two different indexing modes, eg 6s and 7s.

cheers

[Hobbs1951]

From what you say I need to check what Cyclone I have ?

Will check now...seems to be Mk 2, Suntour on the fd (only number I can find is 4532) band in black and Suntour Cyclone on the rd the same (cannot find a number only GT stamped on the lower cage) ?

Thanks, John.

[Brucey]

Cyclone MkII (eg 3700) was not an index-compatible group (launched in about 1982 I think); Accushift came later, and the RDs were completely different. If Cyclone MKII derailleurs happen to work with indexed levers (they might, you never know) it is an accident, I think.

You can see Cyclone MkII RDs here

http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/SunTour_Cyclone_Mark-II_GT_derailleur_3700.html

push the > button on that page to see other suntour cyclone derailleurs, including 6000 and 7000 series. 7000 were the first ones meant for indexing.

cheers

[slowster]

I had a bike with what I think were 3rd generation Cyclone components, and the (ratchet) levers were the ones shown in this catalogue image for standard down tube bosses (model no. LD 3750). Main website here.

I've still got those original down tube levers (and the wheels containing the hubs as well), and they look very similar to these down tube levers currently made by Dia Compe. It would not surprise me if the Suntour Cyclone levers were originally made by Dia Compe, and that Dia Compe still makes them now under its own brand name.

[Hobbs1951]

The rd I have,

http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Sun ... style.html

Looks like I need to get the friction levers, thanks for the links and tips.

John.

[Brucey]

the accushift levers you have

a) may work with the RD you have in the indexed mode despite not being meant for it (you have little lose by trying?) (*)
b) may have a friction mode in them (usually selected by turning the knurled ring, where the centre screw (with the D ring) just secures the lever; not all models are like this)

So yes by all means try it and see how you get on.

SunTour made various different levers but the sort most commonly supplied with Cyclone MkII derailleurs were plain friction levers (in the same aero style with a stainless band where they were band-on) rather than 'powershift' type. The Dia Compe levers that you can get currently are almost the same style but are powershift type, which are nicer to use.

(*) BITD an all SunTour early accushift system didn't index that well; in fact it was rubbish; the SunTour sprockets and chain, (which only a few years earlier had seemed so much better than a lot of other stuff) were the problem. I found Accushift worked a lot better if you used the SunTour accushift stuff with shimano UG sprockets and chain. However the spacing of SunTour 6s and 7s was fractionally uneven (and different from shimano) which added a further complication. The good news is that if you use HG (or HG-esque) sprockets and modern (eg KMC) chain the SunTour accushift system works pretty well, even with the potential sprocket spacing oddities. This leads me to suppose that if the Cyclone MkII mech has the right shift ratio, it might index OK, even though BITD SunTour would certainly not have recommended that combination; the stuff they did recommend barely worked anyway, but with modern sprockets and chain, almost anything will index OK by comparison.

Edit; oh I see from your link you have a Cyclone Mk1 RD. I don't expect that to have the correct shift ratio for Accushift.

cheers

[Brucey]

the above is the correct style of gear lever to go with Cyclone Mk1 mechs, but other SunTour gear levers were used with these mechs too.

These Accushift levers



have three modes (IIRC). They are intended to work with a fairly high shift ratio, which is more or less compatible with Dura Ace 7400 series RDs

cheers