Fahrenheit531 

So I found these NOS shift levers at the co-op a little while back:



Score! They shift beautifully and complete the 1st-gen Cyclone setup for this bike. But man, these suckers are big and clunky-looking compared to basically every other DT shift lever I've seen (yet they're super lightweight). Anyone know if there's a reason and/or advantage to this design?

ollo_ollo

Don't know of an advantage, but would like to find a set at my co-op to try. Just FYI, I did find these Shimano 333 stem shifters that resemble Campy shifters, but they aren't completely compatible with my braised on mounts and can't be tightened enough to hold my 2 biggest rear cogs so far, still trying parts combinations, but will probably use something else eventually. Frame they don't work well on is a 87 Specialized Sirrus. Don

79pmooney

My Fuji Pro (1976) had Cyclone but I never paid attention to the levers. They did work very well. I don't remember them looking like yours. I am pretty sure they had no cutouts and I think I would have noticed an unusual size. I absolutely loved the shifting on that bike and did not envy the all Campy NR/SR crowd (98% of those I raced against) at all. (If someone offered me an SR equipped bike I would have said no thanks (unless there was some other reason to have that bike).

Ben.

clubman 

I had difficulty keeping the tension correct, I was fussing with the thumb D rings 2 or 3 times on a good ride but this was in the 80's when I rode but didn't service much. Loved the look and weight.

Salamandrine 

I can't remember what was going on inside the guts of those cyclone shifters, but I remember they worked pretty well. I don't remember the D rings coming loose, but I never had them on my own bike - only worked on other peoples bikes. I used the cheaper power shifters, which I thought were perfect.

Some Cyclone shifters were just basic friction shifters - campy copies more or less. There were quite a few different cyclone shifters. Those have weird knurled rings. Not sure about them. Anyone know?

Suntour stuff at the time was pretty reliable. Dura Ace - not so much. Really didn't like Dura Ace shifters or derailleurs until 7400 - which was great.

I have to say a kind word about Campy NR/SR wrt reliability. I never in decades had to touch the D ring on my record shifters (all metal original flavor). Always worked perfectly. Derailleurs always shifted reliably as well. Tough too, incredibly tough. I crashed them more times than I remember, and they kept on tickin'.

deux jambes

belacqua

I don't know if these are Cyclone. They had badly degraded rubber or gum covers which I removed. Internals are same as early 80s Superbe. Nice levers.

Fahrenheit531 

I installed the Cyclone derailleurs/levers to replace D-A from the same timeframe. So I'm with ya. (The D-A brake calipers, however, are pretty awesome.)

Here's another shot of the levers:




Interesting note: To install them the drive side lever has to be completely removed, then the rest of the assembly is clamped on, then the lever is reattached.

T-Mar

Those are first generation Superbe shift levers. When they introduced the Superbe LD-2000 shift levers in 1977, they used some of the tooling from the 1976 Cyclone levers.

Salamandrine 

OK I looked it up. The knurled wheels are there to tighten the endless band clamp. So I guess it looks big and clunky so you can have that supercool endless band instead of an ugly pinch bolt. In addition, this shifter was super light and aero. VeloBase.com - Component: SunTour LD-1600, Cyclone

Within a couple years most bikes were coming with campy standard braze-ons instead. Clearly it was a better way to achieve the same goals. That makes this design somewhat anachronistic.

Fahrenheit531 

Awesome, @Salamandrine. Dunno how I missed that, but thanks for the detective work!

Don Buska

I've heard this too. That's why I've opted for other Suntour Shift levers, even though I have a set of these Cyclones too. I'm currently using the Suntour BL (Blue Line) lever set on my only equipped Cyclone bike at this moment. The BL shifters are very stable and rarely require retensioning. BTW, all my other friction shift bikes are using Suntour Superbe setups.

clubman 

My experience was similar with BL and most every other Suntour levers of the late 70's and 80's. Just not that one.

belacqua

@T-Mar, thanks. You have no idea how much I've learned from you over the years!

Fahrenheit531 

I haven't had any cause to readjust these yet, and it's been almost three months. So that's good. Maybe I'm lucky.
But if/when they get a little temperamental it won't catch me off-guard or leave me wondering what's wrong. BFC&V for the win!

gaucho777 

I have the black anodized version on my Speedwell and like them. The endless band clamp design is clean, even if it takes a bit more work to get them set up. They give a nice, direct, responsible feel. Not as smooth as something like a retrofriction shifter set (what else is?!), but no slipping or ghost shifts for me. Fahrenheit531, it's good that you have them set up on a frame with the braze on stop. My only general caution is the band clamp is thin and can be sharp on the edges, so make sure it's clamped down good to save the paint. After I first installed my shifters a little too loosely, it drifted a bit on my titanium frame and I had to polish out a scratch--not as easy on a painted frame.