View Poll Results: What Rear Derailleur For The Trek 720?
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll
I Just Can't Leave Well Enough Alone
03-21-15, 05:18 PM
#1
Extraordinary Magnitude
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I Just Can't Leave Well Enough Alone
I have a 1985 Trek 720. Considered by many to be one of the finest production touring bikes of all time. I've made a few changes here and there- Phil Wood/Super Champion wheels, Shimano 600 slotted brake levers, Mathauser brake shoes... and it came with a Sachs/Huret DuoPar rear derailleur. While that unit shifted REALLY nicely- I didn't trust it- so I've been running a beautiful, and badass Suntour XC Pro. It's a great derailleur, it looks really cool, it feels "quality" and it shifts impeccably. Most ordinary people would just keep running that and it would still be sufficiently awesome.
But I've got a bug to swap some stuff around on that bike; and I'd like some help making that decision... I'll be using Suntour barcons for the time being- so with friction shifting- that pretty much allows me to use whatever derailleur I choose to...
I've got a Suntour LeTech that's in really nice shape. This came on the 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP- and it shifted fantastically on that bike. I wanted to change stuff around on that bike... and swapped it out for an XC Pro (are you sensing a theme?). Anyway, the LeTech is a triple pivot derailleur- it moves in and out- like every derailleur- the cage pivots around- but what makes the LeTech unique is that the cage pivot is on a pivot. This allows the upper pulley to get close to the smaller cogs and back off the larger cogs. It's sort of the same idea behind the DuoPar- but executed much more... excellently. It looks like a rear derailleur should- it has tons of chain wrap capacity and it can take a HUGE rear cog. The super modern computer font screening kind of seals the deal.
I've also got a Shimano M735 Deore XT rear derailleur. This is truly a great rear derailleur. It looks sufficiently badass and it's bullet and bomb proof. It shifts great, it has great capacity for cog size and chain wrap. The Deore XT is really the standard that all MTB and touring bike components are measured against.
Of course, there's also the Suntour XC Pro. IMO the finest RD evAr. It looks perfect- the Suntour branding stands out on the back plate, the springs on the unit are strong and it shifts with authority. Everything about the XC Pro just exudes class and quality. I really love these RDs.
I'd also consider putting the DuoPar Titanium back on. It's a really nifty looking unit- it's the poster child for ultra smooth shifting - it shifted so smoothly, I seriously wouldn't know that the shift went through until I felt the resistance on the pedals.
But I've got a bug to swap some stuff around on that bike; and I'd like some help making that decision... I'll be using Suntour barcons for the time being- so with friction shifting- that pretty much allows me to use whatever derailleur I choose to...
I've got a Suntour LeTech that's in really nice shape. This came on the 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP- and it shifted fantastically on that bike. I wanted to change stuff around on that bike... and swapped it out for an XC Pro (are you sensing a theme?). Anyway, the LeTech is a triple pivot derailleur- it moves in and out- like every derailleur- the cage pivots around- but what makes the LeTech unique is that the cage pivot is on a pivot. This allows the upper pulley to get close to the smaller cogs and back off the larger cogs. It's sort of the same idea behind the DuoPar- but executed much more... excellently. It looks like a rear derailleur should- it has tons of chain wrap capacity and it can take a HUGE rear cog. The super modern computer font screening kind of seals the deal.
I've also got a Shimano M735 Deore XT rear derailleur. This is truly a great rear derailleur. It looks sufficiently badass and it's bullet and bomb proof. It shifts great, it has great capacity for cog size and chain wrap. The Deore XT is really the standard that all MTB and touring bike components are measured against.
Of course, there's also the Suntour XC Pro. IMO the finest RD evAr. It looks perfect- the Suntour branding stands out on the back plate, the springs on the unit are strong and it shifts with authority. Everything about the XC Pro just exudes class and quality. I really love these RDs.
I'd also consider putting the DuoPar Titanium back on. It's a really nifty looking unit- it's the poster child for ultra smooth shifting - it shifted so smoothly, I seriously wouldn't know that the shift went through until I felt the resistance on the pedals.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
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03-21-15, 05:41 PM
#2
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First World Problem; Bike-Nerd Edition.
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
03-21-15, 05:55 PM
#4
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Have you considered Shimano?
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03-21-15, 05:58 PM
#5
I got 99 projects
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I said XC Pro. It looks really great and has a slight edge over the XT in the rare-cool department, plus as you said it's insanely reliable. Now show us a pic of the whole machine! 
Signed,
A Vintage Trek Fan
Signed,
A Vintage Trek Fan
03-21-15, 06:06 PM
#6
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
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There's no bad answer between th xc pro and Xt. I've never used the le tech, but I vote no because it's called le tech. I did NOT like the duopar at all.
03-21-15, 06:22 PM
#7
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Go Campy or go home.
Or is it, "Go Campy and call home when it shifts into your spokes"?
Or is it, "Go Campy and call home when it shifts into your spokes"?
03-21-15, 06:48 PM
#10
feros ferio
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Great choice, but is it really any better than the other SunTour options?
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
03-21-15, 06:51 PM
#11
Extraordinary Magnitude
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Here it is last weekend- I was ecstatic about getting out and about on the bike!
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*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Person Of The Year" Award*
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
03-21-15, 07:11 PM
#12
Senior Member
Based on looks, XC Pro then the XT. The Le Tech kind of looks odd, but could lead to some interesting conversations? The DuoPar looks pretty fugly in my opinion, that is pretty much worthless anyway. You could just get them all set up for the bike and play pick a RD every time you take her out?
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My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
03-21-15, 07:25 PM
#13
52psi
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The Le Tech is just so uber-80s that I've got to put a vote in for that one.
You can ride around singing Mr Roboto.
Domo.
Domo.
You can ride around singing Mr Roboto.
Domo.
Domo.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
03-21-15, 07:49 PM
#14
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I don't know...maybe I'm too much of an old school guy. Seems to me C&V means that there was a reason why certain parts/bIkes were put together the way they were and that this part of the draw/aesthetic.
Duopar unless it proves to be unreliable crap...but then again it's just a bike...whatever floats your boat! (Duopar on my 720, but you know, there are times it pisses me off.....hence the charm!)
Duopar unless it proves to be unreliable crap...but then again it's just a bike...whatever floats your boat! (Duopar on my 720, but you know, there are times it pisses me off.....hence the charm!)
03-21-15, 08:10 PM
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My last build, I went from a
Suntour honor,
to a Vx,
to a VGT Lux
to a Cyclone,
before I even finished the build.
Suntour honor,
to a Vx,
to a VGT Lux
to a Cyclone,
before I even finished the build.
03-21-15, 08:20 PM
#17
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DOS 2.1 'low Tech' gets my vote. Looks like a beaut too! Floating lower jockey on it? I forget which Suntour (Superbe Pro short cage or Le Tech) but years ago thought it would be cool swapping to Bullseye. Don't do it!
So this is where all the great Suntour stuff went. Look at post 16...lol
So this is where all the great Suntour stuff went. Look at post 16...lol
Last edited by crank_addict; 03-21-15 at 08:24 PM.
03-21-15, 08:32 PM
#18
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Leave well enough alone and don't go to the effort of switching things if you've got something functional (if only I could take my own advice).
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03-21-15, 08:42 PM
#19
I got 99 projects
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@The Golden Boy - that Trek is a classic build, in that all the parts are selected on merit, not just because they are part of a manufacturer's group.
03-22-15, 12:15 PM
#20
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Do you have a Rohloff equipped bike? This might be the time for that!
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03-22-15, 12:50 PM
#22
Extraordinary Magnitude
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@The Golden Boy - that Trek is a classic build, in that all the parts are selected on merit, not just because they are part of a manufacturer's group.
I'm not sure what prompted the selection of the Sugino LP crankset or the Simplex Super LJ front derailleur. I don't know that there's any better crankset- but the Sugino AT is an "all time" greatest candidate. The Simplex FD doesn't seem to be as nicely finished as most of the Suntour and Shimano options. I haven't replaced the FD just because it's original, it works well, and it provides that French classicness. I really want to use a Mountech FD on there- my Mountech on my Voyageur SP works nicely- it looks really nice and it's easy to adjust. It appears to have been the top of the line triple FD of its time. I was really surprised with how incredibly light it is. It's just a little heavier than a 1st gen Cyclone- and way lighter than an XC Pro.
03-23-15, 12:28 PM
#23
Extraordinary Magnitude
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I did a bit of thinking about this- at first I was all like "no way, Ray- part of the fun of old bikes are the fun shiney bits"
Then I was all like- "wow, those hubs sound pretty awesomely incredible"
So now I'm all like- "that's really something to consider- if not for the 720, maybe for something else, and maybe not a vintage bike... right now, an internally geared hub is not a part of of my wheelhouse- but the more I think about it, I'm not opposed to it.
Then I was all like- "wow, those hubs sound pretty awesomely incredible"
So now I'm all like- "that's really something to consider- if not for the 720, maybe for something else, and maybe not a vintage bike... right now, an internally geared hub is not a part of of my wheelhouse- but the more I think about it, I'm not opposed to it.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
03-23-15, 01:01 PM
#24
Sunshine
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03-23-15, 01:06 PM
#25
Banned
My Favorite Touring Bike RD is The Campag MTB Euclid. I scored a few on close-out in the 80's