Maximum Tooth Difference SunTour Spirt Der.?
04-03-17, 07:57 AM
#1
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Maximum Tooth Difference SunTour Spirt Der.?
I have searched high and low....Would some kind soul please tell me the maximum tooth difference for a SunTour Spirt front derailleur?
I've decided to gently upgrade my 1972 Peugeot UO 18 - 1st generation SunTour Cyclone RD, Spirt FD, and SunTour ? shifters. Ukai 27" alloy laced to Suzue hubs. I already bought the Kool Stop MAFAC specific pads. If the fixed cup will come out I'm installing a Velo Orange French bottom bracket so I can get, maybe my Sugino RT half step crankset installed.
I might install the Velo Orange Grand Cru crankset, which is 46/30.
Anyway I'd appreciate some specs. on the Spirt.
I've decided to gently upgrade my 1972 Peugeot UO 18 - 1st generation SunTour Cyclone RD, Spirt FD, and SunTour ? shifters. Ukai 27" alloy laced to Suzue hubs. I already bought the Kool Stop MAFAC specific pads. If the fixed cup will come out I'm installing a Velo Orange French bottom bracket so I can get, maybe my Sugino RT half step crankset installed.
I might install the Velo Orange Grand Cru crankset, which is 46/30.
Anyway I'd appreciate some specs. on the Spirt.
04-03-17, 08:07 AM
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Shouldn't be a problem. Maximum chainring differential is 18T according to SunTour's literature and they're often slightly conservative
04-03-17, 08:58 AM
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Disraeli gears has lots of SunTour catalogs online. Here's the page from 1978 describing the Spirt as having 18t capacity:
SunTour Catalog (1978) - page 20
SunTour Catalog (1978) - page 20
04-03-17, 11:29 AM
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Glad you're trying to stick with the Spirt. They don't get much respect that I can see, but I love that the reverse-pull operation means that you move both of your shift levers in the same direction when shifting up or down. I'm not aware of any other common FD models that do that.
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04-03-17, 11:35 AM
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I agree that it will probably work fine and also that it's a really nice derailleur.
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04-03-17, 12:06 PM
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All the SunTour front derailleurs designs prior to the introduction of the Cyclone in 1975 were top/high normal derailleurs. In addition to the Spirt, the SL and V-Compe were quite common. The latter was typically paired with the various SunTour V rear derailleurs found on the better grade Japanese models from the early 1970s boom, such as the Fuji Finest, Fuji Newest, Nishiki Pro, Nishiki Road Compe and Nishiki Competition, to name but a handful. The V-Compe is readily identifiable by the six descending lightening holes in the outer cage plate.
04-03-17, 01:44 PM
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Great info. & history. I love Disraeli gears site. I specifically looked for either Compe-V, Spirt, or SL. The co-op only had one Spirt. I do have a VX RD, which may be more era specific than the pretty Cyclone.
04-03-17, 02:57 PM
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I've got a Compe-V on my '72(ish) Peugeot and a Spirt on my daughter's '81 Fuji and they've worked well for us. They can often be found for $10-15 on eBay in brand new condition, often still in original packaging.
I'm not sure why, but there seem to have been 5-hole and 6-hole variants of the Compe-V. I'm not aware of any capacity difference between the two, but then again I haven't measured them to check.
I'm not sure why, but there seem to have been 5-hole and 6-hole variants of the Compe-V. I'm not aware of any capacity difference between the two, but then again I haven't measured them to check.
04-04-17, 05:51 AM
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04-04-17, 07:33 AM
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I wonder if the years made overlap? Or Maybe the 5-hole was for bikes running a 5 speed and the 6-hole was for when 6 speeds became more prevalent? One more hole = less weight? = racing model (weight savings)?
04-04-17, 08:47 AM
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The SL is the only front derailleur I know with an aluminum cage. In theory, it shouldn't last long, but I haven't seen any sawn apart by the chain. I've seen it happen with steel-caged front derailleurs.
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04-04-17, 09:51 AM
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I'm still using the Compe-V on my 1980 SR even though I use a Suntour Superbe Pro RD-3100 on the back. Those "top/high normal derailleurs" were used almost exclusively with BarCon equipped bikes. My SR came with the BarCons so I just kept the Compe-V up front to maintain the common direction for harder-easier gear changing. A couple years back someone was selling these NOS on eBay and I bought one at that time to replace the ratty looking original.
