Classic & Vintage - Why are these Superbe Pro brakes so great?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42331&item=7134178365&rd=1

someone please explain why these went for almost $200, even as NOS. I have that exact pair in used but immaculate condition and I picked mine up for about ten bucks at a swap meet.....

I dunno. I've got some Superbe (non-pro) brakes on a bike that I've owned for 21 years, and they still "run good." But that could be true of a lot components. I've noticed that used camera equipment sometimes goes for more than brand new stuff on Ebay. Go figure.

Suntour made some great products. But Campy had the religion angle sewed up, and Shimano had all the advertising. Just don't tell anybody... ;)

I dunno. I've got some Superbe (non-pro) brakes on a bike that I've owned for 21 years, and they still "run good." But that could be true of a lot components. I've noticed that used camera equipment sometimes goes for more than brand new stuff on Ebay. Go figure.


Yeah, the brakes are exceptional, very nice for single piviots... But $200 for brakes? Damn.

Likely ebay insanity and someone wanting a matched set of stuff. I got mine pretty cheap too.

They aren't that great. People get all worked up about them because they aren't made any more, so it is their rarity and a grass is greener kind of thing. There is also a myth about Shimano putting SunTour out of business so there is the anti-Shimano angle. I raced for a team back in the 70s that was sponsored by SunTour, the equipment was just OK not great. By the time the Superbe Pro group came out, the Shimano high end equipment was better than SunTour's. And I seem to remember that the SunTour brakes were manufactured by Dia-Compe ( does anyone else know anything about this, I could well be wrong).

Likely ebay insanity and someone wanting a matched set of stuff. I got mine pretty cheap too.

I'm with you, I see lots of things on Ebay going for too much, free market? Anyway, I have 18 yo Superbe Pro brakes on my 85 Cannondale, they have performed flawlessly, and I ride in the Cascade Mountains alot on this bike still. Beyond the performance, I polish thes babies like my wife does her silver. They are really beautiful, and I can appreciate that level of workmanship and design excellence.
That said, I'm not sure I'd go $200. BTW the C'dale is all Superbe Pro and cherry.

I always liked Suntour stuff, it was as well made as the other high end stuff but far more reasonably priced. Unfortunately that led consumers to think it was lesser quality.
They were also fairly innovative but their R&D wasn't quite up to speed, hence some of their stuff had problems, most notably their cassette hub.

If you think those prices are crazy, check ut the vintage Hutch BMX stuff!

If you think those prices are crazy, check ut the vintage Hutch BMX stuff!

Hah, yeah dont worry, I know. I have a pair of old Motomag II's up on ebay right now that broke $100 and I fully expect them to top $250. For a 25-30 year old heavy a$s cast-steel wheelset, thats just too funny.

People pay out the nose for stuff for no good reason I think. Ah well, makes for a sellers market I think.

I also have a Suntour Superbe Pro brakeset in use for over 20 years, They have always worked great. Basically a sort of Campy (of the same vintage) copy. very smooth and excellent finish.

sure I didn't pay anything like that for them but I guess i today's $$ who knows an equivalent value.

Also have some Campys, Dura Ace, Dia-Compe, etc and they perform as well as any.

Aren't Suntour Superbe parts also part of the Bridgestone/Grant/Rivendell mystique? Something about being the perfect development of bicycle technology or something like that...

Aren't Suntour Superbe parts also part of the Bridgestone/Grant/Rivendell mystique? Something about being the perfect development of bicycle technology or something like that...

maybe, maybe not... but I never realy bought the Peterson / Riv thing. I cant see the "perfect development of bicycle technology" being thumb shifters ^^

Oh, I don't buy it myself but many, many people seem to.

Hello Everyone,
You have to be careful in assessing the price of Superbe Pro (SP) brakes, because the earlier models did not have the internal spring that the ebay pair did, among other differences. I have seen one bike shop advertising Superbe (not SP) brakes for $240, another shop has SP brakes for $150. and I bought a pair of SP on ebay for $90. None of these is as good as the set that went for about $190. According to the following site, the list price of Suntour Superbe Pro brakes was $200, and the author of this review is obviously very impressed with them.
http://www.bikepro.com/arch_products/brakes/abrakecalip/asuntour.html
Taking all of these facts into account, a price of $193 doesn't sound so unreasonable (if you picked up a pair at a swap meet on the cheap, you owe yourself a pat on the back, big time.)

The above site has some very complimentary archival reviews of the SP fder and rder as well. Maybe there is some truth to the idea that the Suntour mystique is partly due to their not being around anymore, but their workmanship was fabulous, and they did things that nobody else did. They may have started out by imitating Campy, but by the mid 80's they far outgrew that mold. Why Shimano ended up eating their lunch should be the subject of another thread.

No, I got the ones with the internal spring and "Superbe Pro" on one arm for ten bucks back in january. They're missing the cable bolt, but I stole one from my Cyclone brakes and its a perfect fit ^^

as nice as they are (and yeah, they're nice) if I could sell them for even half of that I'd do it in a heartbeat :)

No, I got the ones with the internal spring and "Superbe Pro" on one arm for ten bucks back in january. They're missing the cable bolt, but I stole one from my Cyclone brakes and its a perfect fit ^^

as nice as they are (and yeah, they're nice) if I could sell them for even half of that I'd do it in a heartbeat :)
Ok, I'm game. I calculate $5.00 for em based on the above. . . :D

marty

On the Superbe = New Grand Comp issue. I had heard that Suntour farmed out manufacture of brakes, hubs, and cranks for the Superbe line. This was talk from the early 80s. Can anyone confirm this?

Ok, I'm game. I calculate $5.00 for em based on the above. . . :D

marty


sure. and $95.00 for S&H al la Ebay ;)

Ned Ludd your full of balony! Suntour was not just OK, they far exceeded anything that Campy or Shimano had. And if you raced back in the 70's as you proclaimed then you would have known that Shimano wasn't even sanctioned to be used in Pro cycling back then thus never seen on the circuit. Those that raced Shimano stuff on the non-sanctioned races found out that stuff wasn't even as good as Campy. Even the Pro Euro racers discovered that Suntour shifted faster and lasted longer then anything Europe had including Campy. Suntour invented the slant paralligram rear derailleur that all derailleurs still use today. Even Consumer Reports back in the late 70's tested all the major brands of bike derailleurs and concluded that Suntour VG series...Suntours middle of the line derailleur...out performed ALL the other offerings on the market. The reason Suntour failed was two fold; one was Shimano was actually a bigger company by far-BUT NOT in cycling, they made farm machinery , bearings for electric motors, and all kinds of manufacturing equipment; when they decided to get into cycling they far outspend Suntour in marketing. The 2nd reason was Suntour was slow in accepting the fact that MTB's were becoming the fad in the USA so when they rushed out their design for MTB's it failed badly and again no real marketing.

See: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hadland/page35.htm for more details about the history of Suntour.

Suntour Superbe brakes were the best made even though they were actually made by Dia Compe. They were Campy replicas in the looks department but with a better feel and quality, plus they came up with a quick release design so you could just flip a lever to open the brakes remove and replace your rim, close the release and ride. But I cannot imagine any vintage brake set being worth $200 even if they are NOS and NIB. But I did see a set of Zeus aero drilled brakes set go for $500 so who knows!

If they were NOS (and included the handles), I'd buy them in a heartbeat. Given that they are used, it's a bit tougher to know what a fair price is.

Unique concealed internal return spring makes for clean and beautiful lines, gives dirt less of a foothold, and is polished and finished in places "where others don't even have places".