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Component Lust

Old 01-31-10, 04:27 PM
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Component Lust

For me, it's Suntour Superbe Pro components, second generation or later.

Simple, elegant, precisely engineered and light! I prefer Superbe to any iteration of Campy, Mavic, and of course Shimano.

I have a nearly complete Superbe Pro group, but I really have no use for it. I could hang it on a frame, but I really don't feel the need. Generally, I am very practical and do not hoard or collect components or bicycles I can't use, but Superbe Pro is an exception.

I'm sure there are collectors here who hoard far more and much older, unique, and/or significant stuff.

But if you were to choose one component or group of components for which you feel an irrational lust, what is it?

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Old 01-31-10, 04:34 PM
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Superbe Pro is absolutely beautiful from a functional standpoint and looks pretty sweet but I prefer the first generation Cyclone as it is even better looking and lighter and does not give up much in the performance department.

I don't hoard parts though... I buy them so they can be used.
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Old 01-31-10, 04:39 PM
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Zeus 2000. Late seventies with factory drillium & titanium.

I don't have a single piece of it, and current prices keeps me from even beginning a collection, besides the fact that it likely doesn't work as well as the aforementioned Suntour stuff, but still...

Last edited by jan nikolajsen; 01-31-10 at 04:43 PM.
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Old 01-31-10, 04:45 PM
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I don't hoard either. I really like the 1st gen Superbe and will be using it soon. Cyclone is pretty nice too, but since I don't have much of it and I'm not actively looking for it, Superbe wins.

Overall, I avoid Shimano and generally stick with Suntour. I just recently bought my first bike with Campy.
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Old 01-31-10, 04:56 PM
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I predict that Suntour will eventually have it's own big retro renaissance in a few years. For some reason, they have not been getting the recognition they deserve as well designed, high quality, good performing components they are, more than a match or better than the best Shimano and Campy produced during the 80's. I had both Cyclone MkII and Suntour Superbe Pro RDs and FDs on my bikes and have notihing but high praises for them and the other less expensive Suntour components I have worked on.
Kinda sad to see the black anodized Superbe Pro RD I gave back to my younger brother. He gave it to me many years ago when he took it off his C'dale Black Lightning. He insisted on exchanging it with my Cyclone MkII because he got into a weight weenie binge back then. Gave it back to him last fall to hopefully get him started on a restoration project on his Black Lightning.

I've been into a ultra Mavic lust binge lately myself because of my Vitus Carbone project, but now that it's done, I might be looking at other stuff to "play with". I think I bought the last bit of Mavic goodies for myself for a while last week when I snapped up a pair of mid 80's period alloy skewers at eBay. Been considering Mavic 80's brakesets for a bit, but I can't get over the fact that they are just re-branded Modolos and Diacompes, so it's a no-go for them.

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Last edited by Chombi; 01-31-10 at 05:02 PM.
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Old 01-31-10, 05:21 PM
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I must say I agree on the Suntour Superbe, very beautiful. while there are lots of fancy components I would like to own, Mavic both SSC and the later Index, (where did I see a complete NOS ZAP group??) a Sachs New Success group so many

however the only things I go out of my way for and have more than I need are Chorus and Athena Monoplanor brakes, the later ones, Veloce, Mirage while ok are just not as nice as the orginal. also if they were not so expensive (and freewheel only) the Corse Rec HF hubs
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Old 01-31-10, 05:21 PM
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I would not call it hoarding, but there are 2 groups of components I am continuously in the look out for:

1. Gios pantographed Super Record and Cinelli components, to build my grail bike some day:



2. Dura Ace 74xx for my riders

I am also not shying away from Sante components, if the price is right...

Other than that, my search is project-specific.

Now that the Regal saddle has been discontinued (read: "new and improved Regale", I will probably start hoarding some of those...
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Old 01-31-10, 05:38 PM
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Correction... I seem to have a leather fetish and do have an over abundance of saddles and even have a few un-rideable one's on display.
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Old 01-31-10, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Chombi
re-branded Modolos and Diacompes
That reminds me, I also find some of the high end Dia-Compe brakes very striking, including the Gran Compe calipers and centerpulls.
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Old 01-31-10, 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
Correction... I seem to have a leather fetish and do have an over abundance of saddles and even have a few un-rideable one's on display.
There you go, that's what I'm talking about. Irrational lust! Not that leather saddles aren't functional as well, but lust is about more than simply function. I appreciate lots of high end Campy and other manufacturer's products, but there's just something about Superbe Pro that overwhelms me.
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Old 01-31-10, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by JunkYardBike
There you go, that's what I'm talking about. Irrational lust! Not that leather saddles aren't functional as well, but lust is about more than simply function. I appreciate lots of high end Campy and other manufacturer's products, but there's just something about Superbe Pro that overwhelms me.
There is nothing irrational about your being overwhelmed by Superbe Pro parts...

If you collected Huffys we might have to stage an intervention.
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Old 01-31-10, 06:06 PM
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Lust for me is when a component appeals to both my rational and artist sides of my brain. The Engineering and functionality topped off with extra helpings of aesthetic beauty. Suntour Superbe Pro is high on my lust list with 3 components that simply blew the opposition away...the pedals (track and road models), the brake calipers and the rear derailleur. Suntour seems to get it right more often than others.
Campagnolo haunts my OCD with their high flange Sheriff's Star hubs, and C-Record crankset.
The only Shimano design that falls into my 'wow' list was their Dura Ace platform pedal.
Nothing has caught my attention in recent years until Campy released their skeleton brake calipers. IMO, very cool.
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Old 01-31-10, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by WNG
Lust for me is when a component appeals to both my rational and artist sides of my brain. The Engineering and functionality topped off with extra helpings of aesthetic beauty. Suntour Superbe Pro is high on my lust list with 3 components that simply blew the opposition away...the pedals (track and road models), the brake calipers and the rear derailleur. Suntour seems to get it right more often than others.
Well put. I agree the pedals and calipers are the superior examples, but for some reason the RD isn't as impressive for me. In my opinion, the crankset completes the trifecta.
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Old 01-31-10, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by WNG
Lust for me is when a component appeals to both my rational and artist sides of my brain. The Engineering and functionality topped off with extra helpings of aesthetic beauty. Suntour Superbe Pro is high on my lust list with 3 components that simply blew the opposition away...the pedals (track and road models), the brake calipers and the rear derailleur. Suntour seems to get it right more often than others.
Campagnolo haunts my OCD with their high flange Sheriff's Star hubs, and C-Record crankset.
The only Shimano design that falls into my 'wow' list was their Dura Ace platform pedal.
Nothing has caught my attention in recent years until Campy released their skeleton brake calipers. IMO, very cool.
You would have to pry my Superbe and XC Pro pedals from my cold dead hands...

Superbe track hubs are something I would love to have as well...
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Old 01-31-10, 07:00 PM
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I have a pedal fetish. I believe I started a thread about it a while back. I also dig high-flange hubs - dead sexy.
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Old 01-31-10, 07:11 PM
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1). 1st Gen Campy Chorus
Distanct...
2). Late 80's Mavic whatever-it-was with the starfish cranks
3). 2nd Gen Superbe Pro
4). Mid-80's Campy C-Record
5). Shimano Arabesque
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Old 02-01-10, 08:21 AM
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Originally Posted by iab
I have a pedal fetish. I believe I started a thread about it a while back. I also dig high-flange hubs - dead sexy.
I don't know that these are particularly special, but they were original spec on rhm's '49 Norman Rapide (I had the honor of holding it for him a few days). Very appealing design:

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Old 02-01-10, 08:41 AM
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Never thought about it...

Suntour Superbe Pro is right there with the 2x8 Ergo Chorus, the Suntour is prettier, IMO

For utilitarian value, Shimano 600 "tricolor," as it bridges the gap from DT to STI

If Ofmega had produced a wider lineup, serious consideration from 1985:
Sintesi pedals
Mistral crankset/FD/RD/Shifters
Headset and BB
no hubs that I know of...
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Old 02-01-10, 08:56 AM
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Oh, yeah, those are Phillips pedals. It's all pieces of flat metal swaged together, but somehow the design is curvy and almost voluptuous... .

Still, as a general response to the whole thread... I find it very difficult to separate the design aspects of aesthetics and functionality from the manufacturing / quality control / materials aspects and the desirability/cost and of course the rarity / collectability aspects of any component or component group.

For example, avoiding the subject of bicycles and components... No one who knows anything about cars will have anything good to say about the AMC Pacer, but I, who know nothing about cars (beyond a general sense that I don't like 'em), always thought they were a pretty cool design. No, I've never driven one. And no, thanks, I don't want one!

Once you get the idea that aluminum is better than steel, you can't appreciate even the design qualities of anything made out of steel. Once you get to a stage where you think Campy NR is the bees knees, it's very hard to get away from that to look at other stuff objectively. At the same time, a bad experience with one component will tarnish anything and everything with the same name on it; in 1982 I had a bad experience with a Dura-Ace derailleur, after which I wouldn't put anything Shimano component on my bike for years and years. And for that whole time, I seriously thought anything with the word "Shimano" printed on it was extremely ugly. Of course, at that time I hadn't yet seen starfish cranks ....

Trying to be objective, I must admit Suntour Superbe and Suntour Cyclone are pretty much the most elegant thing out there... excepting Gran Compe brakes, maybe...
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Old 02-01-10, 08:58 AM
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For some reason I seem to have a stem fetish. I especially like stems with a slight negative rise and stems that protrude backwards passed the vertical quil.

not mine:



I also have a thing for cottered/steel cranks. Their slender, almost delicate looking design just gets me all hot and bothered.

also not mine:


Come to think of it, I get more excited about neat-o components than I do neat-o frames. Probably explains why I have a bucket full of cool components with nothing worthy to put them on.
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Old 02-01-10, 09:10 AM
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I'm sure this is dictated somewhat by what I rode when i first got into cycling, but I LOVE the annodized grey shimano 600 tri-color and 105 stuff. I always found it VERY functional with very precise shifts...I also found it very easy to keep tuned up and working well and I'm one of the small minority that liked how it looked.

I have an irrational love of Mavic Open Pro silver rims...I think they're the most beautiful rim produced.
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Old 02-01-10, 10:37 AM
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Blue or gold anodized Galli Criterium. I also agree with the Zeus 2000. And I'm probably not alone if I say Cobalto brakes.
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Old 02-01-10, 10:54 AM
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Vintage anodized BMX stuff for me, Araya 7x 26" cruiser rims, Suzue hubs, Sugino Maxy-Cross cranks, Tuffneck stems etc. I also like Shimano Arabesque, I am running the deraillers and cranks with a more modern set of 8 speed brifters and they look and work great! Vintage look with modern function.
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Old 02-01-10, 11:49 AM
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First generation Cyclone and/or Superbe, then anything made by TA, especially their pedals which I've never been able to afford.


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Old 02-01-10, 11:59 AM
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Originally Posted by JunkYardBike
For me, it's Suntour Superbe Pro components, second generation or later.

Simple, elegant, precisely engineered and light! I prefer Superbe to any iteration of Campy, Mavic, and of course Shimano.

I have a nearly complete Superbe Pro group, but I really have no use for it. I could hang it on a frame, but I really don't feel the need. Generally, I am very practical and do not hoard or collect components or bicycles I can't use, but Superbe Pro is an exception.

I'm sure there are collectors here who hoard far more and much older, unique, and/or significant stuff.

But if you were to choose one component or group of components for which you feel an irrational lust, what is it?
If you ever feeling offloading those parts, I call dibs. You hit it on the nail. Superbe Pro is the best. Ever. Nothing before or after. I have a bike built up with NOS Sprint 9000, but the wheels are built on SP hubs. So very nice. I'll give 8 speed DA 7400 a close second. I'm talking about the years without brifters. That is one smart looking group set.
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