John Nolan 

I just bought a set of old tubular rims at a good price, because they had a pair of Suntour Superbe hubs. From the photo in the ad, they seem to be these hubs:VeloBase: SunTour Superbe

I haven't picked them up yet, but I'm just wondering: how do they compare to the Superbe Pros?

The Golden Boy 

Superbe and Superbe Pro are different names for Suntour's TOTL racing group.

It started as Superbe, then changed to Superbe Pro. So it depends on which version of Superbe Pro you have, whether it's 70s technology, early 80s technology and graphics, late 80s technology and graphics or early 90s technology and graphics. They're all "the best" Suntour/Sunshine had to offer.

John Nolan 

Thanks.

They appear to be the same as the velobase pic with the gold label.

Road Fan

So what are the rims?

John Nolan 

I don't remember: mismatched tubulars. I plan to use the hubs for a new pair of clinchers...some day.

Don Buska

The ones you show are the RH-1000 models which have loose ball bearings and are really easy to service. They came out in the later part of the 70's. Next in 1983 came the BH-1500's which had sealed bearings, but serviceable. Therefore, they could still be removed and the individual bearing replaced. It's just that they had a good rubber sealing system to keep water out. Around 1986 came the HB-SB00 which used the cartridge sealed bearing. The later stayed around until the end of Suntour in the 90's. Only the RH-1000 model went under the Superbe name, while the other two were Superbe PRO versions. I am using both the RH-1000's and the BH-1500's on my bikes. Someday I hope to try the final model. They are all very well made hubs. If you do a lot of wet weather riding you would want to repack the RH-1000 models once a year. However, like anything if they are cared for they will last longer than our lifetimes.

BTW they are easy to identify by the labeling:

RH-1000 : Gold sticker with SUPERBE in black lettering (placed axially)
BH-1500 : Small lettering radially around center portion of hub body center with 'SUNTOUR SUPERBE PRO' black printed lettering.
HB-SB00 : Black printed lettering placed axially on the hub body with two lines small 'SUNTOUR' above a larger 'SUPERBE PRO'

If the stickers are warn off or the lettering is no longer visible - THEY ARE WORTHLESS (At least in my book)

BTW, they never overlapped the sale of these models. So there was never a SUPERBE version out at the same time as a SUPERBE PRO. That only happened with the derailleurs and headsets. With things like brakes, cranks and bottom brackets the PRO designation indicates a later generation SUPERBE model and that's all. After 1986 only the Superbe Pro existed.

John Nolan 

Thanks for that info, Don.