DOS

I am in midst of refurbing an 80s Schwinn and am using my 1985 Superbe Pro crankset. While I have previously explored to ridiculous depths the mysteries of suntour spindle length and tapers appropriate for these cranks via threads like these..

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ath?highlight=

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ted?highlight=

I had long assumed the BCD for mid 80s Superbe pro was 130 because that is what I had read, and I never bothered to measure or look that close . In course of my refurb, I decided to replace the black Superbe rings (not original) that came with the silver cranks when I bought them off ebay with something less worn and closer match to what would have come with the cranks originally. I found on ebay a 52t Superbe pro ring cheap, but imagine my surprise when the 130 ring arrived and I found it too small.

While I haven't found any 144BCD suntour rings for my project, period appropriate Campy rings with 144BCD appear readily available, so I will likely wind up with Suntour cranks and BB with Campy NR or SR rings. So, in summary, not only, in case of my cranks, did Suntour Superbe Pro use standard compatible with Campy for the bottom bracket spindle interface, it was using 144BCD into mid 80s as well (these are road double cranks, not track). I suppose this should have occurred to me long ago, but I never thought to check.

spacemanz

Pretty interesting. I have a SunTour XC Pro crankset, which is a triple, and uses the same BCD as MTB triples. I was planning to use them on a Campagnolo BB, & it would have worked I think, but the crankarm wouldn't clear the BB shell, with the smallest chainring installed, LOL, about a 1/16" off. I ended up using my old Race Face MTB cranks, and it looks like a 3rd chainring will "probably" fit, because of the way it sits "over" the BB shell. Some things just need to be checked by hand, so you know for yourself. Good luck.

lord_athlon

My cyclone cranks had 144bcd as well. Also, I think the taper was campy as well

CroMo Mike 

Also SR Royal and some Sugino cranks use 144 bcd.

ThermionicScott 

It's interesting how smaller (and less influential) manufacturers will follow the leader on these things, in this case the Campy standard. You see it a little later when everyone had to put out their own version of BioPace, even though I'm sure they didn't want to.

At any rate, you might check if Mike (puchfinnland) has any 144BCD rings in the sizes you want. He's got a whole bunch of NOS SR rings, and hooked me up.

JohnDThompson 

Superbe cranks were 144mm BCD until about 1984, when they changed to 130mm BCD.

John E

Thanks for the information on when the changeover occurred. I have owned several Sugino road cranksets from the early to mid 1970s and still have one from the early 1980s, all with 144mm BCD, and I have even seen a 151mm BCD on a late 1960s Sugino crankset.

I may have more 144mm BCD rings than I need -- PM me if you are looking for a particular size.

DOS

A bit later, my Superbe Pro cranks, which are marked with date code BD, are apparently from April 1985 according to this.

https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm

mikemowbz

I would think Sugino rings might make for the best combination of quality/affordability/appropriateness.

It is widely claimed that Sugino manufactured the Superbe Pro (and other) cranks under contract (or 'in partnership') with Suntour.

Or is that just a rumour? I don't recall the details, but I seem to think this seemed credible/likely during past research.

I seem to be able to pick up nice NOS Sugino rings from time to time for good prices (definitely check with puchfinland, as suggested, if John E or other sources don't fix you up here...I'll take a peek in my box as well to see if I've any extras handy also). Esp. compared to Campy.

My set of these cranks is the (later?) 130bcd. Convenient: I just threw on some 53/39 Shimano 9sp rings, and am glad for the 39 over a 42 inner.

I do recall seeing both 130 and 144 road versions, in addition to the 144 track cranks.

zukahn1 

If the OP is looking for chainrings in 144BCD Sugino Competition rings from the 70's through early 80's should be a near perfect match for those cranks since the Superbe and the Competiotion where basically the same crank with slightly different label and styling.

artclone

The 85 Schwinn Peloton came with a 144 BCD Superbe Pro crank so it makes sense they were used -- if not made -- past 84. There are some Sugino rings that look to be a perfect match minus the branding so I also tend to suspect they may have made the rings -- at least -- for Suntour.

BTW. I found the Campy Origin 8 BB had the correct taper for this crank and will do nicely until I find the original item for a good price.

Zinger

Pays to measure one arm x 2 and verify

lord_athlon

I might have a set of Suntour Cyclone 52/42 in 144

HeyPip

Hi Mike. Yes, Sugino was part of the Maeda group of companies. The group was formed to provide high end components for OEM to the huge Japanese bike manufacturing of the time. The different companies were: Suntour, Sugino, Dia-Compe, there was a hub company but I forget the name right now and I think it was KKT for pedals but I might be wrong. It was formed in the 70's and lasted until the mid 80's. Each company made their own branded parts, based on Campy NR and SR and the parts were re-branded as Suntour Superbe and Cyclone for the groups. They also made custom components (hubs, pedals, cranks, headsets, bars and stems) for Specialized and WTB, back in the day IIRC. The companies, back then were family companies, so there is no public record of how the deals were set up. Maeda was crushed by the Shimano juggernaut. This can be seen by the change in chain ring BCD from 144 to 130 as they moved to mimic Shimano and abandoned the Campagnolo standards. I think SR bought up a bunch of the scraps. Don't they own Suntour now?

Pip

Jeff Wills

Back when I worked in the warehouse at Euro-Asia Imports, I came across a couple boxes of Sugino chainrings in both 144mm and 151mm bolt pattern. I don't doubt that they are still there.

https://www.euroasiaimports.com/produ...1840p12703.htm

DOS

[QUOTE=Jeff Wills;16313399]Back when I worked in the warehouse at Euro-Asia Imports, I came across a couple boxes of Sugino chainrings in both 144mm and 151mm bolt pattern. I don't doubt that they are still there. QUOTE]

Ok, help me out here because clearly I am an idiot. I have come across the EAI site before and could not figure out how to order anything. Having seen above post, I tried again. For any product on the site, I am told the price is $0.00 and, while the drop down menus let me select colors and sizes, after I make selection, nothing happens and I see no way to add anything to a cart or otherwise continue the transaction. What am
I missing?

WNG

Sansin (aka Sunshine, Sanshin) was the hub manufacturer. Sakae Ringyo (SR) was also a Maeda partner. Sakae also made cranksets under the Suntour name.

+1 on searching for Sugino chainrings, since they made the Superbe cranks for Suntour.
I have a Sugino Aero Mighty with 144mm BCD. Great crank, but 42t is a PITA, correction, the knees.

look171

[QUOTE=DOS;16315763]They have always been an importer and wholesale only so you might have to go through your local bike shop. As least that the way they were in the old days. I am not sure if they sell retail through the net or not? I am completely out of the loop.

Bianchigirll 

I am not going to say I knew this but I always just assumed the older Campi clonish looking stuff was 144BCD, like the Ofmega favored by Bianchi the older DA stuff and the like.

Jeff Wills

[QUOTE=look171;16317015]You are correct. They're in the L.A. area (northwest of Pasadena), so anything you see there can be gotten in a day or two. I've wondered about the storefront, but maybe it's part of some semi-secret plan for world domination.

Wait... that's my delusion.

look171

Store front you say? John bought them out. Not the big John with the beard but the Cat 1 guy. Freaking monster, I hated that guy when he took a pull up front. I don't want to mention his last name on air. I haven't been there in years but I needed something for my old Casati and discovered that the some of the old jersey from the early 80s were still there and surprise the hipster hadn't bought them all yet. Too bad, no such luck with the Casati part. I needed a pantograph TTT stem just like I had when I was a kid. The place is nice. Oh, a couple of the Mondia were still there. This was about 4-5 years ago.

you were there when they were upstairs or on foothill?

jeff

Jeff Wills

Up on Foothill- I'm pretty sure they're still there, and still run by Dede. I think you're getting confused with Montrose Bike Shop, which is owned by the same family.

look171

Euroasia actually has a store front? Yes, I thought you were talking about Montrose bikes next to the library.

Jeff Wills

Virtually speaking: https://www.euroasiaimports.com/

I drop by and say hello from time to time. They still have photos of "Big Jeff" (me) pinned to the center pillar. "Little Jeff" was 6-foot-1.

look171

Ah, they now sell retail on line. If I need something, I go to Lubanski and have him order it. I am very old school and like to keep local business around.