Originally Posted by
thook
I'll attest to that. I have two 7spd Suntour freewheels that shift great. One is an AP 13-30 and the other is something around the same time period......a 13-28....but, I don't remember the model offhand. It shifts equally well, though. Ah.....and, I have one 5spd UG freewheel and that sucker does shift nicely. I like how it sounds, too. Conversely, I have a 5spd Suntour 14-32 that shifts like dog dung. I'm going to break it down and use some of the cogs to build a half step sometime. Maybe tweak the teeth as I've read about others doing.
Anyway, thanks for the input, gentlemen. <<<thumbs up>>>>
The above might help explain the various views of Campagnolo Shifting performance. The Nuovo Record was designed for
racing ratios of the era, so no bigger than 26t basically. And 24t was better. 28t can be done, but it requires effort on some bikes to set up, and does come with reduced performance compared to the tighter ratios. The last generation Super Record does better and was changed to swing the 7 and 8 speed blocks. The Nuovo Record was not, 6 at the rear with normal spacing.
There is no question that the Suntour slant parallelogram is the better design. It is unfortunate that Suntour took so long to create a pro level ensemble. So it goes.
I do think a vintage lightweight enthusiast should consider a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record era bike. It was the standard to which others aspired for over 15 years. The overall package of aesthetics, finish, materials and repairability was
the standard. Did Campagnolo get complacent? Yes. But their dominance in racing for the pros and amateurs cannot be denied. Weinmann 500's can stop as well as Campagnolo brakes, but what one adjusts easier, has a superior level of finish, and is more elegant?