Originally Posted by
wrk101
+10 No way those parts were original on that bike. I typically find AR bits on high ten steel bikes, or at best, bikes with generic cromoly main frames with the rest high ten. The 531 framesets I find with Suntour components tend to have parts that are higher up the product line. Nothing wrong with AR bits, I just tend to find them on lower end, recreational bikes.
Actually that's not correct, I've found AR level of components on 531 frames that came stock with this type of lower end component. Keep in mind AR is not the bottom end stuff, it was mid level and mid level stuff was found a lot on 531 tubesets. In fact a quick glance at the Trek history site to confirm one such brand that did shows that for 1981 model 613, the second lowest costing frame set was Reynolds 531 and that frame set came with Suntour Vx-Gt components, just a mid level component which is what the AR replaced.
http://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/Trek81.pdf And I've seen many mid level bikes with 531 and mid level components slapped on.
The order of 1981 Suntour components when AR was introduced was from top to bottom: Superbe Pro, Superbe, Cyclone Mk II, Cyclone, BL, ARx, Vx, AR, Seven, Volante, Honor, GT, and Mighty Click. There is a controversy about the mid order between the BL, ARx, Vx and AR, a lot of people rated the BL below the AR due to it's weight and finish quality. And the ARx was an attempt at being aero but had problems with shifting as well as the others in the mid lineup so some placed that one below Vx but above BL if BL was below AR. Confused now?