This is on a '75 (or is it '73?...) Raleigh Gran Sport, purchased back in the '80s. Something's always vexed me about the FD. It's a Suntour Compe V. The action is "reversed", that is, you pull the cable and wind up the spring to put it on the smaller chainring. I've never been too pleased with the action; it just seems like it's going against physics trying to get the chain to climb onto a larger sprocket by releasing tension.

I suppose for a novice it sorta makes sense "visually" - shifter further forward means higher gear ratio, applies to both rear and front. So I wonder if that's the only reason they came up with this design; one of those "it seemed like a good idea at the time" things. Might make sense for a casual user with one bike, but of course, for me, switching between bikes, it feels like driving a truck with the clutch pedal on the opposite side of the footwell.

It's original to the bike AFAIK. So would it be blasphemy to replace it? Just find a V-GT or some similar period-correct Suntour at the bike kitchen? The bike's mostly original otherwise; Weinmann brakes, Normandy hubs, that randonneur bar they used to throw on them, etc.

I'm guessing no, but is it of any added value just because of its oddity?


(Yeah, it needs a cleaning....) Kind of a pretty cage, too bad there's not a way to reverse the action.....