Aardwolf

Hiya Folks,
I got a used Suntour Cyclone Mk2 GT RD six months back and I noticed at the time that the pulleys were a bit crunchy.
I could have swapped in my VX GT pulleys but they would still be 40 years old so I had a look for alternative pulleys and found Bullseyes (expensive)
and some other metal ones on Ebay. Not sure I really want metal pulleys so I let it wait.

Finally I've got some, mainly because of the fine price as I was perusing Amazon. I've just installed them so here's the info
in case it helps anybody else.

BBB Rollerboys BDP-01
£10 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BBB-Pulleys...DU0/ref=sr_1_3

10T sealed roller bearings, with shims for different diameter mounting bolts.
It has the same diameter as Suntour: 32 min / 38 max
Comes with 4 sets of shims, the largest (set D) is about 5.9mm ID and just fits Suntour.
But it's 1mm thinner with the '6mm' shims installed: 9.3 mm, Suntour pulleys I've measured are 10.3mm wide.
The pulleys are not identical: the A pulleys have chamfered teeth, no idea why.
They also have a rotation direction arrow, probably related to the chamfered teeth.

Here's the instructions on the back of the box:



And here's what they look like (Suntour at the bottom for comparison)
:


Fitting:
Used a felt tip to mark rotation direction before I took the RD off the bike because that's way easier than thinking too much.
Added 2 M6x12mmx0.5mm stainless steel shim washers to each pulley making the width 10.3mm
Shims are a tight fit - used a ratchet clamp to push the bolts home first time, then they were fine.

Results:
I've only done about 1 mile so far since the weather is a bit cr*p.
Definitely quieter than the originals.
Definitely rotate easier.
Shifting seems fine but need a longer test ride.

So I'm very happy with them so far but need a longer ride to test the shifting more.
I'll update this if I hit any problems.

Update: +19 miles and they're just fine. Shifting is a bit crisper, but it's all quite subjective.
Update: 272 miles and still fine, freewheeling down hill is faster too

52telecaster

I'm sure plenty of folks will need this info! Ty.

himespau 

I just put a pair of those but with the ceramic bearings (because it was a couple dollars extra but would ship faster) on an RD that I'd used on nasty roads with a very heavy grease (Chain-L No. 5) that I am repurposing for a bike that'll be exclusively ridden indoors with a hot waxed chain. Was too lazy to want to try clean the pulleys (cleaning the rest of the RD was an ordeal as it was). I hadn't noticed any trouble shifting with the old wheels, but the new ones do spin a lot more freely when I just hold the RD in my hand. So far so good, but I couldn't tell the difference mounted..

steelbikeguy

Thanks to Aardwolf for that recommendation!
I had been looking at those, I think, and contacted the manufacturer about the BDP-01, asking if they would fit a SunTour derailleur.
They were nice enough to reply....
That was in September, 2021. I wonder if something changed?

I also looked at some pulleys from Velo-Orange:
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...heels-10-tooth
but they were out of stock at the time.

at the time, I was trying to replace some trusty old Bullseye pulleys on a SunTour Cyclone derailleur that had a bearing go bad. Fortunately, I was able to press a good bearing out of a badly worn pulley and press it into the pulley with the bad bearing. Mission accomplished!



Steve in Peoria

Aardwolf

The instructions only mention Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM.
But I did find a comment on ****** saying it will fit Suntour Superbe (https://www.******.com/r/Vintage_bic...erbe/?sort=old)The '6mm' adapters I measured at 5.8 - 5.9 mm, a slight push with a ratchet clamp got the bolts in fairly easily.

Edit: Hmmm, replace the * with r e d d i t
(Didn't know that wasn't allowed)

Edit2: The quoted comment above is 11 months old, so June 2021

Edit3: Must be past my bedtime, obviously 11 months makes that August 2021.

The Golden Boy 

Thank you!

Let's see some pix of them on your bike!!!


I haven't looked in a long long time- but a while ago someone was selling NOS Bullseye pulleys for $33 on Ebay. Back in the day, they were $18 and figuring in inflation- they were less expensive than when they were new... So I bought several sets.

I don't know how much they affect anything (other than a little noisier) but those red anodized pulleys mean you mean business. . They're probably not good for SIS or indexing, but I still put a purple set on my M900 XTR derailleur.

Aardwolf

You can't really see a difference on the bike since they're the same colour as the Suntour originals, but I'll do a photo if I can find an interesting angle.

Can't see any NOS bullseyes on Ebay, cheapest I can see is $45.

Here's an alternative to Bullseye: https://www.chasertech.com/derailleurs.html
They also sell on Ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...wheel&_sacat=0
They come in many colours for around $16, I've seen comments saying they will work on Suntour but I have no proof.

Edit: Chasertech website says the middle hole is 7mm which is the same as the BBB Rollerboys, how wide they are I don't know.

steelbikeguy

I've heard people complain about the noise of the Bullseye pulleys, but I'm never noticed it (maybe I'm losing my hearing??)

I've had a few floating around in my parts box, and they have since ended up on my bikes. My Olmo and Raleigh Team are now sporting them. It's entirely possible that plastic pulleys will wear better than the aluminum in the Bullseye, but I've got no complaints.

the Olmo, with Campagnolo Nuovo Record derailleur...



and the Raleigh Team with the Campagnolo Super Record (and the cool drilled out drop-out faces)...


and the SunTour Cyclone on the frame built by Rich Powers....


Steve in Peoria

dddd

If any of the shims/washers that come with derailer pulleys are made of plastic, beware.

I've seen carnage (including my own visits to a doctor) resulting from a loosened pulley bolt, which can result from any crud that might be sandwiched between the mating surfaces that are clamped together by the bolt. When the dirt/crud (or plastic washer!!!) later takes a set from the compressive forces, the bolt may lose significant tension and allow either pulley to wander about.

The moral of this story is to use Loctite on pulley bolts, or to at least have only wiped-clean, metal surfaces being clamped by the bolts.

steelbikeguy

The Bullseye used a bunch of thin metal washers and worked fine. They were a bit of a hassle to handle, though.

I've got later pulleys from Tacx that used plastic shims & washers, and they've held up nicely. I think they used a fair bit of glass fill in the washers, making them pretty solid and resistant to taking a set. Honestly, they were making the plastic pulleys from some rugged material, so it makes sense that they also chose the right material for the washers. But... poor material selection does happen and your warning is appropriate.

Loctite can be a tricky thing to use around plastics. Some formulations can outgas and damage nearby plastics. The Loctite FAQ has this info:
"Anaerobics are generally not recommended for use with plastics as they might result in stress cracking or softening. In such cases, cyanoacrylates are recommended."

Steve in Peoria

The Golden Boy 

I like the look on some derailleurs... On some it does look anachronistic...

I like the purple on XTR:

1990 Miyata 1000LT- Rear Derailleur by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr



and the completely idiotic "put 3 Bullseyes on a triple pulley derailleur- just because" pic:

Suntour XC by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

1990 Miyata 1000LT- Rear Derailleur by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

Suntour XC by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr


(that's a grey Bullseye at the jockey spot)

SJX426 

When the De Rosa was built, the pulleys on the RD didn't look great. Don't have pictures. IIRC they are VOs. The bushings options were difficult to differentiate. In any case they are working just fine at this point.
P1050091 on Flickr

ehcoplex

So.... if the OP's jockey wheels work with Suntour, can they also be made to work with Simplex?

jethin

I guess you really like it clean “down there.”

himespau 

Yeah, that's actually the issue (sort of). I have a very loving kitty that really only shows me affection when I go down to the basement to ride my bike. Then, she's all over me, and, if I don't stop getting dressed/whatever, to pet her, she starts rubbing on the bike. Hair "down there" or grease in her fur would be bad news. As it is, I often have to be careful in my first few pedal strokes that I don't bop her on the head. Once I get going, she backs away.

jethin

So you don’t want to bump kitties in the basement?

Aardwolf

I think I've heard Suntour jockeys work with Simplex, or maybe it's the other way round.
If it's a 6mm bolt like Suntour I'd say it will probably work.