scarlson 

I agree with all the sentiment surrounding the Cyclone M2. My only problems with it are the super heavy return spring, which doesn't play well with retrofriction levers, large chain gap because it was designed for freewheels which had bigger smallest cogs, and the inability to do more than 8 speeds without modification. I've successfully modified mine to do 9, but it shifts somewhat badly on the small cogs because of its large chain gap, and generally has a hard time of it all.

I think that is one benefit of the Superbe Pro over the Cyclone M2: better set up for smaller cogs and a wider swing for more cogs. It does come at the expense of a couple tens of grams. I really like friction shifting modern cassettes, though, so it probably makes sense for me. For a freewheel, the Cyclone M2 is perfect - but you're probably gaining all the weight you saved on the derailleur, by using a freewheel.

T-Mar

Hmm, is that a Freudian slip? It sound like a failed, late 1970s SunTour attempt at electronic shifting. So, you preach friction but deep down inside you may actually covet electronic shifting. This requires some further, serious psychoanalysis.

embankmentlb

Pretty darn cool! You seem to be doing that without the aftermarket extender.

sunnyone

Wanna sell the Cyclone and the Deore? I’m sure you’d have many interested buyers.

Bad Lag

I do not buy or sell on the Forums or via ebay.

Bad Lag

What's with all this discussion of 8, 9, 10, 11 speed, click shifting, graphite fiber derailleur bodies,... I thought this was a C&V Forum asking about C&V derailleurs.

smd4

I consider my DA 7700 to be both C and V.

Bad Lag

You forgot the CRANE GS rear derailleur. It was the archetype for all the Dura Ace stuff that followed. I had one in ~1973. It worked well but I had no need for its wide ratio capabilities.

There was also a short-caged version, the CRANE.

Bad Lag

I wouldn't disagree with that, or the assertion about the older Record. In my mind, those three are all the same breed showing the evolution of a worthy design (design longevity of ~30 years).

Add in the fact they are still viable for use today, that's a design that has lasted over 60 years.

The Golden Boy 

I used to agree with that statement- until I tried using a Dura Ace 7803 on a "not Dura Ace" crank set. Now, I'll just mostly agree.

IMO/IME- the 7700 FD is boss-


Best front derailleur evAr.

Works with huge chainrings, small chainrings, any size difference chainrings, half-step, half-step and a granny... lighter than XC Pro AND EVEN Superbe.

Ironic in that the Mountech RD is the biggest dud ever.

smd4

I use downtube shifters and the FD7700 is exceedingly simple to adjust.

stardognine

Hey, you have any experience & opinion on the 7703 FD? I just started using one recently, but not real happy so far. It's probably my shifter's fault, but more info is always good. 😉

TIA.

nlerner

I’m shocked at the absence of the SunTour 3-pulley model:



@Andy_K, where are you?!

The Golden Boy 

No- The reason I got the 7700 FD is because the 7803 I had wasn't working. And driving me bonkers. "How does a front derailleur not work?" Shimano found a way to make even a front derailleur proprietary... It was completely baffling to me. My guess is the contours on the plates are somehow made for the chainring size and location of ramps and pins on the DA crankset.

Literally every other FD I used, I had no problems whatsoever- but I was hung up about having Dura Ace... the 7700 was on eBay cheap- so I got it- and it has been stellar.

IMG_1728 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

52telecaster

A friend tacoed his rear wheel on a trek 620. I replaced the derailleur with an altus I had laying around and it worked perfectly. Looks kinda dopey but hey, we are all bike geeks anyway.

majmt 

Both versions are very nice




I would really like to say NR is my favorite because it’s so good looking. VeloBase shows a long cage version like this but I’m not sure if this might be Frankenpiece with a Rally cage - I just got this one but I think I have another somewhere.




My favorite (C&V-wise) though would have to be the DuoPar - very smooth, sure, and quiet. I’ve heard that they can be prone to twisting into spokes but never experienced it in 40 years of running them.

Andy_K 

As much as I love the quirkiness of the 3 pulley derailleurs, my actual choice would be this guy:

iab 

Not a single mention of the Simplex TdF.

embankmentlb

I am looking for a cheep set of those d t shifters to give that a try!

smd4

I’m not sure it’s possible to use the words “Dura Ace” and “cheap” in the same sentence!

(although I guess I just did)

RiddleOfSteel

As others have said, Dura-Ace 7700 GS, which I have on my Trek 720 right now. Works beautifully either friction or indexed. If I had to go with a different one, it'd be a Dura-Ace 7800 short cage. For friction era specifically, pretty much any upper-tier slant parallelogram Suntour gets my vote, even (if not especially) the Mountech/Superbe Tech stuff. Very smooth.

embankmentlb

My experience is that the middle shift stop is critical. Get that correct and all is golden.

The Golden Boy 

My picks...

Overall, currently... the Dura Ace 7803 rear derailleur and the Mountech front derailleur. The 7803 is the last beautiful polished DA RD. I'm using it 10 speed, with a 12-32 cassette and a 28/38/50 front crankset and a 11-30 cassette and 34/46 front.

The Mountech- as mentioned before- it handles anything, it has a huge range, it's rugged AND it's lighter than most racing FDs.

IMG_1715 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
MountechFD by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr


Then if you're going to go all full-on CnV... Again Mountech FD. As nlerner brought up- the XC 3 pulley derailleur was probably the best shifting friction derailleur I've had. But it's heavy. Then there's XC Pro/XC Comp. Those things feel so great- and they look super.

Suntour XC by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

Suntour XC Pro Medium and Long Cage by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr



One model I don't recall seeing here- the all-time champion- the Suntour V-GT Luxe. Tougher than pretty much anything, as light as it needed to be, dirt cheap and was in production for like a decade.

Suntour V-GT Luxe by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

63rickert

Especially when used with an original GS lever. Nothing like it.

BradH

Any of the nine speed road derailleurs. 5500, 6500, 7700. They are probably the last attractive Shimano groups. The 11 tooth guide pulleys work better with 10 speed chain than the earlier 10 tooth models, 13 on the 7700 GS if i remember correctly. Polished aluminum is more attractive than black newer stuff or the silver or gray 105 and 600 stuff from the 7/8 speed era. Friction or index, no problem.