I've got an old Trek 620 touring frame I'm trying to build up for week long trip coming up. I've decided to pickup a Suntour set, but I'm having difficulty figuring out what exactly I'm looking for.

I actually have a Suntour Cyclone set now, but it can only manage doubles. Is there a triple out there, and is there a specific model I should be looking out for?

And while I'm on the topic of triple FD/RD's, is there a good modern set that would match a vintage Trek frame?

Suntour has endless variations of front and rear derailleurs that will handle a triple set up. I have an "XCD" on my Puch touring bike that works very well on my Specialized triple crank. The same bike has an "X-1" rear derailleur that works perfectlly, so much so that I was truly impressed. It is Accushift compatible and with the correct 7 speed shift levers (I'm using Superbe Pro down tube levers but there are nice 6 or 7 barcons still available) it has hard positive clicks that are chunkier but just as good as modern Shimano indexing.

But for your front derailleur I think the XCD, the XC9000, the Cyclone 7000 would work. There are way more variations than this if you've ever seen some of the old charts listing all the SunTour derailleurs for different applications from this era. I would probably avoid the XC Pro front derailleur unless you are using a mountain compact triple as these were called "microdrive" and the curvature of the cage is designed to handle a max big ring of 44 or 46 teeth, so its gonna rub if you use a road triple with a 52 or 53 big chainring. If you don't mind mixing and matching components I would also recommend the 9 speed era Shimano Ultegra triple front derailleur the "6503" - its absolutely stiff, quick and accurate through a triple crank and easy to trim. It has a matte finish to the chrome that to me, sort of grabs the chain and makes quick shifting and trimming a little more tactile and a "no-brainer" so to speak.

For the rear derailleur if you wish to stay with SunTour I would encourage you to get a GT caged Accushift compatible model such as the X-1, XC7000, XC9000 or XCPro in any of the cage variants of short, medium or long cage. You could go with older Cyclone GT or Superbe touring type but these are not going to be index ready out of the box.

Good luck with your project bike!

My all time favorite that will work on your older Trek is the first generation Cyclone GT FD & RD with a TA triple.



Scott

I'm using a long cage Ultegra RD (RD-6500) and Ultegra Triple FD (FD-6603) on my '81 Voyageur 11.8. I managed to get both with the braze-on adaptor for the front for $90. I'm VERY pleased with their performance.

That said, it's hard to top a setup like Scottryder's.

Ya if you need a braze on adapter they sell them here among other places https://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/SSXGXZ24

I'm running nearly the same set-up as Scott minus the TA-Crankset



The Cyclone GT RD has enough capacity for just about anything, but this triple crankset is pushing the limits of the 1st Gen cyclone FD. The biggest issue I ran into in the setup of the FD was the derailleur didn't want to reach in close enough to the frame to move the chain to the small ring even with the Limit screw backed all the way out. The remedy for me was firstly to adjust the height on the FD so the bottom of the cage was as close as possible to the big ring, and then rotated the derailleur slightly so the tail of the cage was a little closer to the small ring.

The stated capacity for the Cyclone FD is 18T, I know I've gotten away with 20.
The real test is gonna come this weekend...I'm trying to move to a 50-28 double with this derailleur....I may be building a cage extension from a little strip of sheet metal.

I know my 85 Cannondale ST500 uses the Cyclone RD and Cyclone Mark 2 FD that runs on a Sugino VP 48/38/30 triple,right now I am in search of the Cyclone MK2 FD and am using a Suntour LE Pree FD.
Glenn

Thanks guys for the helpful info!

One last question, could anyone ID my set? I've temporarily installed these onto my Trek and I cannot shift into the smallest gear. I don't know if I've installed them incorrectly, or if my cranks are too wide (is that possible?), or if the set is just incapable of handling a triple. Just fyi, the front gears are 52-45-28, rather big lol.



Thanks again!

1st generation Cyclone. Should work just fine if adjusted properly.


Scott

Yep thats 1st gen Cyclone.

@OP: I ran into the same problems you are having with my set up. You can probably get that FD a little lower and closer to the Big Chainring and still have it clear it on downshifts. That will help a little. And then try rotating the whole FD a few degrees so the back end of the FD sits a a couple mm further inboard.

Your 24T difference is more than the 1st gen Cyclone is technically rated to handle, its rated for 18T, but as has been shown you can go a little more than that.

Suntour made a Cage extension that bolts onto the tail end of the cage that enabled the FD to handle a wider range, they were on eBay a couple months ago and I'm still kicking myself for not picking a few up. The upside is its just a U shaped piece of sheet metal and you could probably make your own pretty easily.

That's the same setup I am running on my Dawes Super Galaxy it's what came on it stock.
Glenn

1st generation Cyclone stuff is beautiful...

I am not as picky about front derailleurs as I am rear ones and for several recent builds I have used the Suntour Spirt front d which is actually designed as a derailleur should be as it is a top normal model. These can be had for next to nothing and work incredibly well, the top normal design downshifts beautifully and is logical in that when you pull back you are downshifting.

My touring bike uses a Vx GT group with barcons which is a little tougher than the Cyclone and works marvelously.

The racing bike has a Mk2 Cyclone group... it works beautifully but comes in a pretty plain wrapper.

You're mean...

As reported in other threads I'm also using a 1st Gen Cyclone on a triple setup (36-46-52), with no problems. The advice above for getting it to work sounds good to me.

I'm going to give an adjustment a try. If it's not clearing the gears still, would the simplest solution be to swap out the crankset? I'm actually looking towards the Sugino XD 600 (48/36/26) as of now, although I'd like something a bit more period matching with the bike.

I'm using last years 105 road triple FD and it has the colouring and the looks of the first gen Cyclone with the dark anodized body.

Is this bolt all you need for the cage extension you mention? Or is there an actual piece of longer cage?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Suntour-Cycl...item48386c44e5

OP: is the in-out travel not enough, or is the cage no deep enough to clear the chain when on the small ring? If the former (and the derailleur stop screws are maxed), maybe your crank is too far outboard. Is it the original crank/spindle combination? If the FD is not clearing the chain when on the small ring, then a cage extension should do the trick.

I wish I had a set or two of the original Cyclone, nice looking equipment. I have been blessed with several of the later M-II road sets, Mountech, and even a BL set though.,,,,BD

Very pretty RD; the suntour VGT luxe is also a fine RD.

Just curious as to why you think top normal is the way FDs should work? Pulling the lever to move the chain from smaller to larger front would seem to be more efficient?

And I just realized I quoted a 3 year old post alm:

I realize this is an old post, but I do want to point out that there are different types of the XC-Pro front derailleur. The FDs with the yellow sticker on the cage are the MicroDrive models. The regular FDs handle the large rings fine. Currently, I have an XC-Pro on a 52 and an XC-Comp on a 48.

When cyclone MK II came out there was actually a triple specific front but you could also find the MK-II GT often paired with a Mountech front. This set-up was OEM on a 1984 Nishiki Continental I picked up last summer.

What was this triple specific FD named?

And does anyone have a clue about the extension bolt above? Is the bolt all one would need for making the cage reach or was it a longer cage Suntour was selling?

I believe the Mountech FD was an exceptionally well made component. Probably overbuilt, with that heavy steel cage, but I bet it'll last forever, if you can keep the rust off it.