Suntour Cyclone for rebuild - look any good?
#1
Brit Rider
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DC
Posts: 196
Bikes: Mercian King of Mercia (1983), Balance XR-550 (1993), Surly Cross Check, 1948 Condor British steel lightweight.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Suntour Cyclone for rebuild - look any good?
Hi All
I have been looking for a while for a bike with Suntour Cyclone group which i can strip down, clean up and use on my mid-80s British steel touring frame. Do you think this looks too rough to use for a decent rebuild? I think the cranks look pretty beat but what about other stuff? Any help please greatly appreciated as i need to decide pretty quickly. Bike is $100 so not a huge amount but i dont want to spend a fortune then refurbing these parts.
Bike is an old Fuji League.
Thanks
Andy
I have been looking for a while for a bike with Suntour Cyclone group which i can strip down, clean up and use on my mid-80s British steel touring frame. Do you think this looks too rough to use for a decent rebuild? I think the cranks look pretty beat but what about other stuff? Any help please greatly appreciated as i need to decide pretty quickly. Bike is $100 so not a huge amount but i dont want to spend a fortune then refurbing these parts.
Bike is an old Fuji League.
Thanks
Andy
#2
Senior Member
I think that that stuff would clean up just fine if you're up to putting a little rubbing and probably some compound rubbing into them. Most of it looks like surface blemishes to me, not pitting or gouging.
Look up khatfuls thread on polishing.
Look up khatfuls thread on polishing.
#4
Brit Rider
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DC
Posts: 196
Bikes: Mercian King of Mercia (1983), Balance XR-550 (1993), Surly Cross Check, 1948 Condor British steel lightweight.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Hi
I have posted ISO ads a couple of times but no replies. I have been looking on ebay and all the decent looking stuff quickly gets bid up to ridiculous levels. So i resorted to a wanted ad on craigslist and it threw up this. Agree it looks not well cared for which does worry me a bit. Its dead cheap but i am worried i will have to replace parts to get it working well / looking great.
I also have not stripped down a RD before for a deep clean so am worried it will be a bugger to put back together.
Thoughts??
Andy
I have posted ISO ads a couple of times but no replies. I have been looking on ebay and all the decent looking stuff quickly gets bid up to ridiculous levels. So i resorted to a wanted ad on craigslist and it threw up this. Agree it looks not well cared for which does worry me a bit. Its dead cheap but i am worried i will have to replace parts to get it working well / looking great.
I also have not stripped down a RD before for a deep clean so am worried it will be a bugger to put back together.
Thoughts??
Andy
#6
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,847
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2298 Post(s)
Liked 2,055 Times
in
1,255 Posts
It's not easy to get a complete group with an ISO. You have to be patient and pick up bits as they come.
I think that bike may give you most if not all of what you need to get on the road and the frame can be flipped for a few bux in no time. Use a little OA on the steel bits only and clean the rest.
But the photos hurt my neck!
I think that bike may give you most if not all of what you need to get on the road and the frame can be flipped for a few bux in no time. Use a little OA on the steel bits only and clean the rest.
But the photos hurt my neck!
#8
Brit Rider
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DC
Posts: 196
Bikes: Mercian King of Mercia (1983), Balance XR-550 (1993), Surly Cross Check, 1948 Condor British steel lightweight.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Apols for the cricked neck!!!
Thanks for your thoughts. BTW what is OA?
Andy
Thanks for your thoughts. BTW what is OA?
Andy
#9
missing in action
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,483
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Liked 49 Times
in
29 Posts
Earlier Suntour derailleurs are very easy to disassemble/reassemble, but I don't recall if that's true of the Cyclone series. If the seller can confirm that it shifts through the gears and nothing looks bent, I'd be pretty confident that you won't need to invest in any new parts. You should be able to recoup most of your cost by reselling the frame/fork and wheels on craigslist.
#11
Brit Rider
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DC
Posts: 196
Bikes: Mercian King of Mercia (1983), Balance XR-550 (1993), Surly Cross Check, 1948 Condor British steel lightweight.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Hi Chris
Thanks for reply. I actually may well keep the wheels as i imagine they will be on Suntour hubs which i hope are also cyclone or similar level. I was told that the rear wheel spokes were a little rusted and it seems like the bike was kept in a damp basement. I have no idea if they can be cleaned or they are too far gone. I think they will be UKAI wheels according to the Fuji spec for the year.
Best
Andy
Thanks for reply. I actually may well keep the wheels as i imagine they will be on Suntour hubs which i hope are also cyclone or similar level. I was told that the rear wheel spokes were a little rusted and it seems like the bike was kept in a damp basement. I have no idea if they can be cleaned or they are too far gone. I think they will be UKAI wheels according to the Fuji spec for the year.
Best
Andy
#12
Senior Member
That stuff looks like it would clean up reasonably well............looks more like grime than rust. And as someone above stated......you could clean that frame up and get a pretty healthy return on your investment.
__________________
Be where your feet are.......Lisa Bluder
Be where your feet are.......Lisa Bluder
#13
Large Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tejas
Posts: 2,533
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
1 Post
I have a couple Suntour Cyclone RD's a Sprint/Cyclone FD, brake calipers and some shifters. Some ****er spray painted in, but it comes right off with acetone. I've tried.
#17
Brit Rider
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DC
Posts: 196
Bikes: Mercian King of Mercia (1983), Balance XR-550 (1993), Surly Cross Check, 1948 Condor British steel lightweight.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Plan is to strip bike down clean / refurb and transfer the parts onto my Mercian touring frame of same era. That's why I wanted cyclone parts. I just want to make sure this will work - which it sounds like it will. I am unsure on all the parts but it seems pretty good. I am surprised a low to mid end bike came with Cyclone
Plan is I will sell frame and fork on.
So weekend of cleaning I think.
Andy
Plan is I will sell frame and fork on.
So weekend of cleaning I think.
Andy
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,470
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
For all we think well of Cyclone now, it was always a very reasonably priced gruppo (As far as SunTour could be said to *have* "gruppos."). Berto claims that this fair-pricing strategy actually may have worked against ST in the long run, that there was a lack of perception of exclusivity or fineness. Kind of sad, really.
#20
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,526
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
I recently bought a bike solely for the Cyclone Generation 1 components. Much cheaper than trying to buy a piece at a time on fleabay.
#21
Chainstay Brake Mafia
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: California
Posts: 6,007
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
i bet an old greasy rag would take off a lot of the grime.. after that spritz something like wd40 or silicon spray and wipe with a clean(er) rag and i bet it would already look a lot better.
#22
smelling the roses
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tixkokob, Yucatán, México
Posts: 15,320
Bikes: 79 Trek 930, 80 Trek 414, 84 Schwinn Letour Luxe (coupled), 92 Schwinn Paramount PDG 5
Mentioned: 104 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7081 Post(s)
Liked 901 Times
in
612 Posts
Anybody know what bikes came stock with Cyclone? I'm looking to do the same thing as the OP.
#23
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,526
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
So the best bet is to look at pics, and train your eyes to spot them.
__________________
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 3,248
Bikes: Kuota Ksano. Litespeed T5 gravel - brilliant!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Trek sold a lot of Cyclone-equipped bikes in the 80's. The 510 in 1984, for example. It was a very popular group.
Helpful link, https://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochures.htm
Helpful link, https://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochures.htm