jjames1452 

Sontour Cyclone Mark II long cage vs Suntour SVX long cage. Which one is preferable on a mid 80's touring bike?

jimmuller 

I'm not sure what you mean by SVX. The S-cage (medium length) version of the Vx? They both shift well. I'd think the Vx a bit more robust, but it's hard to beat the Cyclone. (I prefer the 1st-gen of the Cyclone but that's partly for the styling.) It's hard to beat the Vx or VGT-Luxe either. If I was going far from civilization I might choose the Vx. Or the VGT-Luxe.

FrenchFit 

I alternated between a Mark II long cage and Blue Line GT; performance was the same for me. If you are buying the Mark II you are paying for the look, perhaps longevity.

Cougrrcj

V-GT Luxe, Vx-GT, or Cyclone GT. The long GT cage can handle lots of chain wrap. I have used one on a 'touring' bike with a 28-38-48 triple and a 13-28 freewheel.

zazenzach

i use a Vx GT and have yet to find anything functionally superior to it.

I have heard good things about first gen cyclone, especially about its aesthetic qualities. but from my understanding the mkII was a bit of a step down (or atleast less desireable) than the previous gen.

wrk101

+10 Vx GT is the best and reasonably priced.

jjames1452 

The SVX was a late '80's offering, 1988 maybe? Thanks for the reminder of the Vx GT. That may be the ticket!

seedsbelize 

This. They are all excellent derailleurs. Tough to pick the best of the three.

The Golden Boy 

From Disraeli Gears:

rekmeyata

There was a Suntour SVX derailleur which was designed to work with 7 speed clusters, it was actually a more refined Vx.

Of the two, the Cyclone Mark II and the SVX I would probably chose the Cyclone if money was no object because the internals were made better and it supposedly shifted smoother and even though they both pulled a 28 tooth gear; the Cyclone, if you use a 32mm hanger or longer, would pull a 30 which is more idea for touring but the long cage version can pull up to 34 even more idea for touring whereas the SVS maxed out at 30 with the long cage. And this business about the SVX being optimized for 7 speeds I think was just marketing hype by Suntour because I have a Suntour Superbe rear derailleur that was made for originally a 5 speed, was used later for a 6 then even later a 7 and never had any problems, nor did I ever hear anyone having problems going with 7 speed cluster with Cyclones.

The Golden Boy 

You get so used to just how well Suntour stuff works. You take it for granted. And then you try something else- In my case, an Arabesque long cage RD. You then realize how spoiled you've been.

Somewhere along the line I fell in love with the XC Pro/Comp style stuff. Even though those are circa 1990 units, I have them on all my mid 80s touring bikes. I like the way they look. I like the way they feel. And I like that they are index compatible (albeit Accushift).


I've also got a LeTech that I want to use on *something* just because it's such a cool concept. I'll still see bikes with well used LeTechs on them, so I don't think they're particularly fragile- just odd and rare because of that oddness. @Bikedued just had that thread about the Suntour XC rear derailleur which I think would also be quite dominant on a touring rig.

Hudson308 

Another choice worth considering is the ARX long cage. Dependable shifting, period correct, reasonably priced.

revcp 

I've used the Vx, the VGt Luxe, the XC Pro and the Cyclone MkII. I've settled on the MkII for my commuter and tourer. Paired with an HG cassette they're buttery smooth. And they weren't terribly expensive, maybe 50% more than a Vx, about the same as Vgt Luxe.

jjames1452 

Thank you. I am an ARx fan as well , and that is currently what is on the bike now. The high limit screw is backing out. This caused the chain to go past the small cog and get stuck. I have some sealed bearing Suntour jockey pulleys, and am considering installing them on a Vx Gt, and swapping derailleurs. Or, I could get some Loc Tite.

Bikedued

I happen to like M-II best. The shifting is smooth as glass. I have not been lucky enough to own any of the older gen Cyclone to judge them. I seem to be lucky finding M-II derailler sets though. I even like the overbuilt heavy stuff too(first gen XC, Cyclone mid cage, etc), the springs are strong as hell.,,,,BD

Lascauxcaveman 

I'm a big M-II fan too. I've never owned the more elegant, lighter (and more delicate?) M-I, but for pure function, I've never had any friction shifter meet or beat the M-II + Power Shifter setups I've had on several bikes. Lots of stuff is good but this is *really* good.

As Good as it Gets? In my experience.

I've run lots of AR, ARx, Vx, V-GT and a couple Blue Line setups, too. Nothing wrong with those at all. But the M-II is magic.

Phil_gretz

The Cyclone (1st Gen) GT and VGT-Luxe both had the split cage design that allows chain removal without disassembly. This is an operational / maintenance advantage.

I'm not certain whether the others have this feature. For value...VGT-Luxe is both rugged and functional.

I had a Cyclone GT on my touring bike, but sold it - it was an extravagance. Changed to an X-1 long cage. It's not nearly as nice, but works well and I would't feel bad if I crashed it...

revcp 

The MII has the split cage.

jimmuller 

One big difference between the 1st-gen and MkII Cyclones is the cage spring arrangement. On the MkII the cavity which holds the spring is open on the outside end of the mounting nut. This would seem to be an entrance path for water. Once water gets inside it just sits there and causes the spring rust. For a touring bike that would seem undesirable. But then, I've seen both versions of the Cyclone with a busted spring so maybe the 1st-gen is susceptible to that too.

Another difference is the spring itself. On the 1st-gen it is a wire helix anchored by fitting into notches. On the MkII it is flat steel wound into a spiral held in place at each end by an unalterable point, a notch on the cage shaft with a small wedge holding it in place and a shaped slot inside the derailleur body.

jjames1452 

Wow! I just bought a (front and) rear Suntour Vx GT derailleur. What a solid piece of machinery. I am going to install sealed bearing pulleys and mount it (them) on my Trek 520. Cannot wait.

rekmeyata

Those were the best buy derailleurs in the Suntour line up, kind of like what Shimano 105 is today. I had that Vx GT stuff on a Trek 412 and they worked flawlessly. After that experience with the VX Gt I was sold on Suntour and eventually went to Superbe components on a Trek 660.

clubman 

Just another "attaboy", I've had lots of Suntour mechs and most all of them have shifted very well and lasted very well (until the spring breaks). Currently running a Blue line GT with barcons on my Lemond and love it.

edit. My first true love was a 6 speed Sprint derailleur and group on a sweet 022 Japanese Bianchi. Still have it (gear) but I ride very few short cages anymore.

sidebar. Got my knee replacement scheduled for May 20. Maybe there's a chance to return to a double crankset and 6 speed corncob. Not.

burnfingers

+10 on the VX GT, super light and dependable, never had an issue with one.

leicanthrope

I've been running one of the early GT's on an 8 speed cluster without a hiccup, FWIW.

jjames1452 

I look at some of the Suntour derailleurs, how well they are made, and lament more their passing. Very sad.
I rebuilt a Schwinn Traveler 30 years ago, when I worked in a bike shop with ARx stuff because I couldn't afford the higher line Shimano. The shop owner told me to use the Suntour ARx. Great value, never fail you. I rode that bike to death without fail, and still ride hubs.
When I got back into cycling, and decided C&V was my speed, I thought it would be cool to use Suntour components again. I searched the heck out of everywhere to find them
.
I have a Cyclone setup on my work bike. I just built a Peloton with Supurbe Pro, and flawless!

Sorry for rambling and lamenting.