With the XC Pro groupset SunTour tried to take the fight to Shimano by claiming the high ground above Deore XT. This derailleur is very well made, with a high gloss finish, sealed bearing pulley wheels and a solid business-like feel. As was de rigeur at the time, it has two sprung pivots and a slant parallelogram. It was an impressive piece of equipment, but Shimano had better chains, better sprockets, better marketing and a better reputation.
This is the longest cage version of the three.
- Derailleur brands: SunTour, manufactured after 1993 by SR SUNTOUR
- Categories: SunTour - the mountain bike gears
- Country: Japan
- Date of introduction: 1990? (instructions printed in 1990)
- Date of this example: 1991 (two letter date code is HJ)
- Model no.: XP00-GXB
- Weight: 278g
- Maximum cog: 28 teeth (hanger 24mm), 30 teeth (hanger 26mm) or 32 teeth (hanger 28mm or more) (Source: Sutherland’s 6th edition)
- Total capacity: 40 teeth (Sutherland’s 6th edition)
- Pulley centre to centre: 85mm
- Index compatibility: 7 speed?
- Chain width: 3/32”
- Logic: top normal
- B pivot: sprung
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: largely aluminium with a steel inner pulley cage plate
