DISRAELI GEARS

SunTour Cyclone GT (5905 2nd style)

SunTour Cyclone GT derailleur (5905 2nd style) main image

With a clever cable route, a relatively low price, exceedingly light weight and with a great shift, the SunTour Cyclone GT was a miracle. To this day the Shimano XTR is heavier than this Cyclone GT - proof of the simple purity of the single-sprung pivot slant parallelogram design.

The second style of SunTour Cyclone had a slightly redesigned rear knuckle and a captive short hanger bolt (with a distinctive serrated edge).

Typically for touring Cyclones, this example is well used. The SunTour Cyclone GT was not just for decoration or a talking point - it was the gear of choice for many a cycle tourist setting out from Britain to Istanbul or wherever. For the cognoscenti it was what you fitted on your hand-built Mercian or Bob Jackson - only blow-hards opted for Campagnolo. I loved it.


  • Derailleur brands: SunTour
  • Categories: SunTour - the Cyclone story
  • Country: Japan
  • Date of introduction: 1976?
  • Date of this example: 1977 (two letter date code is TD)
  • Model no.: 5905
  • Weight: 190g
  • Maximum cog: 32 teeth (hanger 29mm or less) or 34 teeth (hanger 32mm or more) (Source: SunTour)
  • Total capacity: 36 teeth (Source: SunTour)
  • Pulley centre to centre: 67mm
  • Index compatibility: friction
  • Chain width: 3/32”
  • Logic: top normal
  • B pivot: unsprung
  • P pivot: sprung
  • Materials: aluminium