DISRAELI GEARS

SunTour Superbe (2100)

SunTour Superbe derailleur (2100) main image

Following Shimano’s foray into rebranding their Crane as a ‘pro quality’ derailleur (as part of the Dure-Ace groupset), SunTour responded with the aptly named Superbe. This is a beefed up Cyclone, with wider parallelogram plates, stronger castings for the knuckles and stainless steel pivot pins.

So that those dare-devil pro mechanics could replace gear cables on the move (while leaning out of car windows, Tour de France style) the cable routing was moved outside the parallelogram and the eye bolt (hard to thread on those rough Pyrenean roads) was replaced by a bolt and clamping washer.

Taken altogether, the Superbe was another fantastic design from SunTour.

On this particular example every single bolt head and allen key socket has been chewed as if by some crazed, chrome-eating beaver. This illustrates a rule known to all bicycle mechanics - that ace racing cyclists think they are ace bicycle mechanics but, in fact, athletic prowess and mechanical sympathy are mutually exclusive.

Next time you observe an accomplished cycling star eschewing a ring spanner in favour of the open-ended variety, using a screwdriver as a chisel or tightening a nut with a pair of pliers, remember all those adverts you see claiming that this or that product was developed using the expertise of that or this professional racing team - and thank your lucky stars that the claim is only so much marketing bullshit.


  • Derailleur brands: SunTour
  • Categories: SunTour - the Superbe story
  • Country: Japan
  • Date of introduction: 1977
  • Date of this example: 1977 (two letter date code is TE)
  • Model no.: 2100
  • Weight: 195g
  • Maximum cog: 23 teeth (SunTour)
  • Total capacity: 22 teeth (SunTour)
  • Pulley centre to centre: 47mm
  • Index compatibility: friction
  • Chain width: 3/32”
  • Logic: top normal
  • B pivot: unsprung
  • P pivot: sprung
  • Materials: aluminium