Readers of this blog who were looking for alternatives to ShimaNO until about the early 1990s will likely have fond memories of SunTour. Although never a threat to Campagnolo's elegance, SunTour offered some very nice products. For a time in the 1980s, they actually outsold Campagnolo and ShimaNO combined in the US market. The ball-bearing jockey pulleys on their Superbe rear derailleur were a favorite upgrade for many Campy fans (Campy Only included).
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| SunTour meeting in the old days. Company president Junzo Kawai is third from right. |
So it comes as good news that SunTour is planning to come back, reborn as SunXCD (SR SunTour is a different company). As reported on the web site of Sun XCD (the new name for SunTour),
"Junzo Kawai, former President of SunTour Japan, has returned to bicycle component manufacturing. He is now the Chairman of a new company, SunXCD, that has now begun production of cranks, hubs, rims and complete wheels. SunXCD will soon focus on derailleurs and shifters, much like the SunTour of old."
SunTour plans to focus on a niche market, making components aimed at the small (but growing) touring an randonneuring market. Their web site currently lists cranks, hubs, rims, and wheelsets. Photos from the Sun-XCD web site:
I think those hubs are also sold by Velo Orange as is that crank
ReplyDeleteThe web site in Japan shows a "group" with the hubs the crank (without chain wheels) and MicroShift derailleurs and shifters. No brakes, chain or cassette. They have a link to MicroShift prominently displayed on the website which leads me to believe they may be more than just affiliated by re-branding.
http://joy-japan.com/
Interesting