This thread has come up before. The last time I weighed in I think Chuck S. and I nearly came to blows <g> Just kidding.
I raced on 1st gen Cyclone derailleurs for three years. I also owned an all-NR bike at that time.
The Cyclone derailleurs were *clearly superior* in all the ways that count. They were, and are, high-performance racing derailleurs of the first order, and anyone who'd say otherwise--with all due respect--is being blinded by Campagnolo's mystique; or blinded by something, anyway.
Whether shifting on a close ratio freewheel, or not, the Cyclone was still superior (hell, the V-luxe was superior, but ugly as sin, and even heavier than a Nuovo Record der, hard as that must have been to achieve <g>).
Later Super Record ders were a distinct improvement, but still couldn't match the Cyclone I bought in 1975. I'm still using that same der, btw, after thousands and thousands of miles it still shifts perfectly.
Cyclone derailleurs weighed less, shifted better, and were equally sturdy. The only reason I use NR ders at all (and I have plenty, like we all do), is out of pure sentiment, because they remind me of the good old days--or because they are the correct der for most of the bikes I like. That's it.
The brutal truth is, almost anything shifts better than a Nuovo Record derailleur, except maybe a Gran Sport. All friction Campy derailleurs shift late. One always has to overshift and adjust, at least if you want a fast shift...of course, one usually can't adjust in a sprint...and I remember well how noisy our peletons were in a sprint. Grind, grind, grind. That can't have been ideal. ;>
The Cyclone was clearly Suntour's all-out assault on Campagnolo's dominance of the 1970s peleton. That the Cyclone failed to dislodge the NR der, means nothing other than riders rode what they were paid to ride; that the European peleton was full of jingoistic nationalism, and a deep conservatism. It always seemed a little weird to me that winning was less important than the parts people rode on, but things seem to have been that way...that's always been a mystery to me--and don't someone feed me that stupid reductio that since the pro peleton didn't use Cyclone, the thing couldn't have been as good as Campagnolo; that's bull, and we all know it.
Cyclones shifted quickly, perfectly, every time, with a minimum of fuss... as for a "lack of feedback" with Cyclone ders, I can't imagine what that means. Maybe someone used to the lousy shifting of an NR der would find the Cyclone a little hot to handle at first...but Cyclone ders have a great feel, shift flawlessly, and reveal NR ders for the primitive piece of history they are.
Charles "nomex suit on!" Andrews
SoCal