Suntour: If you cannot beat them, then start a nasty rumour about them and try to scare the public into shunning the product !!
In my experience, the only Suntour VGT's that ever broke were the ones whose cages ripped open as a result of throwing the derailleur into the spokes. On a bike with a pie-plate spoke protector, the VGT was and still is, an indestructable derailleur.
I challenge and list member to back up that rumour of not being rugged by explaining how they "wore out" a VGT - ANY - Suntour V, VT, or VGT.
My eventual favorite was the Suntour Cyclone GT. Almost all of the capacity and all the shifting smoothness of a VGT, but at 183 (vs 292 or something) grams, and $25 (vs. campy super record at $75), it was only 2/3rds of the weight of the VGT, and 1/3rd of the price of campagnolo, plus had a wider range. Beautiful detailing. Innovative design (running the shifting cable through the middle of the parallelogram. Perfect.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA