In the seventies, there was a standard. Campagnolo set it. But it wasn't monolithic. Even in 1970, the Suntour V derailleurs were recognized as better shifting --with their unique "slant parallelogram" body. Not that an $8 Suntour was going to displace a genuine $40 Campagnolo Nuovo Record changer on anyone's Cinelli or anything. But BobJacksons, Holdworths, small production American handbuilt frames (and increasingly more Japanese premium frames like Sekai-Miki )were skipping the pricey Italian stuff for better performing Japanese equipment. At a much lower price, too. Even Schwinn tested the waters with the Panasonic-built World series and jumped in with both feet, hanging "LeTour" branded Shimano parts on most of their bikes. By the late seventies, the top end of Shimano's range, and their rival Suntour's Superbe parts, had gained a solid place in the premium American market.
The Italians deluged America with ever more new glitzy stuff - FT headsets, Modolo Pro brakes, Galli gold-anodized parts to match Nisi's gold tinted rims. The French wearily painted lipstick on their pigs but the shift was inexorable . The Japanese were the innovators now. The Japanese era had arrived.

To finish out their premium Superbe line, Suntour introduced the Superbe brake set. It is 100% interchangeable part for part with Campagnolo's original Record brake set, right down to the forged oversized centerbolt. Finish quality - heck, quality throughout - is incomparable.

We acquired a tranche of these beautiful sets
"450" size, 39mm to 49mm reach only
Complete new in box at only $SOLD OUT
YOU MISSED THEM - NEVER AGAIN!
Display box with 2 calipers, 2 levers, natural
gum covers, cables and fittings

Original n.o.s. Suntour Superbe Brake Sets $-out-

NEW ARRIVAL Original Suntour Superbe Brake Shoe Sets

Complete sets only - $-out- - no calipers singly

Here is Suntour's 1981 catalog ( Click to enlarge):

We recently acquired a small tranche of these beautiful sets
Complete new in box at only $-out-
And then look at the 1982 catalog. Notice the "new" logo is gone from the brakes. I also noticed the traditional Campagnolo Record type road pedal has disappeared in favor of the Bill Shook -inspired* New Superbe Pro pedal. Again click to see detail:

As so often repeated by Japanese companies in the era, Suntour made a perfect copy of the Campagnolo brake and the Campagnolo pedal as we see here.
Notice the pedal. A new design is tested in the small track market, but they keep the Campagnolo copy road pedal. Once the overall capability is established, once there are no hesitations about quality, the higher-volume road pedal changes to a uniquely Japanese design, going past the best America or Italy has to offer.
Later this brake too, changed to a Superbe Pro with a lighter more Japanese design, and then just before Suntour's end, another complete redesign to the unusual internal spring model, done as much to show off their engineering expertise as anything else.

Many vintage brake service parts new vintage brake page!

All the Gran Compe, Superbe and Superbe Pro small parts

Go back to first page of brakes

Go back to second page of brakes

Go back to third page of brakes

Campagnolo brake parts

back to Bike Gear at Yellow Jersey

order, question or comment

*Bill Shook, later of American Classic was the designer for East Rochester, where this style pedal first appeared. That company became Weyless and they sold one like this, too. No, not the chintzy Chinese stuff of our century, but rather the mid-seventies American company Weyless whose ads said "move over, Campy".
As if.
Anyway, Bill made the first pedal of this style I ever saw. It appears Suntour was inspired by his work , progressing beyond but the basic idea was surely Bill's.