Suntour Bar-con Control Lever

This posting is off topic from the sportif bicycle, but still relevant.  I recently had the bad luck of breaking one of the Suntour bar-con shifters I had installed on my commuting bike.  Fortunately I was able to track down another set quite quickly and for a decent price.  Since these shifters were obviously used, I took the time to disassemble and refurbish them.  Here is a rundown of how to disassemble and re-assemble one of these shifters.  First off there are a few tools that you will require for disassembly, all of which are pretty common except for the lockring pliers.  It is also a good idea when disassembling any component to try to track down an exploded diagram of the component as this clearly shows the way the parts are to line up when it comes time for re-assembly.

Suntour Bar-con exploded diagram

Exploded Suntour Shifter

The first step is to remove the shifter from the shifter body using a flat-head screwdriver.  Be sure to remove the locking nut to the left of the shifter first before attempting to remove the screw on the right side.  Next, use a phillips screwdriver to remove the shifter assembly cover.  I found this screw to be quite tight, so be sure to use the appropriately sized screwdriver and be sure to push the screwdriver firmly into the screw head to prevent stripping.

Once the shifter assembly cover is removed, there is is a clip which requires the lockring pliers to remove.  Once this clip is removed, the rest of the shifter easily comes apart.  Even with the exploded diagram for reference I still lay the parts out as them come off to remind myself how to put the component back together.  Below is a photo I took of the disassembled shifter.  Be especially careful not to lose the spring when removing the ratcheting pawl, which I found easiest to do after the rest of the assembly had been removed.

Lockring pliers ready to disassemble shifter

Once the shifter was disassembled I used degreaser to clean up all of the parts and then applied new grease generously.  BICYCLES LOVE GREASE.  One thing to note during re-assembly is that the ratchet is not reversible.  There is an engraved dot on one side of the ratchet, which must be installed to the right/facing out.  If you install the ratchet backwards, the stack height won't be correct, which makes installing the final clip not possible.  As well, if it is not obvious to users of this shifter, both shifters are identical and completely interchangeable.  After I finish cleaning up the shifter body with a bit of elbow grease and simichrome I'll post a fully re-assembled shifter.

Tires

A set of tires I have been riding on for a few years and really like are the made by Panaracer for Rivendell, blue (435g) Jack Browns.  These tires have a low rolling resistance and can handle a high air volume making them cushier/rugged.  These tires are also less susceptible to flats due to the Kevlar belt and casing as well as a thicker tread.  Rivendell also have a lighter weight version of these tires which have a thinner tread and casing with no kevlar belt.  This model has a green label (295g).  Aside from the neat checker pattern these tires also have the always desirable tan sidewall.

Jack Brown, 700x33.33333.  Green 295g, Blue 435g.

Other tire options, which that are slightly lighter, are a couple of tires made by Grand Bois.  Both the Cypress and Cerf models have a fairly similar tread which are meant for mostly road applications.  The Cypress model is available in 32 and the Cerf in 28, so the tire size would be the determining factor when deciding between these two tires.

Grand Bois "Cerf", 248g

Grand Bois Cypress, 700x32, 290g

Rims

Seeing that Mavic MA2 or Module 4 rims are too pricey and difficult to find these days I have been looking for a comparable modern version.  The MA 2/Module 4 rims offered features including box section construction, polished (not anodized) finish, double stainless eyelets, non-machined side walls and fairly light to boot.  FYI, the MA 40 rims are identical to MA 2 as are Module 3 rims and Module 4 with the exception that they are anodized, which makes them more susceptible to failure.  See this link by Jobst Brandt for info on the damage associated with anodized rims.

Mavic MA 2, with 80's style decal, approx. 460g for 32h

When I first started looking into box rims I came across a model designed by Grand Bois.  These rims have a single eyelets, wide construction, 23mm, which allows for the use of wider tires.  These rims are also pretty light at 520g with a nice looking polished finish and non-machined side walls, but, dear in price.

Grand Bois, 23mm wide (accept 28-40mm tires), 520g

The next box section rims I came across are made by Velo Orange.  Both the PBP and RAID rims have features that include highly polished finish, extra wide non-machines side walls and stainless steel eyelets.

Velo Orange PBP, 19mm wide (accepts 25-32mm tires), 450g

Were these rims vary is in their weight, width and construction quality.  The RAID rims are quite a bit heavier than the PBP rims, but this is because the RAID rims are wider, accepts tires from 28-38mm, but also uses double eyelets.  The advantage of double eyelets is that they are the stronger that single or no eyelets.  They allow the tension from the spokes to be distributed between both sections of the rim box.

Velo Orange RAID, 22mm wide (accepts 28-38mm tires), 530g

Hubset

When I began thinking about building this bike up I knew I would be using friction shifting.  Aside from selecting the appropriate shifter, my thoughts turned to what speed cassette I would be using.  In previous posts I have said that I would be using a 6-speed cassette, which have pretty much perfect spacing for friction shifting.  The spacing between the 6-speed cogs allows for a better feel and control while friction shifting, which can be considerably more forgiving than say a 10-speed cassette.

Shimano Deore XT FH-M730-QR Hubset, 36H, 422g.  The rear hub pictured has been upgraded with a Hyperglide only freehub body, although this was not available from the factory.

Out of all of the gear/cassette/hub combinations, Shimano created the pretty much ideal hub in the form of the Deore XT M730.  This hub offers 130mm spacing, a one piece polished aluminum shell, sealed bearings with oil ports and a wider pawl design that lasts a really long time.  The 130mm spacing is perfect for modern road frames and allows for the rear wheel to be nearly dishless, meaning it will have symmetrical spoke lengths on the rear wheel.  This greatly strengthens the wheel making it extra durable.  I have been lucky enough after a few months of looking around to procure a NOS set of these hubs, but there are a couple of other Shimano hubs that I was also looking into that would also make a 6-speed setup with 130mm spacing possible.

Shimano Deore XT II, catalogue page with hub specs (top left of page) 

Around the same time period (late 80's/early 90's) as the M730 hub, the Ultegra 600, FH-6402 was also available.  This was apart of the first wave of 8-speed compatible hubs that were both Uniglide and Hyperglide compatible.  This means that you can use a Uniglide 6/7/8-speed cassette or if you like to tinker, you could theoretically use any 6 Uniglide/Hyperglide cogs using 6 or 7-speed spacers (3.65mm for 6-speed, 3.15mm for 7-speed) capped off with a regular track cog to achieve a well spaced friction shifting setup.  This hub is also spaced at 130mm, which again allows for super strong nearly dishless wheel build.

Shimano Ultegra 600, FB-6400 (212g) & FH-6402 (426g) 

Shimano Ultegra 600 data sheet

If the Ultegra 600 hubs aren't fancy enough for you, the Dura Ace FH-7402 hub also holds true to everything I said about the hub above, with the 130mm spacing and Uniglide/Hyperglide compatibility, with the exception that Dura Ace used an exclusive proprietary thread for their Uniglide hubs, so bear that in mind too.

Shimano Dura Ace, FH-7402 (460g)

Shimano Dura Ace FH-7402 data sheet