Both SunTour and Shimano made top-mount shifters in the aero period. The braze-on bosses for each brand differed, Shimano bosses were smaller.
The SunTour shifters had an automatic front derailleur trimming feature. The shifters rotate about a common axle that moves back and forth with the swing of the rear shifter.
We beat this topic around on the I-BOB group a while back. Some listers stated that they had problems with the SunTour shifters requiring frequent tightening, and there is no thumb screw so it is necessary to use an allen key. I rode them for a while, the trimming feature works well. The trick is to tighten the front derailleur cable, removing the slack, with the rear derailleur shifted into first gear.
The are some SunTour Milax top-mount shifters on eBay. The seller has quite a few NOS SunTour components.
> Those are my favorite shifters, and I have them on my custom touring
> bike. They came on one of Schwinn's imported road bikes in 1984. They
> were made by Sun Tour. I couldn't tell you what model they are though.
> Hope this small amount of info. helps you out.
> Mark
>
> On Sat, 13 Jan 2001 06:19:22 EST MStvHoffmn@aol.com writes:
> > Walt
> > I am searching for some top of the tube shifters for a Ted Wojak TT
> > bike I am
> > resurecting. This bike had brazed-on mounts for them, with both
> > cables
> > internally routed (very trick with turn tubes in the BB) I'm not
> > sure what
> > was on originally, although one of the former team riders recalled
> > they were
> > the type that had built -in front derailleur compensation, that is
> > it
> > automatically moved the front to adjust for chain rub as the rear
> > position
> > changed. Do the Shimano ones do that?
> >
> > Mark Hoffman
> > New Britain, CT
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
>
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