Sunn was a french BMX brand in the last 80ies created by Max Commençal. They went to mtb and grew up in the beginning of the 90ies with coppying Kona and Jo Murray's geometries (sloping frames). A Sunn got a very shiny chrome finish and very funny and cool Zoobab's graphic design on them.
Very popular in France, their bike became the best seller. There were Sunn everywhere. In comparison, it's like Orange in UK.
Designed in the south of France in the town of St Gaudens, near the Pyrénées, Sunn became a race brand too, in downhill first with the Radical Plus and its suspension created and developped by Sunn (rear suspension like Prolink system, and the first upside down double crown forks…). Cédric Gracia and Anne Caroline Chausson begun to ride with Sunn before going in the Cannondale team, and Caroline Chausson, François Gachet and Nicolas Vouilloz were Worldchampion with the Radical Plus.
They try to go faster than 200km/h on snow with Eric Barone.
After the middle of the 90ies; Sunn becam a big XC team too, with the Sunn Exact titane, made with colombus hyperion tubing and welded by Morati. (the Morati's titanium crankset and component were developped for Sunn first). Miguel Martinez were Olympic and world champion on that bike.
But in 1998, Max Commençal was hired and created Commençal bicycle, and Sunn begun to die.
henristig":152dy6o9 said:
On the downside though, I've heard that some of the bikes were prone to cracking. Can someone confirm this?
The first Sunn were made with Ecell tubing which were difficult to weld.
After, some tange, Fuji and Colombus tubing, all welded in Taïwan. No more britle or strong as other asiatic production. But if you want lightweight steel, it's difficult for not being brittle…
The Sunn Exact Titane was made by Morati and was strong. But on other hand, quite all the titanium crankset broke, as quite all titanium crankset made by other brands
.
(still making nice bikes)
