Side Pull Brakes

As I have written in a previous post, I am keen to use brazed-on center-pull brakes with this bike.  This may only be possible if I end up going the custom route, so in lieu of center-pull brakes, I'm also looking at some single-pivot brakes as an alternative.  A problem with nicer single-pivot brakes is that they can be difficult to find with a reach suitable for mudguards and tire since they were mainly available in short reach ranges, 39-49mm.  Underneath those mudguards I'm thinking of using 700x32 wheels, so this means that I will likely require brakes with a standard reach,  47-57mm.  Of the options that I have been researching, there were some great brakes made by Shimano, Dia Compe and Suntour.  Here's some brakes that I've been looking around for so far. 

Shimano 600, br-6207, 353grams.

The Shimano 600 brakes shown above were apart of the EX group and were available from approximatley 1984-1987.  What generally makes Shimano 600 and Dura Ace parts more expensive than other groups, and this is also true amongst other parts manufacturers, is that they are generally made with a full metal construction, which means no cheap or easily breakable pieces.  If you were to compare these with say the 105 groups brakes from the same time period, you would see plastic barrel adjusters and quick-releases.  Another nice feature of these brakes is that they have recessed brake bolts, which save a small amount of weight and is more compatible with modern frames.

Dia Compe, NGC 500, 320 grams

Dia Compe was also producing very nice brakes during the mid 80's as well.  A side note, I wonder if the folks at Channel ever sued them over their logo.  Dia Compe was also producing a line called Royal Gran Compe and Royal Gran Compe II, which had more expensive finishing.  All of these models were cold-forged and weighed the same, but you could actually get them gold plated or anodized a number of different colours.  I personally prefer the polished look of the New Gran Compe line over anodized.  

Suntour Superbe Pro, CB-4100, 346 grams. 

Last, but not least, the Suntour Superbe Pro.  Pretty much in the same vein as the above two brakes, but you could consider the Pro model to be in line with a Dura Ace tiered component, where as the other two are more second tier.  This doesn't really have much bearing on my decision between these brakes, I'll probably pick up which ever of these I can find in good shape.  I do like the Shimano 600 brakes slightly more just based on the engraved logo.

Shimano, BR-R650, 385 grams

If my quest for these lovely vintage brakes fails, then I will likely go with the brakes pictured above.  They are  Ultegra level, BR-R650, Dual -pivot brakes.  A final point that I wanted to add is just to say what a great site Velo Pages is.  Their site is where I found the catalogue pages shown in this post.  I'm really glad to see that someone is taking the time to archive these difficult to find documents.

Brake Levers

When It comes to brake levers I'm a fan of Shimano.  The shape and size just fits my hand well.  When it comes time to select a lever however there is three criteria that I wanted these levers to fill, and that is they have a quick-release mechanism, an aero type lever and use SLR (Shimano Linear Response).  SLR is a fancy way of saying that there is a spring the lever that to me makes braking feel easier lighter to the touch (best way I can describe it).  As far as I can tell, Shimano only released a few brake levers that incorporated a quick-release.  The highest end lever was a part of the Sante groupset of the late 80's which fit in between Dura Ace and 600 Ultegra, and was considered a semi-pro groupset.

Shimano Sante BL-5001, with SLR, quick-release and 268g.

The other levers that also had a quick release/aero combo were the Exage group.  I for one think that the Sante group is pretty cheap and tacky looking, with it's white anodizing and (usually white) hoods.  The Exage levers aren't really much to get really excited about either, aside from the quick release function they are pretty standard levers.  The way its hoods are shaped, its similar in style to the Shimano AX groupsets, but with dimples.  As well, the Exage Motion levers have a nicely etched logo and polished silver levers.  There were two quick release models that were released under the Exage label, the Motion (BL-A251) and the Sport (BL-A451).  The main difference between these two levers were weight (BL-A251, 306g & BL-A451, 270g) and the small, rubber filler cutouts and painted logo on the sport lever.

Shimano Exage Motion, BL-A251, with SLR, quick-release and 306g.

Shimano Exage Sport, BL-A451, with SLR, Quick-release & 270g.

All of that said, the whole reason for wanting to have a quick-release is for use with the center-pull brakes, as they don't have any quick-release type mechanism.  If I decide to go with a caliper style brake, the quick-release won't be at all necessary and I will probably use the same levers I have on my other bicycle, the Soma/Tiagra BR-400 or the fancier Dura Ace/Ultegra BR-600 levers.  Out of the three above, since the levers mechanically are all identical, weight is barely different, all you're left with is looks.  In my books the Exage Motion, BL-A251, levers look the nicest and therefore would be my levers of choice.

Center-Pull Brakes

One of the parts that I would really like to use on this bicycle are the Dura Ace center-pull brakes I recently posted about.  This is probably the part that will determine whether I'll be getting a standard model or a custom built bicycle.  The reason for this is because I would want to have these brakes mounted to braze-ons which is not only strong, but I find it also attractive.

1973 Dura Ace center-pull brakes

Frame builders have been installing center-pull brakes mounted on these braze-ons for years for their strength and they are actually lighter than most modern brakes.  Builders famous for this are the obvious french constructeurs, Rene Herse and Alex Singer, but many custom builders continue to make bicycles using these braze-ons.  Traditionally you will see this treatment given to Mafac brakes, but I have a couple of issue with these brakes, namely that the pads are difficult to setup properly and any replacement parts are nearly impossible to find.  One feature that I feel makes these Shimano brakes superior is that any number of modern brake pads can be installed.  The Shimano brakes will also have plenty of room for fenders as well.

I am a fan of salmon Koolstop brake pads and use them on all of my bicycles.  I'm not sure whether I will use the pads pictured above or another version.  They work extremely well, even in wet weather, and are easily adjusted due to their conical washer design.  I will also be using a Salsa cable yoke, which can also be seen in the photo above.  I swiped the idea from an extremely nice road bike I saw on the now defunct Mariposa bicycles website.  These yokes not only look good, but should noticeably increase braking power too. 

Mariposa road bicycle showing Salsa brake yoke and brazed on Weinmann brakes

Of course if money was no object I would definitely be using Paul Components, Racer Medium brakes.  They are probably the best example of center-pull brakes ever made and with that quality comes a high price tag.  Depending on how long it will take for me to decide on a frame I may have time to save for these brakes or they could also be a future upgrade.

Paul Components, Racer Medium.  Probably the best quality Center-pull brakes ever made, but definitely not cheap.

Restoring Bicycle Parts

I recently found a nice, but beat up pair of Shimano Dura Ace center pull brakes that I am really hoping I can use on my bike.  I have had success in the past cleaning up aluminum brakes including some old Mafac racers and Shimano cantilever brakes.  In this post I will go through the process I use to clean up old bikes parts.  To start off here is a photo of what I'm starting off with.

A front on before shot of pre-restored brake.

To begin I generally dismantle the part as much as I can and either wipe/brush the part off using a rag and/or toothbrush or soak it in degreaser depending on how dirty or cumbersome the part is.  I like to use a vegetable based degreaser so that I don't have to worry about iritating my skin or poisoning myself.  A good rule to follow when dismantling parts is to either look up existing service documentation showing all of the parts and where they go, photographing the disassembly process as you go, place the pieces in an order that you'll remember how to reassemble the part, or in the case of brakes, only take apart one brake at a time.  That way if you forget how it goes together or where a part is suppose to go you'll have a perfect reference piece.

Cleaning and restoring tools; degreaser, toothbrush(not pictured), files, sandpaper, polish and rags.

After a thorough cleaning I begin roughly filing off any major scuffs and casting marks followed by a few rounds of sanding.  Naturally I start with a higher grit sand paper and work my way down to a finer one, sanding in a circular motion as to not make gouges in the aluminium.  The part should appear to have a dull but smooth surface.  The amount of sanding required also depends on whether the part was anodized.  I try to keep away from anodized parts as they are a pain to clean off.  There are also tons of different methods for removing anodizing on the web already, but I have only ever used sanding to clean off aluminum parts. After completing the sanding I then clean off the part's surface with soap and water or some more degreaser and a rag.  

The part is now ready for polishing.  I have tried a few different polishes in the past which all do what I felt like was a decent job until I tried Simichrome.  The thing is that they all polishes require a bit of elbow grease and time but the Simichrome blows every other polish I've used away.  Simichrome should be available at decent hardware or automotive stores, but a number of places sell it online including Velo Orange. After polishing the part for a short while use a clean rag to buff off the black residue left behind from the polish.  What you should be left with is an almost mirror finish.

A side view showing the before and after

Front view of before and after restoring

After I'm satisfied with the polish job I reassemble the part making sure to add grease to any moving parts.  You will be surprised how easy and rewarding restoring bike parts can be.  You can find some really great deals on used parts that can essentially be restored better than new.

The final product; after I add some new brake pads this brake will be good for another 30+ years of service.