Pretty brakes for a pretty bike

[jrenaut]

Many of you are familiar with my sexy, sexy Pinarello fixed gear.

Still trying to get the fit just right by Jon, on Flickr

It came with some brakes that don’t have a brand name on them. The levers say Tektro, so I assume that’s what the brakes are, too, but it doesn’t really matter. I’d like to upgrade the brakes. I only use a front brake, but I wouldn’t mind having the rear just in case. And I ride mostly on the hoods, so I’ll probably need to replace those, too. I tried a set of track drops and they just didn’t work for me.

All that to say – I’m in the market for something that is 1) pretty and 2) functional. The bike has a vintage-y look, so I’m thinking about vintage brakes, but I don’t want so vintage that they don’t work that well. I’m looking at old Campy stuff on eBay – is there anything else I should be looking at? For those of you who like spending other people’s money, I’m more than happy to accept links to eBay auctions that would be perfect for me.

Topic

[Powerful Pete]

Campagnolo. Yes. Excellent choice.

Without going super vintage (brake performance was not the same then…), consider something recent, like a pre-skeleton Chorus brakeset. They are shiny, work very well and have yet to cost too much monies on the intarwebz…

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-Chorus-Road-Bike-Brake-Set-Dual-Pivot-Calipers-/381464787571?hash=item58d112ba73:g:RakAAOSw9mFWKUdC

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-Chorus-Dual-Road-Bike-Brake-Set-Single-Dual-Pivot-Calipers-/381468072552?hash=item58d144da68:g:S9IAAOSwiwVWRkKI

Now if you want a wee bit more discernment, a set of Record brakesets (the nicer stuff, dual pivot up front and single pivot on the back) are only slightly dearer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-Record-Brake-Set-Front-Rear-Road-Bike-Dual-Single-Pivot-Caliper-/381468077776?hash=item58d144eed0:g:UeMAAOSwAYtWPGcm

As for the levers, not certain the lever pull ratio changed, but my all time favorites remain C-Records, which, if memory serves me, should work (but you should check with a knowledgeable Campagnolo mechanic just to be certain).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-1st-Generation-Aero-C-Record-Brake-Levers-White-Hoods-/321923676843?hash=item4af4257aab:g:i1oAAOSwsFpWS8uz

[jrenaut]

How hot are these, though?

[vern]

@jrenaut 128158 wrote:

How hot are these, though?

I think those calipers have the measles.

[jrenaut]

@vern 128161 wrote:

I think those calipers have the measles.

I know, the poor dears need a new home where they can get proper care.

[dplasters]

These hoods/levers are required for that bike. Stat.

Better image of them here with gum colored hoods.

[jrenaut]

Related to hoods – what do people do with fixed gears with only one brake but using hoods? I have a hood without a brake lever, which looks kind of silly.

IMG_20151118_091719471 by Jon, on Flickr

[DismalScientist]

You gotta save that weight somehow.

[americancyclo]

What, no Deltas?

What about Modolo?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Vintage-Modolo-Flash-Complete-Brake-Set-Levers-Calipers-Cables-Black-/231392460115
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Modolo-ALX90-Brake-Caliper-NOS-/221944287932

[jrenaut]

@americancyclo 128170 wrote:

What, no Deltas?

What about Modolo?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Vintage-Modolo-Flash-Complete-Brake-Set-Levers-Calipers-Cables-Black-/231392460115
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Modolo-ALX90-Brake-Caliper-NOS-/221944287932

Those Modolos are pretty sweet, though the brake pads look like they’re made of some sort of rock? But yeah, this is what I was getting at – I know Campy is awesome but I had never even heard of these two brands.

[vvill]

@jrenaut 128166 wrote:

Related to hoods – what do people do with fixed gears with only one brake but using hoods? I have a hood without a brake lever, which looks kind of silly.

That’s one option. You can also leave the brake lever on, but disconnected (which is what I have right now). Another option is to add a small length of brake cable with a stopper so you can’t pull the brake. Or if you’re feeling MacGyvery you can hook it up to ding a bell.

[jrenaut]

@vvill 128174 wrote:

Or if you’re feeling MacGyvery you can hook it up to ding a bell.

Ooh, that would be awesome. That’s probably beyond me, though

[TwoWheelsDC]

@vvill 128174 wrote:

That’s one option. You can also leave the brake lever on, but disconnected (which is what I have right now). Another option is to add a small length of brake cable with a stopper so you can’t pull the brake. Or if you’re feeling MacGyvery you can hook it up to ding a bell.

Or buy hoods with spring-loaded levers. The Cane Creek SCR-5 are a good choice, and I think Tektro typically uses springs. I’ll fix the floppy SRAM lever on my Cinelli eventually, but I’m waiting until I need to change the bar tape.

[Powerful Pete]

Ok, americancyclo wins. I was staying away from the exotic stuff. Campagnolo C-Record Deltas are the mostest, awesomest, hyper supersonically coolest brakeset in the world. Although each one weighs about 36 kgs, they are overengineered to heck and are not very good on long downhills unless you know what you are doing.

Although I would doubt your sanity if you descended on an alpine road on a fixie… but I digress.

The Modolos are an excellent proposal. They were a childhood dream. Modolo only made brakesets and handlebars, IIRC. The pads were “sinterized” and Did. Not. Function. At. All. In. The. Wet. But I lusted after them. Read about them here: http://www.veloaficionado.com/blog/ben-smiths-modolo-bicycle-brake-collection

A picture of their Master Pros (from the same website linked above):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10104[/ATTACH]

As I could not swing a set of Modolo Master Pros, I bothered my parents to no end for something almost as nice. As a birthday and Christmas present on my racebike as a 16 y.o. I received a Galli brakset. I suppose my dad felt guilty – he built up a aluminum Alan frameset with full Campagnolo C-Record at the same time. :rolleyes:

Galli was a company from Turin that made high-end components and attempted to outprice Campagnolo on the high-end of the market (no, not kidding). I had the Super Criterium model, IIRC. Sublime and rare. Look for’em and impress your classic bike buddies! I could only find one full brakeset on Ebay (this is not the Super Criterium, what is in the add was a higher falutin’ version that was “aero”!)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Galli-Brake-Set-KL-Professional-Nib-W-Cables-Housing-Vintage-Road-Bicycle-NOS-/311116417468?hash=item486ffbc9bc:g:D8oAAOxyEoFSYXVF

A picture of the full group from an Italian website selling a NOS group (Must. Resist. Buying. This.):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10105[/ATTACH]

I had a poster of a Sannino steel specialissima with a full Galli group on my wall as a young teenager… ah those were the days!

[jrenaut]

If it’s raining, I usually ride my Bianchi with fenders. I’d still like brakes that work in the rain, though. And while the 46X16 gearing and adherence to Rule 55 mean I’m not descending anything TOO crazy, it’s always nice to have brakes that work when you need them most.

A set of those red ones pictured on your link would be super hot.

[DismalScientist]

You can always replace the pads, you know.

[Author]

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