Dual pivot brakes for neo-retro project?

I'm planning a neo-retro summer bike project, based on an old Claud Butler Holdsworthy 531 frame circa 1976.

I ride out in the hills a lot with a few long steep descents, and I've not had very good experiences with rim brakes. I've tried Weinmann centre pulls and side pull calipers on my old Raleigh which have both given poor performance, resulting in a couple of scary 'off tarmac' excursions. I know this is partly to do with 700c rims where 27" should reside, but I did set them up meticulously.

Anyway this resulted in me building my modern steel winter bike with disc brakes which are awesome and have boosted my confidence on descents.

Back to the project, this bike will have to take me to the hills in summer. Obviously I won't be fitting discs, but I am considering dual pivots, but have no experience. So I ask here for advice. Are they all good? Any makes I should avoid? I plan to fit 27" wheels so I won't necessarily need a long drop.

The Campag Veloce brakes seem to fit the bill - polished classy look, no black plastic bits and within budget, but I don't want to get sucked into getting the Campag full set, (like I reluctantly have with Apple products!), because the frame probably doesn't deserve it.

Finally I know newer brakes have allen bolt fixings, so would I need to make any modifications to the frame and forks prior to painting?
Thanks


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Bruce

Re:

Shimano used to make a dual pivot nut fit brake and it think Tekro {do/did }as well . Try Spa cycle or St John's street cycles . Both have Webb sites

Re:

Shimano used to make a dual pivot nut fit brake and it think Tekro {do/did }as well . Try Spa cycle or St John's street cycles . Both have Webb sites

couple of things from my experience. Don't use old style levers with them or they will be mega hard work. Use a modern brake lever specifically for dual pivots. Chrome rims work best with the old rectangular soft rubber brake blocks and I've found that modern compounds barely grab them at all, but I haven't used those old blocks in a dual pivot caliper. If you can find the cheap Oval shape all-black Shimano SLR style brake blocks, I think they're made by Jagwire now, they work really well with older rims and dual pivot.

Re:

I have Shimano 7700 dual pivots with swiss pads, they stop a treat and prevented me from rear ending some "COCK" in a red soft top who decided to pull out on me whilst I was speeding downhill. He then promptly stopped and decided to turn right. Brakes worked a treat I slowed nicely, rear locked a bit and luckily he had the roof down and received a choice "YOU C---" and "LOOK NEXT TIME YOU P----" that I sung out as I sailed by.

Anyways I digress, I needed to fit sprung assisted levers on the dual pivots as they have a softer return spring. Non sprung assisted levers may not work well with Shimano dual pivots and it may be the same with Campagnolo.

Re:

Thanks for these comments. I think I can overcome the "allen bolt vs nutted" caliper mounting issue, but it sounds like I'll need to choose my levers carefully.

Jonny69, Bugloss - are you both talking of the same thing? Are 'dual pivot specific levers' the same thing as 'sprung assisted' ? When shopping for them how do I know which ones are suitable? Usually it says they are either suitable for caliper brakes or for V-brakes. I use the latter on my drop bar winter bike with cable disc brakes.

Thanks again

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Bruce

The spring in the lever helps pull the cable back through the outer when you release the brake and has nothing to do with the amount of pressure from your hand that is required when braking. In fact dual pull callipers are by far easier to use than single pull callipers as they require less effort to brake properly.

The spring in a dual pivot calliper is weaker than in a single pivot calliper and the tension in the spring is not enough to force the cable back through the outer when you release the brake, so it needs a bit of assistance.

Go down the bike shop and have a look. I would imagine that all modern levers have a spring return on them nowadays.

For Shimano Dura Ace it's 7402 and onwards.

Re:

Thanks, its all crystal clear now.
I had realised the spring was for cable return, but I wondered if the amount of leverage and cable pull was important.
I've got some old Exage Motion levers on my gas pipe Raleigh. Looks like they have return springs, but they are not the ones for the project. (White rubber hoods and plastic bits that keep coming loose and pinching hands!)
I'll have a look at the levers on my mates' bikes, and take a trip to my LBS.

Cheers

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Bruce

The best levers are Cane Creek SCR-5 mate those to 105 calipers or similar for excellent brakes. If your rims are steel now is the time to upgrade to alloy rims as braking on steel rims is always a comprimise.

Jonny69":29ket9ld said:

.................. If you can find the cheap Oval shape all-black Shimano SLR style brake blocks, I think they're made by Jagwire now, they work really well with older rims and dual pivot.

Click to expand...

these..?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/jagwire-brake ... 415e82ac6d

i use Kool-Stop Continentals
Peugeot with steel rims

john