What age is this frame?

Old money, Old Ned? That advert must be pre-'70s. Judging by the contents it could be older than I am! When were Weinmann 500s introduced? I don't remember that QR. I'm fairly confident that some mid to late '70s 500s were without it. Later I think there was an ugly bulky plastic QR, which is the one that you wouldn't see on a TT bike.

I don't know what it was with Weinmann levers- They were 'bulbous', and the way they mounted to the bars always seemed less than confidence-inspiring compared to Campag, Mafac etc. I never had Universal. You can see plenty of 500 calipers in late '70s TT photos, but the levers are nearly always Campag., or indistinguishable from Campag. I guess there could have been an aspirational side to it also- like saying: "I use Weinmann 500 calipers because they are light, not because I cannot afford Campag- "

My first close-clearance combination was Weinmann 500 calipers (no QR) and Mafac 2000 levers, which were bulky compared to Campag, but not 'bulbous'.

More brilliant information, thanks very much.

Certainly in the mid 70's Weinmann levers were considered "low rent" and I raced on 500's (which were the only things that would fit) with Shimano Dura-Ace drilled levers.

Much later as I was leaving the scene Weinmann sort of woke up and produced the Carrera Pro range (including rims as well I think) which had the QR on the brake and the levers were drilled and much better..........by then they had missed the boat LOL

There was talk of a "piccolo" set of campag brakes which were for very tight clearance frames but could have been an urban myth

Shaun

Midlife":nk4zsb2z said:

Certainly in the mid 70's Weinmann levers were considered "low rent" and I raced on 500's (which were the only things that would fit) with Shimano Dura-Ace drilled levers.

Much later as I was leaving the scene Weinmann sort of woke up and produced the Carrera Pro range (including rims as well I think) which had the QR on the brake and the levers were drilled and much better..........by then they had missed the boat LOL

There was talk of a "piccolo" set of campag brakes which were for very tight clearance frames but could have been an urban myth

Shaun

Click to expand...

The Carrera levers were Campag copies like most brake levers of the time but possibly slightly larger to suit non-Italian man-sized hands. Piccolo stirrups did exist, Whiskers (amongst others) advertised them regularly in 'Cycling'. I think that the early DA levers were very 'Weinmann'ish' in their design - the rubber hoods are certainly interchangeable.

The Ted Gerrard ad is 1957 but I had the QR's a lot later than this. The 1970 Holdsworth 'Aids' catalogue shows them fitted with QR - but by then Weinmann had introduced the brake lever with the 'pull out tab' QR.

Midlife":30wjc6w2 said:

Certainly in the mid 70's Weinmann levers were considered "low rent" and I raced on 500's (which were the only things that would fit) with Shimano Dura-Ace drilled levers.

Much later as I was leaving the scene Weinmann sort of woke up and produced the Carrera Pro range (including rims as well I think) which had the QR on the brake and the levers were drilled and much better..........by then they had missed the boat LOL

There was talk of a "piccolo" set of campag brakes which were for very tight clearance frames but could have been an urban myth

Shaun

Click to expand...

This forum is a gold mine....

Talking of rims :roll:

I should have a pair of Campag 36 hole hubs on their way to me this week, so I am now on the lookout for some age related rims. To make life more difficult, I'd prefer to go clincher, just for ease of repair in the event of a puncture.

Any suggestions of make and model?

The only "clinchers" around at the time were Michelin Elan TS.......... the first folding tyre in a box LOL Matching rims from Mavic (Module E)

Never trusted them LOL

Mavic MA2's look pretty retro

Shaun

Midlife":2gaigsit said:

Mavic MA2's look pretty retro

Click to expand...

Yes I thought so.

Module Es are "five-yard sprints".. i.e. at five yards you....can see the rest of this sentence coming.. :| I don't remember the original Michelin Elans as being folding?

True, the original Elan's didn't fold but the "MKII version" the TS did, still unimpressed and would rather ride on a 14 oz Wolber stuck on a Fiamme rim. Some used them on their winter bikes....typical Northern Cheapskates

The original Module E's were a bit hit and miss quality wise, in fact the 70's Mavic rims were a bit rough sometimes. Theory goes that they bought out Superchampion who taught them how to build rims properly

I never seem to see many Module E's about, Murphy's law that an e-bay search will throw up hundreds for sale LOL

Shaun

weinmann rims were best. Bit heavy, bit wide, but bombproof. I sometimes wish the weinman concave was still made for a commuter bike in the pot hole riddled holes of sheffield.