Delta brakes non-campy!

[vcballbat]

Found this old thing at a bike jumble, took me ages to figure out what it's from... can anyone guess what it is

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Okay I'll give you the answer.... one of Raleigh's finest

 

[Jonny69]

Okay I'll give you the answer.... one of Raleigh's finest

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So all this time I’ve had one right under my nose and I never realised!

Good little bikes, the RSW16. My ex has my old one now, but in the 15 years it was in the family fleet in daily use, it was always the bike that needed the least maintenance.

 

[bikeworkshop]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12699126...fKWcIN2RE6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Always surprising anyone thought they would be better or lighter than a decent side-pull

 

[Scott-S]

It was suggested based on a not so great picture that the brakes on my 2008 Giant Halfway might have been Rollercams.
I took these pics this evening and it was confirmed they are not.

Front brake



Rear brake


A day of not doing my job and messing around online looking for answers found these:

amazon.de/ALHONGA-Fahrrad-U-Brake-inkl-Bremsbeläge-Faltrad/dp/B09RK5TLN9
About this item
• Alhonga cantilever rim brake, shape: U-brake, position: front
• Leg width: 70 mm, brake rubber length: 40 mm
• Designed for folding bikes. Colour: black/silver. Material: aluminium

radversender.de/ALHONGA-Fahrrad-Felgen-Bremse-U-Brake-inklBremsbelaege-VORN-Faltrad-Klappi
• Cantilever rim brake from ALHONGA
• Type: U-Brake
• suitable for folding bikes, folding bikes
• Position: Front
• Leg width: approx. 70 mm
• Brake rubber length: 40 mm
• with mounting screw
• Material: Aluminum
• Color: Black/Silver

I dont know if its a German thing or its lost in translation but they look nothing like the other u-brakes when I search for Alhonga u-brake
In the same sense they look nothing like the other rollercams when I searched for Alhonga Rollercam brake
I can see the Delta shape of the rear plate that moves the arms, however Alhonga delta brake also brought no results matching them

Both of those sites shared the same 7 pictures as below and they were pretty much all I could find on these brakes.

Tomorrow after work Im going to tear the front brakes apart to show the individual bits as this is quite a puzzle

 

[trailwright]

I've read here again, and plenty of places elsewhere in the past about the Campag Deltas having disappointing braking contrary to their gorgeous profile. But I'm interested to know what it is that makes the performance poor?

When I was building up my Gazelle I put on single pivot Dura Ace brakes and just about ended up with cramp in my hands the first time down a steep descent the spring rate was so high, so were the Deltas like that?

 

[bikeworkshop]

I've read here again, and plenty of places elsewhere in the past about the Campag Deltas having disappointing braking contrary to their gorgeous profile. But I'm interested to know what it is that makes the performance poor?

When I was building up my Gazelle I put on single pivot Dura Ace brakes and just about ended up with cramp in my hands the first time down a steep descent the spring rate was so high, so were the Deltas like that?

What levers were you using?
It makes a big difference to brake performance.

History:
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a28578374/campagnolo-delta-brake/

Deltas came years after the modulo Kronos, component designers looking for aero advantage.

I suspect they were desperate to get a competing product to market, and had chucked loads of money at it before the disappointing performance and setup pita were identified.

If anything they offer less power than the much cheaper, simpler and lighter dura-ace 7400 from the same period.
But they look faster!
And they are very very shiny

 

[bikeworkshop]

It was suggested based on a not so great picture that the brakes on my 2008 Giant Halfway might have been Rollercams.
I took these pics this evening and it was confirmed they are not.

Front brake
View attachment 956102
View attachment 956103

Rear brake
View attachment 956104

A day of not doing my job and messing around online looking for answers found these:

amazon.de/ALHONGA-Fahrrad-U-Brake-inkl-Bremsbeläge-Faltrad/dp/B09RK5TLN9
About this item
• Alhonga cantilever rim brake, shape: U-brake, position: front
• Leg width: 70 mm, brake rubber length: 40 mm
• Designed for folding bikes. Colour: black/silver. Material: aluminium

radversender.de/ALHONGA-Fahrrad-Felgen-Bremse-U-Brake-inklBremsbelaege-VORN-Faltrad-Klappi
• Cantilever rim brake from ALHONGA
• Type: U-Brake
• suitable for folding bikes, folding bikes
• Position: Front
• Leg width: approx. 70 mm
• Brake rubber length: 40 mm
• with mounting screw
• Material: Aluminum
• Color: Black/Silver

I dont know if its a German thing or its lost in translation but they look nothing like the other u-brakes when I search for Alhonga u-brake
In the same sense they look nothing like the other rollercams when I searched for Alhonga Rollercam brake
I can see the Delta shape of the rear plate that moves the arms, however Alhonga delta brake also brought no results matching them

Both of those sites shared the same 7 pictures as below and they were pretty much all I could find on these brakes.

Tomorrow after work Im going to tear the front brakes apart to show the individual bits as this is quite a puzzle

View attachment 956107
View attachment 956108
View attachment 956109
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Basically it works as a roller cam, except the edge the arms are actuated by is a slot, and the rollers are just pins:


- this will increase friction and wear, but the designers will have considered that acceptable.

 

[trailwright]

What levers were you using?
It makes a big difference to brake performance.

History:
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a28578374/campagnolo-delta-brake/

Deltas came years after the modulo Kronos, component designers looking for aero advantage.

I suspect they were desperate to get a competing product to market, and had chucked loads of money at it before the disappointing performance and setup pita were identified.

If anything they offer less power than the much cheaper, simpler and lighter dura-ace 7400 from the same period.
But they look faster!
And they are very very shiny

Great article on the Deltas, thanks.

I was using Shimano aero levers. Basically it took all my effort and a full handful to keep the speed down. I sold them not long after and swapped to a pair of dual pivot DAs and could go down the same hill with one finger control!

 

[bikeworkshop]

Great article on the Deltas, thanks.

I was using Shimano aero levers. Basically it took all my effort and a full handful to keep the speed down. I sold them not long after and swapped to a pair of dual pivot DAs and could go down the same hill with one finger control!

Brakes were for losers back then

Some Shimano levers have a specific cable "actuation" to match certain calipers - if its not a good match, it can result in poor performance.

My 30 year old monoplanars with 30 year old, beautiful, brake blocks were useless (90s chorus levers) until I fitted some new pads.
Transformed.

Throw in a bit of pivot wear and misalignment and any caliper brake can be awful -
Although I've yet to meet a pair of ultegra r8000s that wouldn't throw you under a bus if you grabbed too much lever