Side pull or centre pull for mid 60's frame?

[daysnways]

I've still not got around to starting my 1966? Percy Stallard frame, but it is time to start buying bits for it.

it's 531, quite svelte, the Cotswold version probably 1966 or 67 judging by the number - it's airing towards club ride as oppose to high end race.

Before I knew any better i thought some centre pull Mafac's would be the way to go, Percy was French inspired and his stuff seems to have been mostly fitted out with Simplex, stronglight, GB etc, but drawn a bit of a blank on what brakes...

I read somewhere that side pull brakes were becoming popular on higher end bikes mid 60's, though centre pulls were still dominant on most bikes?

If i went side pull, what manufacturers made them in the mid 60's? Would I be looking italian Universal or Campi? ...or were Mafac doing any side pulls that early?

I also read somewhere that Fiemme were a brand that adorned his bikes, although the name is familiar i can't seem to find anything on them?

What is the braking quality difference, if any, between Mafac Racers and say a 1969 side pull Campy?

cheers

Keith

 

[Midlife]

Hi

Welcome . The 60's were 10 years before my time but frames destined for centre pulls usually had the rear braze on for the adjuster, if not then it was personal choice between the two.

GB brakes adorned a lot of the 60's bikes I mended back then but you have to remember that people used kit that was handed down, stuff they liked the look of or was cheap. The concept if the group set came 30 years later.

Fiamme made rims, heavy but unbreakable and I used them on my training wheels, time trials where the roads were awful and for road racing.

Shaun

 

[Excel]

.....when I rode and raced in the 1960's a popular brake option for top end road bikes were Mafac Racer centre pulls with Universal brake levers and I'm pretty sure that Percy Stallard would have had this request from many purchasers, whenever I build up a period steed from this era this is the combination I still prefer

 

[Spokesmann]

GB and Weinmann made some nice kit at this time, both work well if correctly set up. I regularly use Weinmann CPs on my main commuting bike, a 71 Carlton Corsa. With newer modern brake blocks (mine are 70mm types) and alloy rims, these 40 year old plus items still make effective stoppers. I also have some side pull brake on a few machines, again with some modern tweaking they work great. Aesthetically they look good too.

 

[pigman]

GB and Weinmann made some nice kit at this time, both work well if correctly set up. I regularly use Weinmann CPs on my main commuting bike, a 71 Carlton Corsa. With newer modern brake blocks (mine are 70mm types) and alloy rims, these 40 year old plus items still make effective stoppers. I also have some side pull brake on a few machines, again with some modern tweaking they work great. Aesthetically they look good too.

I concur. I have some weinmann centre pulls on my winter hack and they stop as well as the DP sidepulls on another bike. Again with modern (cheapy moulded) blocks, not the original types.

 

[CyclingTheLakes]

Centre-Pull seem to have a reputation for being the better braking system for bikes, hence, even, many direct pull brakes seem to be a variant of centre-pulls that are on a lot of modern Mountain Bikes. The thing with centre-pulls is one needs to get a brake hanger as well. That shouldn't be a big obstacle in obtaining though again, if one wants it period-correct, that does cross the mind as well.

Side-pulls seem to be more convenient to install and can work very well as well, if one is going through a lot of rainy or snowy weather, perhaps centre is better.

 

[daysnways]

Re:

some great advice there, thanks, will try and keep you updated.