Re: [CR] originality vs rideability

(Example: History:Norris Lockley)

Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2002 10:25:26 -0500
From: "Ken Wehrenberg" <wnwires@htc.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, hetchinspete@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [CR] originality vs rideability


Peter Naiman referred to the >CB magnesium brakeset(with absolutely no stopping power)<

Are you meaning CLB's SpaceLine brakes, period correct for Vitus of this era? BTW they came in other colors including white which I've been seeking for quite a while. The ads in LeCycle stated some reference to other-worldly materials or something. Their stopping power is much to be desired if you keep them 100% stock-- replace the superlight aluminum cables and you'll find they stop as well as other sidepulls of the era. (I might add that there is absolutely no comparison to the better brakes of today such as the Mavic dual pivots with KoolStop salmon pads I am running on my modern superlight.

The Superbrake is from Scott-Matthauser. The Matthauser pads are the same material as KoolStop now incororates into the salmon pads. I also have on the '50s Follis a set of CLB "High-Life" (you think that only meant Miller beer?) sidepulls which are highly polished and very finely finished. The pads are of the same color and harder than the Weinmann red pads of the era. I wonder if they were incorporating the iron oxides into the rubber way back when....

Peter, that sounds like an awfully light Vitus. I have a very light one myself with period correct but more mainstream stuff: Stronglight HS, OMAS Ti BB, CLB SpaceLine brakes, Mavic hubs and yellow pedals with the original Shimano DA indexing system. Yours will be easily in the 17 lbs range and just might challenge my Hi-E Cosmopolitan in the weight or lack thereof category!

If you want to tweek the weight on the brakes even lower, I have some Modolo Orion levers....

Ken Wehrenberg, snow flurries near St Louis