RE: [CR]Universal Mod. 61's

(Example: Production Builders:Tonard)

From: "David Bilenkey" <dbilenkey@sympatico.ca>
To: "Classicrendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: RE: [CR]Universal Mod. 61's
In-Reply-To: <3DF37E1E.BEA5DB22@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 15:14:55 -0500

OK, I agree that sometime in the late 60's the Mod 61's would have fallen out of favour and likely were pulled from production, but not because Universal was only going to produce one model at a time.

My '64 Legnano Gran Premio has Universal Extra sidepulls, clearly in the timeframe when Mod. 61s would have been available. I would think that to a certain degree there must be some overlap, especially because one set is a centrepull, the other a sidepull. I wouldn't expect that Universal would have carried the Extra and the Super 68 at the same time, and I would believe that there was probably only one lever being made at the time, but I'd guess that Mod.61s would not have been the only model being made.

This is all based on gut feel, if anyone can figure out a way to know for sure the end dates for certain models, let me know.

David Bilenkey Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


> -----Original Message-----
> From: classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org]On Behalf Of Chuck Schmidt
> Sent: December 8, 2002 12:15 PM
> To: Classicrendezvous
> Subject: Re: [CR]Universal Mod. 61's
>
> Yes, based on five original bikes (Bianchi and Legnano) of CR list
> members it looks like the original "pointy" lever that the Mod. 61
> center pulls (intro'd 1961) came with were changed in 1964 to the
> "curvy" lever. The small triangular point and sharp bend at the bottom
> of the lever ("death dagger") was an identifying characteristic of
> Universal brake levers from the beginning.
>
> I don't believe the 61s were produced alongside the 68s. Typically a
> small manufacturer produces one part and the tools up for the next part
> until they have all the parts they need. When side pull brakes became
> popular again in the late 60s with Campagnolo's introduction of their
> side pull brake there would be little or no demand for center pull
> brakes on race bikes.
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> SoPas, SoCal