Re: [CR]Bianchi, Universal Mod. 51s or Mod. 61s?

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2007)

From: <NortonMarg@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 23:18:58 EST
Subject: Re: [CR]Bianchi, Universal Mod. 51s or Mod. 61s?
To: j.mccoin@comcast.net
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

In a message dated 2/6/04 10:05:57 AM Pacific Standard Time, j.mccoin@comcast.net writes:
> I'm collecting parts for my 1960 Bianchi Specialissima project. If I walked
> into a bike shop in 1960 and bought this bike, what brake set would it have
> come with.
>
> Did Universal 61 brakes really come out in the year 1961, or would this bike
> have come with Universal Extras, I know this is an anal question, I'm trying
> for a consensus.
>

Hi Jim, Universal has a pretty long history of having their parts marked by patent dates that are also the model dates. There's a Model '39, '51, '61, '68, '77 and probably others. If they were like Campagnolo, pre-production parts were available in the Peloton while "patent pending". Although I'm pretty sure your Specialissima is a 1960, and should have originally come with Model '51 sidepulls, if you want to put Model 61s on there, it's close enough that it would certainly be a period upgrade. Even though Fausto used them, the Mod. 51 sidepulls aren't very good now. At a time when that's all there was and nobody else had better brakes? It didn't matter as much.
Stevan Thomas
Alameda, CA