Dear listees:
I've just received a set of Zeus 2001 brakes and am busily swapping out the Modolo Master Pros on the Stan Pike for em. (Why? Why do I need a "why"?) This is the first set of Zeus brakes I've inspected up close, and while the finish doesn't show the super fine polish like Campy, they are lovely items indeed. It's neat that the cable tension adjusters are in the lever bodies, not on the calipers, so you can fiddle with yer brakes on the road.
My question involves the brake hoods. These look to be NOS, and are intact and feel supple. What is bewitching is that they are translucent, a lovely dark brown gum through which you can see hints of the lever body. Lovely indeed, but I'm terrified of tearing them while taping the new bars. Does anyone have experience with the durability of these hoods? Can they be rolled up on the lever bodies during taping, or is it better to slide the filler tape strips under the hoods with minimal lifting/stretching?
FYI, the modern logo Cinelli bar/stem on the Pike is probably going to be replaced wtih an old logo Cinelli stem with some Ambrosio crest logo bars (the Zeus lever straps don't seem to want to go over the Cinelli bars.)
2nd question: Did Ambrosio make stems too, and does any one have a 12cm with a 22.2 quill and a 26.4 clamp in excellent shape? Yeah, I know I'm dreaming.
Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
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