Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Boxed Dia-Compe Gran Compe centerpull calipers w/o levers

Title says it all. These would be the later "GC" variants made for recessed mounting, not the type that are based on the old Weinmann design.

EDIT: These would be the DC 450 centerpulls: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Japan/Diacompe/DC450_brakes/photos/photo12.html

Can get them from the LBS for $60 - good deal?

-Kurt

Those are gorgeous. Someone posted a vintage Trek with those in this forum recently.

So do you have a question, or are you just gloating? :p

Kurt:

Are you saying these are available and you will help an interested party in acquiring them? If so, I'm interested and would like to discuss the situation with you.

Best,

Julian


Title says it all. These would be the later "GC" variants made for recessed mounting, not the type that are based on the old Weinmann design.

EDIT: These would be the DC 450 centerpulls: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Japan/Diacompe/DC450_brakes/photos/photo12.html

Can get them from the LBS for $60.

-Kurt

Here's that Trek:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=95455&d=1235221010

From this (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=513329) thread.

Are you saying these are available and you will help an interested party in acquiring them?

They are available, but I had them in mind for an upcoming build. I put this post out primarily to see if the shop's $60 is a reasonable price for them or not.

-Kurt

I'd say so. They're beautiful, and only $30 each?

You can get Dia-Compe repops (based on the old Weinmann design) for $32 each wheel, or Paul Racers for $125 each wheel at Velo Orange. In my opinion, the DC GC's are much better looking than the Pauls.

http://www.velo-orange.com/brakes1.html

I'd say so. They're beautiful, and only $30 each?

You can get Dia-Compe repops (based on the old Weinmann design) for $32 each wheel, or Paul Racers for $125 each wheel at Velo Orange. In my opinion, the DC GC's are much better looking than the Pauls.

Well, I figure they'll fit the build of the '82 Schwinn Superior.

So far, all of my Paramounts are centerpulls, and I figure the '82 Superior is the perfect stage to create a traditional Paramount with a 1980's twist - Super Record drivetrain eclipsing the NR's, while the GC 450's would serve as the '80s "replacement" for the Weinmann 999's.

Traditional, and yet, "modernized" into the '80s. I think it fits, considering that the Superior was the Paramount's last great 'hurrah" in my book.

-Kurt

Here are my NGC 450 brakes now on a Trek 710 I bought a couple months ago.

I found some Kool Stop pads for Campagnolo that fit OK in my holders and they are now great brakes, as good as a set of Shimano Ultegra dual pivots I have on another bike. Just took new pads, a little wrenching to get toe in correct and a well trued wheel. No need to go with aero levers, using the set the belong with the calipers.

Got them:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/dia_compe_gc450_1.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/dia_compe_gc450_2.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/dia_compe_gc450_3.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/dia_compe_gc450_4.jpg

Going to put up a Velobase entry.

-Kurt

$135 new minimum. Could probably get $175 for them on Ebay with the pics you've got.

Great find, you'll like them. I have the same gray housing, although now replaced with new housing and cables. Wish I had the hoods. $60 for calipers and hoods is excellent.

$135 new minimum. Could probably get $175 for them on Ebay with the pics you've got.

You sure about that? I'm not selling them, but that sounds rather excessive for non-Campy stuff, even nice Dia-Compe equipment such as this.



Great find, you'll like them. I have the same gray housing, although now replaced with new housing and cables. Wish I had the hoods. $60 for calipers and hoods is excellent.

Funny thing, I've been grabbing up the levers only from the New Gran Compe sets right and left for the hoods. They're my favorite Campy-alternates in terms of appearance, but they're even worse then Campagnolo when it comes to hardiness and humidity. That said, I have Gran Compe hoods presently flanking the Campagnolo Victory levers on my Trek 610 and my '84 Raleigh USA Super Course.

Take care,

-Kurt

P.S.: He had another NGC 450 box there, but it was stuffed with some cheap Dia-Compe G 500's. Who knows where the originals went.

Yep, perfectly sure. Last pair I bought were $110 fairly clean used and without the levers or hardware. Other, more expensive centerpulls exist: Zeus, Mafac Competition's and CLB's. There are of course, the ridiculously expensive collectors Mafac' from the 50's and 60's with the ball end arms (these go for $500 or so).

CLB's are more expensive? Don't tell me those silly CLB-2's eclipse these things in price...

-Kurt

CLB2's have recently been selling for right around $100, with an outlier pair that went cheap @$75 two weeks ago. They've been selling over the last two years for right around $150-160 new with levers, which is where I expect them to be during the season.

High-end centerpull brakes sell for good money because they're truly rare and they're an important part of a good restore.

Interesting. Sounds like a centerpull brake lust photo shoot is in order...

-Kurt

anyone have an idea of what the reach range is on these?