scozim 

I started pulling apart my Peugeot PL8. It will definitely be an interesting project. The bike was originally purchased used by my dad and was a fixed gear. He then had it converted back to a regular road bike - 52-44 cottered cranks and 14-28 5 speed freewheel in the rear.

Of course, the first interesting thing came when I took the shifters off - they appeared to be regular clamp on Simplex. But no, the left side was a clamp while the right side shifter was a braze on. Make me think the bike may have originally only been a 5 speed.

Now, to the brakes. They are Altenburger Synchron. I can't find a date code but they have a nice long reach for the move to 700c tires my dad did. The rear brake has an aluminum bracket/adapter which allows the brake to be attached to the frame from the top of the brake bridge instead through the side as in all my other bikes.

Does anyone know anything about these brakes? The owner of my LBS said they were terrible brakes but they seemed to function just fine for my dad. They'll get some fresh pads but I don't see any reason not to re-use them.

20grit

i'm fairly certain the single shifter braze-on was actually a standard practice for some manufacturers. i've seen it several times in the past.

Amani576

Those Altenburgers are an early version of modern dual-pivot sidepull calipers. I've heard they work well, and I've heard they work terribly.
Probably all has to do with the pads, levers, and cable tension.
-Gene-

T-Mar

A single shifter braze-on was a common feature on Peugeot 10 speeds. Personally, I never liked the Synchron brakeset. They were common substitutes during shortages in the early 1970s and usually poor performers compared to the OEM center-pulls they replaced. Performance can be improved markedly with good aftermarket pads and cables.

photocorsa

The Altenberger' Brakes you speak of were the first dual pivot brakes to appear
on bicycles mass produced in the early 70s typically on UK bikes of that
era ie; Raleigh, BSA etc. mostly 3 speeds. Not for mechanical advantage, but by placing two pivots farther from center they were specifically designed to function well while facilitating fenders as well as racks hence the dual pivot, now stuff would fit in between and above the rear calipers! Plagued by poor quality castings and inferior plastic (instead of brass washer) pivot bushings, they kind of faded away (no pun) until Shimano resurrected the design to yield higher mechanical advantage.
Although you are correct in assuming the Peugeot you speak of could have come in a
5spd. or a single chainring crank. It is more likely that the design of the clamp was twofold. The original design was to mount a Simplex or Huret Rt. side shift lever, because the left side or front derailleur shift lever was merely a mechanical extension of the fr. derailleur's articulating arms. The wooden covered shift knob extended up and left of the seat tube! So, no cable required.
On later models the Braze-on boss on the Rt. side was used to locate a clamp that would not only carry the now left side shift lever but resist the downward torque applied to the clamp under hard shifts. Typically what would happen after many shifts; the clamp would slide down towards the BB and you would start losing gears from the lower gears on up!
The last explanation was economy; The clamp was designed to fit frames with one braze-on!
So that when that frame was slated to be a ten speed (2 levers) it was this clamp that made it possible to use one frame for many models!
The rear brake mount was designed to carry a caliper 70 MM in length to span
a 700C or 700 series (course) rim 622 MMs in diameter.
Although some of these bikes did come with 27X1/4" Rigida serrated chrome steel rims!
If i'm not mistaken it was another dual duty design. If it were turned around it could carry the more commonly used brake for that bike Mafac 'Racer' centerpulls with the cable stop housing carrier mounted to the seat clamp. The Altenburgers could have been installed later!
Did your bike come with the braze-on downtube hooks for the Solibloc aluminum pump?
Regards,
C-

Glennfordx4

I redid the Synchron brakes on my Liberty and they work fantastic, I think it's all in the pads.
Glenn

southpawboston

my wife's 1973 dutch-built union has the altenburger synchron sidepulls:





spring tension feels good and they're not hard to adjust. they seem to work fine with salmon kool-stop continentals. then again, the rims are steel, so the braking isn't wonderful.

Grand Bois

I haven't seen it on anything but lower end Peugeots with Simplex shifters.

nledgin

I got a bike for 40 usd and it has the same brakes as well as altenburger brake levers selling for 30 quid apice as well as huret gear shifters and the brakes were worth the 40. granted its a gutane bike

spiker

There's a post the arms rest on. There should be a plastic sheath around it. The sheath keeps he arms from rubbing down the post. When the post wears down its braking efficiency goes with it. I made replacement out of a bunch of different plastic tubes over the years.

randyjawa 

I built up this Peugeot PE41 roadster and it was fitted with those brakes. I have owend and ridden other machines fitted with them. My opinion, they are unimpressive stoppers. They don't compare with the more common Mafac Racer, often fitted to Peugeots back then...

scozim 

Man, I started this thread quite awhile ago. I put the brakes back on the Peugeot after overhauling it and with alloy rims they stop ok. Not earth shattering but, then, I don't ride that specific bike very fast anyway.

John E

Although I like 52-44 with a 2-tooth progression in back (e.g. 14-16-18-20-23-26) and have used it myself, it was not a popular combination back then. The French had a fixation on 52-45, and various manufacturers discovered 52-40/14-17-20-24-28, which makes a very nice 1.5-step setup.

noglider 

In my view, not many brakes can beat the old MAFAC Racer. My Super Course came with Weinmann centerpulls, which are good, but I replaced them with MAFACs anyway.

dddd

The big advantage with Mafac is also a disadvantage for some.
The very long lever throw is out of the reach of smaller hands, but the lengthy throw also allows generous pad/rim clearances while also having high leverage for a low-effort feel at the levers.

The other Mafac advantage is the well-calibrated squeal that a well set-up pair of calipers can generate when dogs run into your path, and gives notice to riders ahead that their sudden braking is causing potential distress among following riders.

Mafac levers set up with safety levers have a much-reduced distance from the bars, which can be welcome as it still allows a relatively generous lever throw.

scozim 

I ended up with a Campagnolo crankset donated by D.D. - 52-42 chainrings matched to a 14-28 French thread Normandy freewheel out back. The bike is quite comfortable to ride.

noglider 

@dddd, heh. All of that is true. I'm an average-sized guy blessed with long and strong hands.

I normally toe in the brakes to eliminate squeal, but if it creeps in, it doesn't freak me out, and I use it to my advantage.

Salubrious

Try a set of GB Coureur 66s! They will look right at home on a Super Course. They typically have about 50% more braking power, if leverage has anything to do with it. the usual brake pad caveats apply.