DIA-COMPE: this Taiwanese brand has a lengthy history. It is short on bling points for being less than exotic. But, it is interesting to look into their catalog and see what they produce that may be of interest to C&V people when they are straining to bring a build in on budget. And many of us have budgets. The budget need not be a constraint on performance or even in quality. Dia-Compe is a modern, muscular company that must be using modern techniques and metallurgy to stay healthy. I have no evidence to the contrary.

The company encompasses a wide market area, and no one should be discouraged by the lower ranking kit that is intended for the more utilitarian, everyday bike, or more pedestrian recreation machines. In my opinion, the company makes some very nice things.

Recently I described the BR-101 brake-set. It comes in all sorts of lurid anodized colors for the fixie and SS people who like to dress up their mounts. But, it also comes in a highly polished alloy. This is how I became interested in them, and how I was persuaded to look more carefully at this manufacturer:

One afternoon about two years ago, I was driving around the Miyagi seashore with my wife. On the coastal road, since washed over and scoured by the 3/11 tsunami, was a civic center and a large parking lot. There I met and talked to a group of professional keirin racers who had finished doing road work as part of their constant training routine. All their bikes were track machines, but each had one, or in some cases, two brakes mounted on adapters. Each brake was a Dia-Compe BR-101. If it was good enough for these guys ....

I bought a set for my Simplon. They do not give any ground in terms of performance to my Ultegras that I have become aware of. (I don't often do hair-raising descents.) And despite being half the price of the Shimano binders, they are roughly the same weight. They may be a gram or two heavyer than my older Sugino 75's. They are definitely a few more grams than the Dura Ace at hundreds of dollars more. They were a cinch to mount and adjust. So just as an example .....

Cranksets, BB's — I'd consider lots of stuff from Dia-Compe. No bling, but if it looks right on older machines and has the quality, which I think it does, I'm game. I am glad this company is around. I suspect that they provide special orders of specified production for Velo Orange — but don't quote me.