Originally Posted by
noglider
The brakes are excellent and misunderstood. Comparing them with modern brakes, people try them by squeezing the levers lightly, because that's adequate for modern brakes. You have to squeeze them hard. But they will stop as well as anything. It helps to have large and strong hands. Modulation is unbeaten because leverage is low, which is also the reason you have to apply so much force. But they are excellent and also super durable. Levers are excellent, too.
I never had any NR stuff back in the day because I was young and didn't have the cash. First-gen Dura Ace derailleurs (yes, I know the rear was called the "Crane") and cranks, Mafac Competition brakes, Cinelli #3 saddle and pretty much whatever I could cobble to gether for the rest.
But I now have NR brakes on my '78 Eisentraut (no modern Campy brakes are long enough), and I am pleased with them. I pull on Campy Ergo 10-speed brifters to pull the calipers to push Matthauser brake blocks (in the original Campy brake pad holders), and they work just fine. Yes, I have to pull a bit harder than I do with dual pivots on my other bikes, but the NRs get the job done with no problems. I am 6'3" and 275#, and I live in a hilly area. I was a tad skeptical about this set-up at first, but no longer am.
I attribute some of the good performance to modern levers with their better leverage, some to the inherently good design and build of the NR brakes (40+ years on and still in great shape), and quite a bit to the vast improvement in brake pads represented by Matthauser and its successors. (I noticed an amazing difference in braking power on a pair of Dia Compe sidepull Weinmann copies going from the original pads to Kool Stops.) The NR RD may no longer be able to keep up (but Lordy, it sure is gorgeous) but the NR sidepulls still can.