Originally Posted by
Salamandrine
Yeah, you're right. See my corrected responses above. The lever springs were to meant to make up for weaker springs in the calipers and improve 'feel'. Must have had distracted brain yesterday.
I still feel strongly that the OP should go to modern levers. I'm going to revise my recommendation to the TRP RRL levers. I've met people that were using them with campy NR calipers with success.
AFA the springs, I still think messing with them is asking for trouble. I'd adjust them close to the rims, put new koolstops on, and call it a day.
Superbe brakes were more or less clones, and IIRC they had weaker springs, so if you really wanted to find a weak 'campy' type spring, that's where to start. However, I seem to recall there was something slightly different about them that made them not fit Record calipers. Maybe it was the other way around. Been decades and I can't really remember to be honest, but I do recall there was something that made it not that simple.
The dual spring thing, yeah, better feel, perhaps more linear?
Hand fatigue is a real thing, and I do think that modern levers would work well, especially as the OP rides on the hoods primarily. The TRP levers can be had in drillium style and with tan hoods--definitely an older look, albeit with a very modern lever and hood shape. I still like Tektro R200s with their newer Campy 9/10s Ergo copying shape and lever geometry. They're not as visually shouty as the TRPs, are comfortable, and make nice angles with either classic drop bars or compact drop bars. As always, personal preference in both looks and feel.
I know I'd at least use calipers to look at the Campy vs. Superbe/Shimano spring diameters in addition to confirming shape similarities, but since I have several 105 groups, it's easy for me to do. Asking for trouble in general? Certainly possible, but that has not seemed to deter us, has it?
The two-edged sword of disaster/dead end or triumph. My ~1980 Superbe standard reach calipers do have a weaker spring, and I really like it! I've never understood why a braking system would resist my efforts to stop safely?!?
If the cables and housings are old, new quality ones help immensely, for cheap. Kool Stops and close adjustment as you said. That gets most everyone 'right there' for best performance with a given system. It's how I set up my bikes.