There's a short history of CLB on this facebook post for those interested in some of the history. I don't know this for a fact but I suspect by the 70s CLB was trying to get a bit of a halo from MAFAC by making brakes very similar to the various MAFAC models and naming them for confusion (or perhaps it was the other way around - anyone know?
juvela ?)
For some reason the link is not showing even though it is in my post: So with apologies to the original author for quoting:
CLB : The lightest brakes-set made in 70' •
CLB , standing for Charles Lozier Bourgoin this creator of the brand, is a company that you maybe never heard about. However, from 1930 to 1951 CLB was one of the giants of the brakes and brakes levers in Europe and especially in France.
The story starts before WWII where a shift occurs from old pre-WWI steel brakes to alloy brakes. The equation was to provide a brake using alloy to be lighter but with the same braking efficiency than steel. Indeed steel was much stiffer than alloy, so using the same old shape of brakes calipers was leading to poor braking efficiency.
In Britain LAM was the leader of the market, proposing a very good alloy brakes calipers but also the first set of hood brakes levers, which give an ultimate increase in terms of comfort. Founded in 1931 in St Chamond near Saint Etienne ( Middle East France) CLB used these innovations to provide absolutely outstanding brake sets. One of their first released was the Professional and Alp Comp sets. Between 40' and 50' CLB was the favorite and became a standard on all daily and professional build. Why? Because their efficiency was far beyond competitor, these brakes were used by professionals such as Percy Stallard who later become a bicycle shop still using and promoting CLB brakes on his build
Percy Stallard was a legend of his time, cycling as professional with participation in three consecutive world championships (1933–1935). Later in his life he explored and pushed limits of cycling by achieving things which have never been done before such as in 1965, where he rode the Theodul pass near Zermatt between Switzerland and Italy. The pass is 10,976 feet high and Stallard made it in less than 15 hours in snowy conditions. Later RSF (Rough Stuff Fellowship - See article
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=AZXNMDkIuBgXDD_YMS8pxSl_waezsfQScmC8ujEVT3j0wE5Sb6AqhlmPm3F9od3HPWDbGfWuf2WefZ6N2JPLjuhZLdGfOiXCYGuuZVIX779ZZimszaRJ8yNRA_je8LezIwAl0OSThXe2XOPG62k9BJZi&__tn__=-UK-R]https://www.facebook.com/Cyclopast/posts/390484015184213
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) confirmed that he was surely the first cyclist to achieve this exploit.
In the middle 50' CLB was at his top, offering a side pulled alloy brake calipers, with a unique quick-release, a cable adjuster and brass bolts. These brakes were a perfect answer to present needs, with post wars destruction, roads were in very bad condition and punctures were common. The quick released prove himself really useful on post-WWII tour de France.
But while focusing on the side pulled brakes, CLB left an entire corner to another brand who will become a giant in 1970 1980 MAFAC. Embracing the center pulled market, MAFAC slowly starts to become more popular than CLB. In late 1960 CLB decided to orient his work on weight savings.
In late 1970 CLB, after years of work and innovations, offer a pair of brakes named CLB Professionel, the short-reach only weight 129 gr ( See photo 4). Some versions were even closed to 102 gr: "I have two different versions, that are looking the same from distance, but when you take a closer look you'll find the following differences: Vers. 1: everything made out of aluminum except the spring Vers. 2: main bolt made out of steel, also the cable adjustment screw. Other screws have a shiny surface but are not magnetic, so maybe out of stainless steel or titanium. Weight difference to Vers. 1: +26 gr. " Fightfooter (Velo Base User) To complement this amazing product CLB was manufacturing a duralinox cable housing which only weights 85 gr a set. " Added to CLB's "Compact Professionel" brake calipers and levers, the cable set completes the super lightweight brakes concept CLB was famous for " Chombi (Velo Base User). This set was even used by Jeannie Longo in 2008 Olympics game.
But be the lightest was not enough to stay in the race. CLB firstly loose his french market against MAFAC and Britain market against WEINMANN. A short entry in the US market was not sufficient to save the brand from the end of all major brands in Europe (Simplex, Huret, Maillard ...). CLB is bought by SACHS in 1984 and directed to VITUS to work on aluminum frames. But after few years SACHS simply closed down the manufacture, and in 1997 SACHS will be bought by SRAM, and moved the production in Taiwan in 2013.
We were not able to find any photo of Charles Lozier Bourgoin, which is really sad considering the amount of work this guy did for our pleasure, innovating for the standard of today. So if you guys find one, or even have more information to had to the CLB legend please comment or drop us a message.
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