Originally Posted by H23
This is a sure sign that something is wrong and its not because its a 1970's campy brake caliper.
Even in the 1970's bicycle riders needed to stop.
As the owner of 1970s Campag. sidepulls, 1959 Weinmann Vainqueur 999 centerpulls, 1970s Mafac Racer centerpulls, 1980s Galli sidepulls, and a 1988 SunTour RollerCam front / Shimano U-brake rear combination, I respectfully disagree on empirical grounds. Even with all other factors (pads, cables, levers, etc.) as equal as possible, the Campag. sidepulls are noticeably inferior to my various centerpulls, which in turn are not quite as good as the Galli sidepulls, which are about on par with the very effective brakes on my mountain bike.
Particularly troubling to me, from an analytical standpoint, is the difference between the Gallis and the Campags., despite the relatively short reach on my Bianchi frame. I need to do a more detailed analysis of both leverage and spring tension to explain the difference. I also plan to test a pair of 1990s Shimano dual-pivot sidepulls on the Bianchi (close your eyes, purists!) against the Campags.