Mixing groups
 

The Frankenbike thread got me to thinking... I know, that's dangerous!

I have collected all the bits of a Super Record group except brakes and levers. If I wanted to use brakes/levers from another group (non-Campy), what would be appropriate?

N.B. I've already substituted Simplex shift levers.

Universal Mod 61 Center pulls if you want to stay Italian. Dura Ace, Superbe Pro, to begin with. Others will chime in with Dia Compe models as well as Modolo (maybe), Mafac "Racer" and others.

Dura ace and superbe pro brakes would be near the top of my list. Ditching the campy shifters for simplex is a good idea; superbe downtube shifters are very good as well. I'd ditch the campy headset for a stronglight A9 as well.

Dia-Compe or Weinmann center pulls.

I always replace European brake handles with shorter-reach Weinmanns or Shimanos, which I can grab faster and more securely in a panic stop.

How old is the bike?

In these parts a much-favored combination for a long time, even until the late seventies, was a Stronglight chain set, Campagnolo derailleurs and MAFAC brakes. But on an eighties or later frame that might look a little out of place.

dura ace on this mostly campy davidson
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3842/...b2345a4e_b.jpg

superbe on this mostly campy trek
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7643/...5b4552a5_b.jpg

That's a fine looking Davidson. I'm getting ready to fix mine up this summer. I may even go non-frankenbike on the build, :innocent:

Just get the super record...you've come this far (unless there's a functional reason not to, like prefer the body of another lever). The Simplex DT levers were a common substitution...a lot of folks liked them better.

This is my favorite frankenbike. It's my first racing bike which I picked up 2d hand when I worked in a shop. It's a Roe frame, who was a small builder in the north of England. It has a sugino mighty tour crank, mavic hubs laced on mavic rims, suntour superbe shifters, campy nuovo record front derailleur, sachs huret new success non-indexing rear derailleur, mks quill pedals, campy nuovo record brakes with modolo levers, campy super record seatpost, and campy headset.:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=447068http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=447071http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=447072

Sure, why not? This bike started out full Super Record, now has Simplex Retrofriction shifters, a Zeus crank and titanium bottom bracket, and Campagnolo clipless pedals:

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/isaac-2009.jpg

I have always had a bit of OCD when it comes to mixing parts, in that I don't do it. I first started riding in the mid 80's on a Vitus with full Super Record, except for the Simplex retrofriction shifters. I now have a Vitus with a full Mavic group, except for the brake levers. I have a pair of Campy Record levers because I am too lazy to yank the correct ones off of a wrapped set of handlebars. And my rims don't match either because I am again too lazy to rebuild the front wheel. It has been popping spokes.

But if you are going to make the brakes non-Campy, try to at least get a brakeset with matching calipers and levers. I have always been somewhat partial to Modolo Pro or Master Pro. A lot of teams back in the 80's and early 90's spec'ed them on their team bikes, Renault being the most famous of them.

I'd go with the Modolo; itallian, high quality, style.
My first 'good' bike was a Windsor Pro frame I bought 2nd hand and built it up with the following
Sugino Mighty crank
Berthet pedals
Camy NR derialers and shifters
Phil Wood hubs
Fiamme Red Lable rims
Unicanitor seat
Universal sidepull brakes.
Much of that is now hanging on my Batavus Pro.

There's a couple frame candidates for these bits, both Italian. One is an '82, the other an '85.

Thanks. I'll look into the Modolos.

One of the reasons Superbe comes up is that it was nearly identical to the Campy NR lever. Part dimensions are nearly the same if not the same and at the time they were lower cost.

Checking fleabay indicates Superbe Pro and SR are similarly priced, so I'd probably choose SR. Weinmann brakes and levers are fairly cheap in comparison, but I can't tell if the numbering (i.e. 500 vs 600) signifies much, except the 500 and 600 models I've looked at are all nutted. My frames are drilled for recessed hex heads. I'd consider center pull models if the frames were older.

During that period Raleigh and Peugeot were brands that mixed parts from different suppliers, even for the models higher up in the line-up. Weinmann side-pull brakes (605) were popular with both brands, Stronglight crank sets (104) and Simplex SX derailleurs at Peugeot, Sugino crank sets and SunTour (Cyclone) derailleurs at Raleigh.

Here's a couple of 1984 Raleigh Competitions. Built only a few months apart. One has the Weinmann brakes, the other Shimano 600.

http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Grotefoto-PDVZHGF7.jpg

My otherwise all-Super Record Mercian sports Modolo Pro levers - I got them much more cheaply than I would a Super Record pair, to replace out-of-place looking Dia Compe aero levers no doubt subbed early on in the life of that '84 bike. I actually like 'em at least as well; shape suits me, and the grey ano looks great on my particular bike. I'm less fond of the Modolo callipers, so I'll be keeping my Super Record set on there...but, obviously, I'm not above substitution. And I see that Modolo has been raised as an option here already.