Kilroy,
This thread started on 2/20/19 by Gugie, It started with the picture of a Chrome Gran Sport that was Stripped of all its components. The thread talked all about the Gran Sport. It lasted but only 14 days, ending on 3/04/19, over a year ago.
I started it back up yesterday, over a year from the last entry.
You are the person talking of subject, quoting Wikipedia, a self proclaimed unreliable source of information.
And your quoting Bike History from Time Magazine articles taken from facts about Xmass Bike sales from an interview of the Buyer at Macy's Department Store.

I'm definitely not sure what you're talking about at this point. If you want to have a conversation here you need to accept the fact that many people do not talk on the same wave length as you do. Are you taking issue with something I've said, or the way I've said it? I certainly meant no offense.

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If you're interested in more information about the short and long term effects of the bike boom in the 1970s, there are whole books about it. But here's a neat article about the overall implications.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cur...sign-bike-boom

Have a nice weekend, and ride safe!

-Gregory

Um, same.
Thanks for (finally) posting the build pics, It came out great. Are those VO levers?

Thanks!

Yes, those are VO levers. Truth be told, they don't match the MAFAC RAIDs really well, they bottom out sooner than I'd like, so there's great modulation, but not great power. I need to experiment with the straddle cable length.

Interesting - I have a set of those as well as their other flat bar levers that I'm using with Racers on my International. I'm going back and forth with them and observing the same thing, I think. I have the straddles pretty short, how are yours?

Close-up:


I could definitely choke up on the straddle some more.

Glad you guys brought up the VO levers. I was planning to get them for a current project if I end up with flat bars... Now I'm wondering? I would pair them with Weinmann centerpulls.

Kilroy1988 FWIW mine don't bottom out and both sets work reasonably well with the Racers. In my experience Mafacs always had a degree of flex regardless of the levers I use. They'll never be as solid-feeling as a high-end dual pivot but I love 'em and have them on both my Raleighs. I'm tempted to buy a set of brass bushings and washers from Rene Herse and see if I can detect any discernible difference beyond the brass blinginess.

Thanks ascherer I'll have to fiddle with what I'm doing on the bars for that project anyway, but the brand new VO levers struck me as a better deal than old matching Weinmann levers for whatever reason. They certainly look smart!

I imagine that some of the flex could be eliminated by brazing the centerpull posts onto the frame. The RH brass bushings would help a little, but "choking up" on the straddle cable is probably the biggest knob to turn.

If I were to do that on this frame, I'm sure I'd get this reaction:

Meaning the audio output? Mafacs go to 11 y'know...

Hard to get a good shot of mine as they're hiding behind baskets and racks, but I tend to go with short straddles:

Kilroy1988 gugie I switched the Mafac yokes to a set of these Tektros which are almost twice as wide (and getting hard to find in silver) and cut new straddles from shifter cables. The lever travel is greatly reduced and it feels a bit stronger. Your mileage may vary. I'll change the ones on my other Mafac-equipped bike which has brifters when the dang second set arrives - they sat in a post office in Philly for 10 days until today when they finally made it to the distribution center.

Thanks for the feedback on the switch, ascherer Noted! As it turns out, I'll almost certainly be going with a pair of Weinmann 605 side-pulls for the current project rather than the 610/750s I have, since I'm focusing in a bit more on keeping the weight down than I initially planned... But I still have the other brakes, and many a frame to use them on!

-Gregory

Great idea! I have a set of those yokes, I'll try them out soon. It'll be fairly dry consistently in the PNW soon, time to ride this.