My 1983 Univega Super Strada is my perfect bike. I swapped the Dura Ace AX rear derailleur with
a first generation Suntour Superbe which works great. My problem is with the Dia Compe Aero
Gran Compe brakes.The front pads are decent but the rear pads aren't. I don't ride fast and never need to
stop all that fast but I am going to need some new brakes soon.I know replacement pads are almost
impossible to get so I'm wondering if I should get all new calipers which would be easier to find pads
for and if there would be calipers where I wouldn't have to replace the brake levers? Here are the brakes that are on it.

Shoot, someone posted a workaround to replace the brake shoes, since you need something with an internally threaded post, but I am having trouble finding the thread. Truth be told, you're probably better off replacing the calipers with something better. These brakes came stock on my Competizione, but I upgraded to Shimano 105 brake calipers and have no regrets -- the stopping is much better.

Did you replace just the calipers?

Mine came without a cockpit, so I got some Tektro R341 levers. However, I don’t think there’s any reason you can’t use the AGC levers with any other comparable calipers. There’s nothing weird or unique about the levers as far as I know.

What would be a unique feature of a brake lever that would limit you to certain calipers? The only thing I can think of is if they're normally routed aero levers (left lever is the front), you will want the caliper's cable entry on the opposite side.

Going the other way (given a set of calipers and choosing new levers), I can understand a caliper without a quick release might force some folks to choose levers with one built in.

Yeah, that's kind of my point. Aside from the good example you cite of a quick-release vs. non-QR, I think a lever is a lever is a lever, right? (There is also v-brake vs. canti or caliper, but there is no chance the OP would use v-brakes with the AGC levers, so it's hardly worth mentioning in this case.)

I've heard folks around here make claims about some levers working better or worse than other levers when combines with certain calipers. Maybe cable pull is different for different levers? Shimano claims their SLR brakes work best with their SLR levers, but hard to believe big bike companies with claims like that.

The less radical Dia-compe Royal Compe II's are a beautiful alternative to the AGC's and are quite available. And they work very well with standard brake pads/holders.
Silver, white and black finishes.

You'd think so but the 105 SLR single pivot calipers with matching levers were (could be) just awesome. No return springs in the levers either.

Yeah, but the regular gran compes aren't AERO!

If you were really determined, and have oodles of mechanical skills, I bet you could modify a new pad to fit those holders, and figure out a way to glue them in. I would probably try, just for the challenge. They did it at the factory, so it must be possible, right?

Unless you're really confident with stuff like that, I'd frankly give up. The only 'easy' solution I can recall offhand it is to replace the pad holders with the similar pad holders from Modolo, but those are just as rare nowadays. I think someone here did it, but even that took some mods.


Can't go wrong with regular Gran Compe or Superbe. Make sure to get short reach. I personally like the Bridgestone self centering brakes, which are pretty much the blue collar version of AGCs, and they take normal pads. (both are made by dia compe) A little metal polish will spruce them up to fancy. If you hot rod them with modern 'dura' pads and holders, they'll look just as aero as AGC. Usually easy to find since they were OEM on many 80s Bridgestones.

Wonder if these pads would work.

https://www.performancebike.com/shim...hoCSYEQAvD_BwE

I put current Campy Centaur and Tektro R341 calipers/levers on my daughter's Cannondale from the late 80s. Much better than the old dia-compes that were on it. I also put Tektro RL720 cross levers on the tops because she wanted them. The whole setup works great. It does not look period correct but for brakes I'd rather have good working ones. It isn't as if the old stuff was anything classic anyway.

Verify the brake reach on the bike.
the AGC Aero calipers were decent.
the image shows them just beyond mid adjustment- the tire shows close clearances.
you are going to need a SHORT reach caliper.

the pads on the aero calipers were hampered by the small pads- reference Modolo parts might fit. I forget if these use a 5 mm or 4 mm attachment bolt.

the AGC levers were an early Aero upgrade - I run them on one bike with Campagnolo Record regular reach calipers since 1985.

I liked these calipers as they were small and smart. Could not use them on my circa 1972 bike.

For SLR- the return spring in the brakes is weaker than a normal return spring- it's not strong enough to open the caliper, pull the cable back, and pull the brake lever back to start. The spring in the SLR levers pushes the lever back to start. So if you're riding SLR brakes with non-SLR levers, you constantly have to flip your levers back to the start position after braking.

Good call. Those might indeed be made to work. It would be really lucky if they used the same threads as the original AGC bolts. Even if they didn't, I think it would be possible to mod the AGC adjuster cam things to use a bolt with a different thread size.

In case there is a question of the AGC levers working with other calipers, I’m using AGC 250 levers with Dura Ace BL-7400 calipers. I think they work great.

Side note: My levers did have the goofy screwed in cable housing end which I drilled out and replaced with a conventional cable housing. Not quite sure of the original intent of this contraption. Maybe it was supposed to make new cable housing installs easier.

So is non-SLR brakes and SLR levers not an issue then?

My guess would be yes- it's just an unnecessary assist in returning the lever.

(I tried using 6400 series brakes with old Superbe slotted non-aero levers- that was my experience with SLR)

I *THINK* BRS was/is DiaCompe's version of SLR. So you're effectively combining the same sort of idea with the same sort of idea.

The Competizione I bought this year has the AGC levers linked to 105 SLRs, and they feel a bit "light" but stopping power certainly isn't a problem. (and honesty the "lightness" might be me being used to Campy NR brakes)