supergymnast

Hi There - I am building up a stripped 1963 Raleigh Gran Sport frame and definitely want vintage center pull brakes. I'm finding several different name brand sets online and wonder if anyone can tell me which are best in terms of value, quality etc. Here are three sets I'm seriously looking at now:

All vintage from the 70's

VINTAGE MAFAC 'RACER BICYCLE' LARGE CENTERPULL BRAKE SET = $29.00
I heard these were really good, but they have unique brake pad 'holders'
and not sure if I can only replace the pads into them.

SHIMANO TOURNEY CENTER PULL BRAKESET FOR 27" NOS = $40.00
These look nice, still in package! But are they good brakes?
75mm reach non aero levers and all mounting hardware included

Vintage Weinmann Vainqueur Brakes Brake Set(999 I think) Used = $26.00
front-610 rear-750 these look to be in very good shape.

Any input here is greatly appeciated. Thanks! Alex

balindamood

I am running two bikes with Mafac's, two with Shimano's, and one with Weinman. Frankly, they all seem about the same to me. I do not think the Mafacs have any special thing about them that replacement brake shoes could not be used.

I think Mafac's were the choice of the day for upper end bikes, so I would go with those.

Torchy McFlux

I always found the Mafacs to be a pain to deal with due to the post-type brake pads. And the "Racer" model is the cheap model from them IIRC.
The Shimano Tourneys have a nice look to them and work really well. I'd go for them.

nlerner

The Weinmann Vainqueur were found on just about everything from low to high end, and work very well with Kool Stop pads. I'd go with them, particularly if you need the longer reach 750 model on the back end.

Neal

Bikedued

The Tourneys came on my Sears/Panasonic "Suteki" which had a high ten frame despite 600 RD/FD. Not sure what to think of them really. Mine were in such bad visual condition I got rid of them. The Tourney brakes were the original ancient Dura Ace design, but they changed the name once they went to a different design for DA stuff. I'm not sure if that means they were good, or bad though.

I'd go for the Mafacs myself. If you can't adjust them to your liking, take it somewhere and have it done. They actually work quite well when set up correctly.,,,,BD

supergymnast

Yes, but the Tourneys are 75mm, at least as long as the Weinmann 750, and definitely long enough for the 27"rims I'll be using. No one even knows what 750 means(999? 750? 610? all on the same brake set?)... and I've been doing a lot of research on the Tourneys, and across the board people claim they work very well, and have super good stopping power with a tidy little quick release cable hanger. Plus the Tourneys are basically brand new(NOS) with everything but the cables included. Sounds like I can't go wrong with those so I just bought them! Thanks for all the feedback !

evwxxx

Well, if you really want to put something named "Shimano" on your old Raleigh, thats up to you. The 63 Gran Sport most likely originally came with Weinmann or GB brakes. Another good possibility that I like is the Universal Mod 61. Cool looking and work great, and period correct for that bike.

Noah Scape

I use both Mafac and Weinamnn. I prefer Mafacs. They are a bit more involved to set up and sometimes require a more extreme toe-in, but they function well and the adjustability of the straddle cable is a desirable feature.

ctavel

I've had nothing but good luck with my Weinmanns-- I use salmon Kool-Stop pads and spent a few minutes setting them up. After that initial set-up I've done zero to them and they stop exceptionally well in all conditions. Plus, the ubiquity of them makes them desirable for me since I use them on my everyday, every weather bike-- I don't feel like I am ruining some super nice vintage piece of equipment.

cudak888 

Shimano 500's do a good job of taking up slop in the line. Have a photo of one here somewhere.

-Kurt

nlerner

750 = 75mm of reach; 610 = 61mm of reach.

Neal

balindamood

I think you will find, as this thread generally supports, that nearly all older centerpulls from reputable manufacturers work just fine. It is a bit like comparing a Ford to a Chevrolet.

alancw3

it's my understanding that the Weinmann Vainqueur is the best center pull brake out there. i used these in the 70's and 80's and never had a problem with them. if i was to go back to a center pull i would defintely consider them.

rhm

+1.

No doubt Shimano makes good stuff now, but in the 60's and 70's the stuff was to be avoided. To put Shimano brakes on a '63 Raleigh would seem all wrong to me. My first choice would be GB, if I had 'em (I don't); second choice Weinmann (which I have). Universal or Mafac would be fine, too. But no, sorry, not Shimano.

bikingshearer 

True of Mafac Racers in the mid-50s or so to the mid- to late-60s.

Mafac Competitions were on some French TdF bikes (Peugeots, Gitanes, Merciers) into the mid-70s, but the vast majority of EuroPro went over to Campy sidepulls by 1970 or so.

They both work well if set up properly. Setting them up properly tends to be a PITA, however. And they tend to scream like a banshee when in use unless they are set up to aerospace tolerances.

nlerner

As shown on my Falcon:



Neal

MKahrl

What really matters is how much drop your frame needs on the front and back. It was not uncommon for a British frame to be built requiring 61mm drop in front and 75mm in back for 27" rims. If, on the other hand, the drops are equal, you'll need a brake set with equal drops front and rear. You can check by measuring the distance from dropouts to the holes in the fork crown and brake bridge; or you can stuff a wheel in there and see if they are equal or different.

supergymnast

For me, reliable, hassle free brakes with good stopping power comes first.. then the integrity of the appropriate name brand second. That said, and after giving this thread a chance to become more active, I feel I acted a bit hastily buying the shimanos. Maybe it was because I equated their brand new condition with better functionality... but also in my research heard many others say they found them to be reliable.
I do understand what some of you mean by "shimanos on a 63 Raleigh, no way!" and I have yet to hear that the Vainqeurs aren't a good choice. The bike frame is set up for center pulls and I'd like to maintain the integrity of it original purpose/function.

dck

I go with the Weinmanns. They're $3 cheaper than the Mafacs and $14 cheaper than the Shimanos.

John E

I, too, would vote for the Weinmann 999s, which I have as almost 50-year-old original equipment on both Capos. I also put a Peugeot-rebranded one on the rear of the Peugeot. You need KoolStop salmon pads, aluminum rims, and low-compression brake cable housings, and if that is not enough, brake calipers with aero cable routing. Despite their longer reach and nonaero handles, my Weinmann 999s provide more braking force than my early Campagnolo sidepulls.

Little Darwin

I have only ever been exposed to the Weinmanns (or the Diacompe copies) in actual use.

However, there are some variations in the Weinmanns that I think are dependent on the year of manufacture that make the brakes more rigid.

Some of them have a nub on the outer arm that slides through a slot on the inner arm. These brakes tend to be a little less flexy than the Weinmanns without this feature.

If you have a choice between Weinmanns with this feature, and without, definitely choose those with the feature.

top506

Weinmanns that flex? I can fix that!:



Top

supergymnast

I just found these on ebay, but again, I can't replace pads with kool stop salmons... and I ahve to figure out what an aerospace set up even means/entails:

https://cgi.ebay.com/Mafac-Competitio...2em118Q2el1247

supergymnast

also these Weinmanns on ebay:
https://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-PAIR-RAL...dZp1638Q2em122
I want to make my rebuid look like a brand new classic/vintage bike - so I ask you, can the 'straddle wires' be replaced with shiny new ones? I know the alloy arms will shine up nicely, and the new pads will help. Also wonder if the black decals as opposed to red ones signifies anything?

supergymnast

and then thee are these:

https://cgi.ebay.com/BALILLA-CENTRE-P...dZp1638Q2em122
https://cgi.ebay.com/BALILLA-CENTRE-P...dZp1638Q2em122

anyone ever heard of Ballila?