Monoplanar Brakes Opinions?
 

I have a pair of the Campy Monoplanar brakes, the version w/o the spring shrouding, complete with the original levers. They are in close to new condition. Thinking of installing them in place of the Super Record brakes on my 83 Colnago. How good and responsive are they when updated using lined brake cables and new Kool Stop salmon or dual compound pads?

IMO they are the best looking sidepull brakes ever made and seem to be less flexible than the Super Record calipers.

Do they look like my Athenas?

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...z/DSC00816.jpg

I had these installed on my Carlton for several years, without Kool Stops.

They work *fine*. With Kool Stops I'm sure they'd work significantly better.

I agree that they are among the best-looking sidepulls ever made.

Almost exactly the same brakes it looks like to me. Mine might be a bit more sculpted with sharper front edge angles but overall the same brakes.

Actually they look like Chorus to me. I don't think Athena had locknut and capnut. but whatever they are they are not quite as pretty as mine. Tatenfield I would put these brakes on almost anything.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...1&d=1272594352

EDIT: Okay, I'm wrong. I knew I should have consulted Velobase first. Thanks Jon! http://velobase.com/ViewSingleCompon...m=117&AbsPos=2

+1 I'm probably wrong, but I don't think Athenas were ever monoplanar, meaning the arms were not in the same plane. Of course, now that I post this, I'm sure there was a year when the Athena was monoplanar. However, the set of Athenas I have looks like this:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21...ke_caliper.jpg

Mine have the pointed capnuts like in splytz1's photo but a more sculpted transition from the arm outside curve to the shoe mounting flat area. The transition actually flares outwards. I never realized there were so many variations in the monoplanar brake calipers.

Mine look most like the ones shown in the bottom most of the three photos shown in the below link, the ones with the rounded end brake shoes rather than the squared end ones. Note the difference in the detail of how the arm and outer flat of the brake pad mounting area transition. BTW the rounded end shoes are the ones that were on the brakes as received.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=100725

In fact the only difference between the photo calipers and mine that I can see is black O rings on the cable adjuster while mine have the light gray O rings.

yes the 'Monoplanor' changed alot as it worked down the line, which IMHO was a bit of a mistake. I think they should have been spruced up and embellished a bit and made an optional brake on Chorus and Athena only. I think the ones in the pics are later production Chorus, they are abit more sculpted but still have the adjusting nut and capnut. plus the brake holders are the rounded style as opposed to the squared 'record style' like on mine from '88 (or they could be early Athena. this might make a fun project if I can find some catalogs.)

Junkyard those look like the original or 1st Gen Athena and as the Monoplanor worked down the line these did too. I think Athena, Veloce, Datona, Xenon(?) I'll have to gather the different brakes I accumulated over the years and do a comparison and photo shoot. maybe send some pics to velobase.

http://www.velobase.com/CompImages/B...82DD287B0.jpeg

The Koolstop brake pad replacements are made for the older NR pad holders, with the squared ends, external bolt, and flat/thin internal nut. The pads won't fit properly in the later holders with the rounded ends. But they are significantly better than the original pads; with machined rims, these brakes will stop far better than they did in the old days.

To fit the pads into the later holders with the squared ends and an external recessed hex allen-keyed bolt, you have to modify the pad. Cut out a dovetailed section of the pad to fit the internal nut. I used a sharp wood chisel and a mallet; the nut has to slip into the pad and be flush with the hidden section of the rubber, like it's part of the pad. Then drill a hole (wider than the threaded portion of the bolt) partways into the pad, deep enough to provide clearance for the threaded portion of the bolt which extends past the fixing nut.

After the surgery, place the bolt in the pad, and insert the pad (with bolt in place) into the holder. It may require some taps with a non-marring mallet. The internal nut should end up right at the correct location in the center of the holder. Buy some extra pads, in case you screw up a pad or two while doing the surgery.

Here's the result, on my SR/NR brakes:

Attachment 148656 Attachment 148657

My cables are the lined Gore-Tex sets. They're so much smoother than the unlined originals. I can't decide if I hate the black cable boots enough to remove them, though.

JML;

Thanks. You have a beautiful bike based on your photos.

I have a bunch of the old square end Campy pad holders too, 12 IIRC. 4 are threaded stud ones that take a retaining nut, no pad cutout needed. I have only 4 of the rounded end versions. Not authentic but I may try the Tektro or Kool Stop Shimano cartridge brake pad holders and pads. I have seen the claim that they fit older Campy brakes fine as well as many other older road brakes with 6mm wide pad mounting slots.

The brakes currently on the bike are pantographed Super Record brakes. From photographs and my reading these are the Cobalto sidepull brakes without the jewel. They were the stiffest of the Campy normal layout single pivot sidepulls per reports.

Per my reading any modern lined cable housings, stainless steel cables and Kool Stop Salmon pads provide a considerable performance upgrade to older road brakes.

I have slightly widened the Monoplanar brake pad mounting slots to take a set of current design cartridge brake pad holders. I installed the latest Kool Stop Salmon Dura 2 pads in the holders. The Shimano compatible cartridge pad holders require mounting slots about .015" wider than those on older caliper brakes.

IMO the results are quite good. They are now the best stopping pre dual pivot Campy brakes that I have tried. I will also be trying the new Shimano R55C3 pads which Shimano claims provide 20% better dry braking and 100% better wet braking than their prior road pads intended for normal alloy rims. These are the pads used on the newest Shimano road calipers, the 7900 Dura Ace and 6700 Ultegra brakes.

Just installed the Koolstops on my SR brakes on my 83 Colnago. Incredible difference. Fully satisfied with the performance.

Campy stuff all looks alike to me.

yeah, well, centurions all look alike to me.

I just reread that and for some reason it sounds kinda harsh...I was just kidding. I like Centurions.



Just not as much as Campy parts.

The monoplanar brakes are on my 83 Colnago too. The rest is Super Record except for Simplex retrofriction shifters, Chorus dual cable routing capable brake levers and a modern Shimano 7 speed freewheel, 13-28. I have the original SR brakes in my box of good parts but like the look of the Chorus level Monoplanars and find that they are more rigid which I suspect is all to the good as far as braking is concerned.

In my humble opinion, the Monoplaner brakes blow the old Record ones away, in both performance and appearance. Best to use the calipers with the correct levers if you wish to maximize feel, performance and comfort.

are we going to see pics? technical details? did you use a drill bit, dremel tool or file?

what!?!? how can you say that? well I guess since it is almost all silver, but atleast they don't color code the groups like Shimano does.

Lousy about taking pictures Bianchigirl.

I used a small file, a bit larger than a so called needle file. Flat blade with a square end about 10mm wide. IMO a lot more controllable than a power tool for the job and only about .015" of material needs to be removed. I removed only enough material so the Kool Stop pad holders fit with no appreciable side play.

I have a set of Chorus monoplanars on my commuter. The brakeset was purchased new in '91, used daily.
I've run stock Campy, Matthauser and KoolStop pads on them. After 19 years of near daily use they're still stiff and work perfectly.

They stop better than old Record brakes, not quite a good as new Campy dual pivots.
I'd put them on anything.