No lover of center pulls.
 

Why is there no love for classic center pull brakes properly set up they work better than basic calipers. I do admit they are a Pita to setup but ounce setup properly brake better than calipers with more accuation variance and stronger end stopping power.

IDK either,good question though:thumb:

We who like French bikes from the 70's like our MAFAC's. I personally think they are a bit ugly, especially when compared to Campy side pulls.
But they sure work.

Mafacs (or MAFACs) are great brakes. This may be purely personal, but I find that the levers fit my hands perfectly, which makes them a particular pleasure to use.

I like them. The Mafac Racer brakeset was probably my favorite aspect about my first French bike. It made a big enough impact that upon buying a Motobecane LeChampion, I immediately bought another Racer set to replace the Weinman (I think) centerpulls. There is something about the hoods and lever covers on the Racers that I missed after the bike was sold.

Now I have the Moto with Racers, a Gitane TDF with Competitions, and I'm building a Fuji Newest that will probably have Dia Compe.

Matt

I would say it's because they don't have the word "Campagnolo" on them. Personally, I really like the MAFACs because I have short fingers. The MAFACs can be set up with play so that I can get my fingers around them.

Universal 61's are my choice
[IMG]http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/a...psafefe3d3.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3c3a760e.jpg[/IMG]

I would love to try some Paul Racers, but the price is holding me back. Currently running some Tektro 700-somethings on my Gunnar Sport, which takes mid-reach brakes, and they definitely lacking in stopping power, even with Kool Stop pads. Not sure whether to bump up to some Shimano R600s or go all out of the Paul Racers.

That, too.

I don't think there are many folks out there who dislike centre pull brakes, I think they are just less common.

I bught a NOS set of early Dura-Ace centre pulls for my Bob Jackson, and I really like them. They're usually on eBay for ~$50. Good looks and stopping power. Very easy to set up too.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6181/6...aa12ab3a_z.jpg

Squeal

Sometimes it just won't go away, despite toe-in, salmon pads, & cursing

Yup. Finally had to take the Mafac Competitions off my Gitane TdF because I couldn't get the squeal out of them. They had incredible stopping power though!

I have the Universals on one bike and agree that they are not the most elegant things. However nothing else has the long reach of center pulls and still give good leverage. I think the length of the arms is what make them look gangly compared to a nice compact side pull.

This is why I got rid of my Paul center pulls and put a pair of dual pivot Tektros on my Rivendell. The Paul's are stiffer but a PITA to set up. To reduce the squeal (black or salmon kool stop pads) the brakes needed to be toed-in so much, that the stopping power was reduced. After a while as coolas they were, it just got annoying. They are on their way to the Colonel. Hopefully he enjoys them more than I did.

Fender - is there a dual pivot, long reach, that works well and leaves room for fenders and a 32c tire? I'd prefer not going the center pull route if there is a decent dual pivot out there,

Cleaning the rims with a couple of pieces of green Scotchbrite pad and some water with a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent in it has always eliminated the squeal for me--don't know what success others have had with that method.

If by long reach you mean 47mm-57mm range for normal road bike, Tektro r539. They come in nutted and recessed. If the reach is longer than 57mm, Tektro r559. They also come nutted & recessed. Both widely available on ebay. Both can handle 35mm tires & full fenders, with no need to deflate the tire when removing the wheel.

I disagree that there is no love for centerpulls. I know lots of people who love them; I know I do. But, I also love modern dual pivot calipers. I just don't want to use them on a really old bike.

Edit: fender1 explained the Tektro options. Another option, Aaron, are the VO Grand Cru dual pivots. They might be the best product they import. I don't use them personally, but I've heard nothing but praise for them and a riding buddy uses them on his Rivendell. In fact, even Jan Heine gave them a glowing review and he hates VO!

For the record, I like center pulls just fine. The Paul's were giving me fits and making riding less enjoyable. Most every other center pull I have used has worked well..

I knew you gents would have the answer...I'm still a novice on wider tires.

I'm getting closer to building the Palo Alto - and I'm going a different than normal for me route...even <gasp> barcons.

Side note - Fender - you couldn't have been more right about those Vittorias...completely in love with them. I just hope I get that bike back from Bilenky sometime this year...he can be BRUTAL on sticking with agreed to times and I miss the tandem already.

I remember the shock in the cycling community when Campagnolo added brakes to its product line, and they were old-fashioned sidepulls. At the time, older or cheaper bikes had sidepulls, whereas newer mid-price and better bikes all had centerpulls -- think Bianchi Specialissima or Peugeot PR-10 and PX-10. The Schwinn Varsity had sidepulls, whereas the Continental, Super Sport, and Paramount had centerpulls.

As for the handles, I find Mafac, Campagnolo, Modolo, etc. require a slightly longer hand reach than Weinmann or Shimano, which are my preferred units.

I cannot imagine centerpulls on my 1981 Bianchi any more than sidepulls on my 1959 Capo or my 1970 UO-8.

The biggest problem w/ Weinmann centerpulls is finding a good source for straddle cables. Mafacs have the advantage that one can cut down a standard cable to make a straddle of any desired length (and therefore leverage vs. rate of closure).

Any experience out there regarding center-pulls mounted to brazed-on bosses? I'm guessing that it would lessen the amount of vibration when braking and therefor lessen the squealing but I have no first hand knowledge.
Brent

Without a "brake booster" type of brace, centerpulls mounted front-facing will tend to toe out in response to increasing lever force as the pivot posts splay apart.

Another problem with centerpulls, as with canti's, is that many of them require a lot of skill to get the pads adjusted to the right angles on each axis.
The pads need to meet the rim oriented straight after the gripping and friction forces have pre-loaded the freeplay out of the pivots, no small task with an amateur mechanic having to adjust 4 pads!

I and others have made these "bridging" braces for front centerpulls, this one of my own design:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7...9df7125b_z.jpg

I've had this set for a long time. Weinmann 750 brake set NOS.
Someday I'll put them to good use.
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/...109_135103.jpg

I have plenty of love for center pulls.. just like most others here though, specifically the MAFAC Racers, and I must be lucky I've been able to get the squeal out of every set eventually.