Interesting DIY drop-bolt
08-22-13 | 02:15 PM
#1
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From: Berkeley, CA
Bikes: 72 Cilo Pacer, 72 Gitane GT, 72 Peugeot PX10, 73 Speedwell Ti,l, 75 Peugeot PR-10L, 80 Colnago Super, 81 Zinn, 85 ALAN Cross, 85 De Rosa Pro, 86 Look 753, 86 Look KG86, 89 Parkpre Team, 90 Parkpre Team MTB, 90 Merlin
Interesting DIY drop-bolt
I was perusing some auctions, and came across this (drewed) Olmo SS. (Not interested, just looking.) But what caught my eye was the drop-bolt for the rear brake. It looks to be a DIY job, if I'm not mistaken. I remember someone else here fashioned their own drop-bolt as well but couldn't find that thread. Seeing how scarce and expensive the genuine Campagnolo drop-bolts are, I'm surprised we don't see these improvised drop-bolts more often, rather than replacing with long-reach calipers. Anyone else make or seen a DIY drop-bolt? Do you think the one pictured below would work or would this be likely to swing side to side? Discuss...
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'72 Cilo Pacer (x2) • '72 Peugeot PX10 • ‘72 Gitane Gran Tourisme • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Motobecane Grand Jubile • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • ‘80 Colnago Super • ‘81 Univega Super Special • ‘82 Zinn • ‘84ish Mystery Custom • '85 A.L.A.N Cyclocross • '85 De Rosa Pro • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
Avatar photo courtesy of jeffveloart.com, contact: contact: jeffnil8 (at) gmail.com.
-Randy
'72 Cilo Pacer (x2) • '72 Peugeot PX10 • ‘72 Gitane Gran Tourisme • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Motobecane Grand Jubile • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • ‘80 Colnago Super • ‘81 Univega Super Special • ‘82 Zinn • ‘84ish Mystery Custom • '85 A.L.A.N Cyclocross • '85 De Rosa Pro • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
Avatar photo courtesy of jeffveloart.com, contact: contact: jeffnil8 (at) gmail.com.
08-22-13 | 02:46 PM
#2
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From: Chattanooga
Bikes: '93 Bridgestone RB-1, '91 Specialized Allez Epic, '85 Raleigh Team Pro, '78 Andre Bertin, early '90s F. Moser Leader AX , '85 Centurion Equipe, '98 Litespeed Tuscany, '89 Klein Quantum, '80 Nishiki Superbe, '83 Peckham, '84 Fuji Opus III
Here you go. It performed well for me. I've used it on several different builds.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-TO?highlight=
J
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-TO?highlight=
J
08-22-13 | 05:11 PM
#3
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From: Berkeley, CA
Bikes: 72 Cilo Pacer, 72 Gitane GT, 72 Peugeot PX10, 73 Speedwell Ti,l, 75 Peugeot PR-10L, 80 Colnago Super, 81 Zinn, 85 ALAN Cross, 85 De Rosa Pro, 86 Look 753, 86 Look KG86, 89 Parkpre Team, 90 Parkpre Team MTB, 90 Merlin
Thanks, J. Your thread was indeed the one I had in mind. Since I didn't say it then, I say now: that the drop-bolt you fashioned looks terrific--much better than the one on the Olmo. Really nice work. 
I'll take this opportunity to add one more drop bolt to the mix. The one below came on my Ron Kit/Speedwell. For whatever reason, there is very little clearance between the brake bridge and rear wheel, even with a 700c tire. So little clearance that a "riser-bolt" is needed. What is interesting about the "riser-bolt" is that it has two grooves for the caliper spring--one for use as a "riser-bolt" and one for use as a drop-bolt.
Riser-bolt:
Drop-bolt:
I'll take this opportunity to add one more drop bolt to the mix. The one below came on my Ron Kit/Speedwell. For whatever reason, there is very little clearance between the brake bridge and rear wheel, even with a 700c tire. So little clearance that a "riser-bolt" is needed. What is interesting about the "riser-bolt" is that it has two grooves for the caliper spring--one for use as a "riser-bolt" and one for use as a drop-bolt.
Riser-bolt:
Drop-bolt:
08-22-13 | 05:28 PM
#4
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From: Chattanooga
Bikes: '93 Bridgestone RB-1, '91 Specialized Allez Epic, '85 Raleigh Team Pro, '78 Andre Bertin, early '90s F. Moser Leader AX , '85 Centurion Equipe, '98 Litespeed Tuscany, '89 Klein Quantum, '80 Nishiki Superbe, '83 Peckham, '84 Fuji Opus III
Did you see this silly thread, gaucho? Hey, I just noticed that you contributed. 
And I still have them all.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...rld?highlight=
J
And I still have them all.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...rld?highlight=
J
08-22-13 | 06:17 PM
#5
vintage motor
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From: Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Bikes: 48 Automoto, 49 Stallard, 50 Rotrax, 62 Jack Taylor, 67 Atala, 68 Lejeune, 72-74-75 Motobecanes, 73 RIH, 71 Zieleman, 74 Raleigh, 78 Windsor, 83 Messina (Villata), 84 Brazzo (Losa), 85 Davidson, 90 Diamondback, 92 Kestrel
Those DIY drop bolts look very nice and clean. I've always considered something like that as an option for a 650B conversion. Unlike the expensive Campy and Suntour bolts, which only give you a few millimeters of extra drop, you could make a DIY bolt with as much drop as you want.
08-22-13 | 06:17 PM
#6
multimodal commuter
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From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
I think Sheldon has a page on these, perhaps a propos the Raleigh Twenty brake problem.
08-22-13 | 06:31 PM
#7
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Chattanooga
Bikes: '93 Bridgestone RB-1, '91 Specialized Allez Epic, '85 Raleigh Team Pro, '78 Andre Bertin, early '90s F. Moser Leader AX , '85 Centurion Equipe, '98 Litespeed Tuscany, '89 Klein Quantum, '80 Nishiki Superbe, '83 Peckham, '84 Fuji Opus III
Here's a recessed bolt version....
J
J
08-23-13 | 10:22 PM
#8
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From: Parma, Ohio
Bikes: Trek 4300, '84 Trek 400,'88 Trek, 85 Trek 720 560, 82 Motobecane Randonee, 75 Schwinn Collegiate, Schwinn Sierra, '84 Trek 890, 2001 Trek 5200 OCLV USPS, 99 Trek Y Foil
08-24-13 | 07:31 AM
#9
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From: Washington County, Vermont, USA
Bikes: 1973-4 Gitane Tour de France, early 1970's Lejeune, 1970 Italvega Super Speciale, 2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker 26
Here's a crappy photo of a "riser bolt" I installed on my Gitane TdF a few years back when I ran some 27" wheels on it. It's the opposite of a drop bolt--increases clearance between the brake and the rim. The body is a chunk of 1/4" stainless steel. I drilled two holes in it, and tapped them to accept 6 mm bolts. Then I cut the head of a longish stainless steel bolt and threaded that end, and screwed that short threaded section into the tapped hole in the riser block, using some blue loctite. I bolted that assembly to the fork crown where the brake bolt itself would ordinarily have gone. The brake caliper itself was then bolted to the upper tapped hole, using a shorter 6 mm bolt.
It's worked really well--very stiff and strong. In fact, when I converted back to 700C wheels, I found that there was enough brake reach to the rims even with the riser bolt still in place, so I just left it there.
It's worked really well--very stiff and strong. In fact, when I converted back to 700C wheels, I found that there was enough brake reach to the rims even with the riser bolt still in place, so I just left it there.
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