Should I get aero levers?
02-13-11, 01:48 PM
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Should I get aero levers?
I ride an early 80s Bianchi with Nuovo Record groupset and MAFAC Course 121 "Top 63" levers, albeit the levers have quite a bit of rash and one of them has been bent in a fall. Do you think it'd be a sin to replace them with Dia Compe Gran Compe aero levers, in terms of component consistency or quality?
02-13-11, 02:01 PM
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I ride an early 80s Bianchi with Nuovo Record groupset and MAFAC Course 121 "Top 63" levers, albeit the levers have quite a bit of rash and one of them has been bent in a fall. Do you think it'd be a sin to replace them with Dia Compe Gran Compe aero levers, in terms of component consistency or quality?
I have a set of the Dia-Compes around here, and as I remember, they function as well as my old Campy levers.
Do the Dia Compe levers fit your hands?
If they do, you're good.
Put 'em on and ride the bike.
Last edited by gomango; 02-13-11 at 03:21 PM.
02-13-11, 02:25 PM
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I think that this is a remarkably individual decision. In the best of all worlds, I'd probably go for classic/vintage non-aeros. But the problem is trying to find them with really nice gums. According to my experience, if they are flakey, it can be really difficult to find good replacements. That's why I've not been able to use some vintage levers I keep around. Everything I've tried is just not quite the right fit. So, onto a more practical approach
Now, if I remember rightly, the look of the Dia Gran Compe levers should not clash with your other parts. Does the Gran Compe come in black? I can't remember. Recently I went through the Dia Compe dealers catalog. I gained a new-found respect.
Compe is not going to get the cache points, but for my money the stuff is very good. And so I bought a set of Compe brakes. The finish and care in production is absolutely outstanding.
Now, if I remember rightly, the look of the Dia Gran Compe levers should not clash with your other parts. Does the Gran Compe come in black? I can't remember. Recently I went through the Dia Compe dealers catalog. I gained a new-found respect.
Compe is not going to get the cache points, but for my money the stuff is very good. And so I bought a set of Compe brakes. The finish and care in production is absolutely outstanding.
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02-13-11, 03:16 PM
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I installed aero-style Dia Compe brake levers on my Ciocc San Cristobal in the 1980s, so they're "C&V appropriate" as far as I'm concerned. They work well with my Modolo Pro brakes and fit my hands better than the old Modolo levers did. Plus they look great:
02-14-11, 12:02 AM
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Thanks for the input! Decided to get aero levers, inquired a craigslist ad. The seller said:
Any idea what he's referring to? Could it be cable housing stops?
Inside the housing, there is the bracket through which the cable passes to go out the back. there is also the ring that mounts the housing to the bar. So, as near as I can tell, the cable has everything it needs to attach to the lever and pass out through the back. I haven't seen a blowup diagram of the lever/housing, so I don't know what else belongs. I took these in trade with some other parts a couple of years ago. I had no need for them. But the fellow who traded them told me he thought there was a part missing. I don't know what it is.
02-14-11, 12:07 AM
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02-15-11, 08:08 PM
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Picked up levers today 
, not sure if they are Gran Compe, although it says so on the clamp. Does it look like there are any missing parts?
, not sure if they are Gran Compe, although it says so on the clamp. Does it look like there are any missing parts?
02-15-11, 08:56 PM
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They could be missing the small alloy ferrule which acts as a cable stop where the cable enters the rear of the lever body. These were missing on a set of aero levers I picked up out of the bin at the co-op, so I used some city lever ferrules to do the job...seems to work fine.
02-19-11, 12:13 AM
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compL, the levers are missing the cable end ferrules (one for each side). Here's a link to it :
https://tiny.cc/gs2my
https://tiny.cc/gs2my
02-19-11, 01:01 AM
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Thank you for the link! I just got some relatively compatible ferrules from the LBS though, since the originals online are all bulk
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