tiger1964 

Looking at Google images of a bunch of bikes, it seems like in 99.44% of photos, the brake cable goes behind the metal plate that comprises the yoke/hanger; much cleaner appearance. But that aims the brake cable directly at the U-channel that the straddle cable rides in.I seem to recall from my mechanic days (45 years ago) most brake brands have a notch there in the C-channel for the brake cable to pass straight thru.... but not Mafac. Thus you have to bend the cable "straight back", as compared to the centerline of the bike, or direct it sideways to emerge alongside the straddle cable. I've now seen quite a few photos of each. Well, is there any reason one cannot simply add a notch? This is not the world's thickest aluminum, but I don't have a DIa-Compe one to compare it to. Not an engineer, but closing my eyes and trying to visualize the stress under braking, I really don't see this piece folding in on itself at such a notch.

Photo stolen form BF (sorry) via search, showing the "bend-straight-back" or so it looks in the picture:

79pmooney

I've never actively bent the cable. No hangers without a notch, I just fish the able past hanger. It take the bend it needs. I never wanted to add any more. I like to keep the ends as straight as possible. Makes capping and re-running those ends easier. Then again, I've always been function over C & C correct. I was doing this before my bike became C & V. So, my tradition has become, based on the passage of time, vintage. I'm at lest half there.

ClydeClydeson

You can bend the cable stub to the side and it will ride parallel to and on top of the straddle cable.

79pmooney

I've done that a few times.

oneclick 

Have a look at these - all Mafac. The leftmost has no notch; the second has a saw-cut notch, probably post-manufacture; the third and fourth have factory notches, and they are different - note the slightly larger font on the last one, and the V-bottom to its notch compared to the more U-shaped bottom of the third:






And I would say go right ahead and file a notch if you want; you could get a nice finish with a chainsaw-file.

tiger1964 

Wow, thanks for the photos; a great concise answer. Of course I like it -- because it reinforces what I want to do anyway. Time to consider cutting, of course I just finished polishing the hangers.

"Oh, nobody knows the Dremel I've seen..."

gaucho777 

Thanks for this thread @tiger1964 and for the excellent reply and samples @oneclick. I was just dealing with this same issue on my recently completed Gitane Gran Tourisme. We were definitely on the same wavelength. After initial set-up, I ended up cutting my cable housing a couple inches shorter and then made some brake adjustments. The slight crimp in the cable combined with that sharp bend behind the u-channel was an annoyance. I may cut/file a channel next time I have it apart.

tiger1964 

Glad it helps!

I find the toughest part of online inquiries is (a) asking the question(s) intelligently, to get intelligent answers, and (b) composing topic title and content so that future users might find the topic and deem the contents useful.

The Golden Boy 

Seems like this is a good place to drop this here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ble-yokes.html

73StellaSX76

If you want to maintain more of the integrity of the yoke see if you can drill or dremel an aligned hole through instead of a slot. Form and smooth it with a needle file.

tiger1964 

Brilliant! Alas, might be challenging to get the correct sized hole and still permit two cable to pass at 90 degrees.

I stand by my post in that old topic; would like to see a QR function, yet still on a MAFAC yoke.

oneclick 

This is an argument for nipple at the brake and bolt at the lever.


Most Mafac brakes have a QR built-in; the early Racer style is perhaps the simplest & lightest of any brake made.

tiger1964 

If I am reading that correctly -- has any brake ever been designed that way?

I presume you mean unhooking the straddle cable from the brake arm. Noted.

This particular set is the "Dural Forge" type, don't even say Racer on them, I have two sets. Same set-up, however.

obrentharris 

I have a couple of these with notches which I will happily trade for the older style without the notches.




Brent

tiger1964 

Well, I was looking at the various parts; One problem with rebuilding multiple bikes at one time is getting parts mixed up. I found I had two sets of hangers, and the first I grabbed after a cursory polishing clearly were too deeply gouged/scratched to ever look nice. So I switched to the seconds set, which polished up much better. Just now I looked at the first set... guess what? Notches! Alas, the complete the 2nd bike I'm going to need a WTB topic.

Oops! A couple of minutes too late. I just finished cutting notches with a fine cutoff wheel on a Dremel, which worked well but I might fine tune with a jeweler's file. Sorry!

gaucho777 

I have an extra pair of unused older-version Mafac yokes I'd be happy to exchange with you. PM sent.