Universal Half Hoods...
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Universal Half Hoods...
I do have a set of full Universal hoods for my Rabineick but the era calls for half hoods, made by Universal. Does anyone have a set of these for sale or trade? If not, how about a single Universal full hood in NOS condition (I have one and need a second).
Anyway, this is what I seek and I am not even sure that a Universal half hood exists...
Anyway, this is what I seek and I am not even sure that a Universal half hood exists...
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Never saw a half hood from Universal!. It looks like just the top half of the molding along the parting line.
That lever looks like first gen.
the adjuster hoods don't look like they would fit the one on the lever.
That lever looks like first gen.
the adjuster hoods don't look like they would fit the one on the lever.
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Last edited by SJX426; 12-13-19 at 10:45 AM.
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Thanks for posting...this is interesting.
Have never seen a half hood shown in any of the Fratelli Pietra printed materials have been able to locate.
Member iab may be able to shed some helpful light here.
I look forward to reading his observations...
-----
Thanks for posting...this is interesting.
Have never seen a half hood shown in any of the Fratelli Pietra printed materials have been able to locate.
Member iab may be able to shed some helpful light here.
I look forward to reading his observations...
-----
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I can't help but wonder if such hoods ever existed? The really silly thing is, I really dislike the Mafac half hood and here I am looking for something Italian in the half hood category. Ya gotta wonder and even is a set does show up, how much would such a rarity cost to buy?
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All I can say is I have never seen one in any publication or anywhere until this image.
While I always lead with the premise of never say never, I would say what is likely is that someone took a perfectly good hood and cut it in half.
Also, rarity does not mean high value.
While I always lead with the premise of never say never, I would say what is likely is that someone took a perfectly good hood and cut it in half.
Also, rarity does not mean high value.
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All I can say is I have never seen one in any publication or anywhere until this image.
While I always lead with the premise of never say never, I would say what is likely is that someone took a perfectly good hood and cut it in half.
Also, rarity does not mean high value.
While I always lead with the premise of never say never, I would say what is likely is that someone took a perfectly good hood and cut it in half.
Also, rarity does not mean high value.
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randyjawa SJX426 juvela iab
It seems that there is no literature showing "half-hoods" and based on the wealth of experience here I'd guess they are cut off hoods. But, while I have had several bikes with hoods that were clearly cut I have had at least two that had very smooth (factory??) edges on the hoods. I even asked the PO of one bike (a Peugeot IIRC) who claimed to have bought it new, why he had cut off the hoods like that. He said that he hadn't, that was the way he got it and that bike was a basement queen and almost immaculate. I sold it on with those hoods still on just as I'd got it. In that case the fit where the hoods met the bar tape was very neat and the hoods were secured tightly to the levers. The second set was on a Lejeunet I got a few months back. PO said she got it from her father and she had no idea about bikes. I kept the hoods from the Lejeunet because they were so odd and I meant to post here and ask if anyone had seen them like this. Even though the hoods look loose in the only pre-teardown photo I have, the hook on the hoods held them relatively tightly to the levers.
The photos aren't the best because I use a cellphone. These hoods are really brittle now and possibly could have been cut smoothly back when they were still supple.
It seems that there is no literature showing "half-hoods" and based on the wealth of experience here I'd guess they are cut off hoods. But, while I have had several bikes with hoods that were clearly cut I have had at least two that had very smooth (factory??) edges on the hoods. I even asked the PO of one bike (a Peugeot IIRC) who claimed to have bought it new, why he had cut off the hoods like that. He said that he hadn't, that was the way he got it and that bike was a basement queen and almost immaculate. I sold it on with those hoods still on just as I'd got it. In that case the fit where the hoods met the bar tape was very neat and the hoods were secured tightly to the levers. The second set was on a Lejeunet I got a few months back. PO said she got it from her father and she had no idea about bikes. I kept the hoods from the Lejeunet because they were so odd and I meant to post here and ask if anyone had seen them like this. Even though the hoods look loose in the only pre-teardown photo I have, the hook on the hoods held them relatively tightly to the levers.
The photos aren't the best because I use a cellphone. These hoods are really brittle now and possibly could have been cut smoothly back when they were still supple.
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Sorry should have said I meant that I had seen bikes with levers with Universal half hoods! Disregard my example which is Mafac - bad example as you already know they exist!
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Universal half hoods
Universal half hoods were from Mod 50 brakes, very rare! I have only ever seen them on a bike once--the big Universal logo was stamped into the metal lever body
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Universal half hoods
Universal half hoods were from Mod 50 brakes, very rare! I have only ever seen them on a bike once--the big Universal logo was stamped into the metal lever body
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There you go! Learn something new. Although the image in the OP doesn't have the stamp on the levers, I found these, Brev. 5501., Mod 50s.
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Universal half hoods were from Mod 50 brakes, very rare!
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The ones I posted above was sold for 400-500 euro. https://www.ebay.it/itm/RARE-SET-FRE...wAAOSwkYZdRZd9
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Universal Half Hoods
These are prob the holy grail of Universal Brakes. Model 50 , Brev 5501 (made in 1950 only) , they are transitional from the older style Model 39 (Brev 361666) to the much more common Moel 51 which I’m sure we’re all familiar with. The levers are delicate like the model 39 aluminium ones while the callipers are very similar to model 51s.
I have a set of the Model 50 levers which someone has gone drilling on in the past and am negotiating on a bike with a set on right now.
As stated above , they usually have the Universal logo stamped into the body and an adjuster on top. The half hood was specially made with an internal metal strap running the length of the hood.
Fausto Coppi famously used these although it is stated his didn’t have the adjusters so that he could rest more comfortably on the hoods. Whether this was a variant or if they just unscrewed the adjusters I don’t know.
I have a set of the Model 50 levers which someone has gone drilling on in the past and am negotiating on a bike with a set on right now.
As stated above , they usually have the Universal logo stamped into the body and an adjuster on top. The half hood was specially made with an internal metal strap running the length of the hood.
Fausto Coppi famously used these although it is stated his didn’t have the adjusters so that he could rest more comfortably on the hoods. Whether this was a variant or if they just unscrewed the adjusters I don’t know.
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I had decent luck cutting some Cane Creek ones for a Gitane project with Mafac. Best part- you lose the logo.
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Funny to see this thread pop up. The bike, my 1958 Rabeneick is still sans half hoods. For now, the full hoods will have to do until I find a more appropriate set. When that happens, this lovely stem will compliment the cockpit...
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randyjawa SJX426 juvela iab
It seems that there is no literature showing "half-hoods" and based on the wealth of experience here I'd guess they are cut off hoods. But, while I have had several bikes with hoods that were clearly cut I have had at least two that had very smooth (factory??) edges on the hoods. I even asked the PO of one bike (a Peugeot IIRC) who claimed to have bought it new, why he had cut off the hoods like that. He said that he hadn't, that was the way he got it and that bike was a basement queen and almost immaculate. I sold it on with those hoods still on just as I'd got it. In that case the fit where the hoods met the bar tape was very neat and the hoods were secured tightly to the levers. The second set was on a Lejeunet I got a few months back. PO said she got it from her father and she had no idea about bikes. I kept the hoods from the Lejeunet because they were so odd and I meant to post here and ask if anyone had seen them like this. Even though the hoods look loose in the only pre-teardown photo I have, the hook on the hoods held them relatively tightly to the levers.
The photos aren't the best because I use a cellphone. These hoods are really brittle now and possibly could have been cut smoothly back when they were still supple.
It seems that there is no literature showing "half-hoods" and based on the wealth of experience here I'd guess they are cut off hoods. But, while I have had several bikes with hoods that were clearly cut I have had at least two that had very smooth (factory??) edges on the hoods. I even asked the PO of one bike (a Peugeot IIRC) who claimed to have bought it new, why he had cut off the hoods like that. He said that he hadn't, that was the way he got it and that bike was a basement queen and almost immaculate. I sold it on with those hoods still on just as I'd got it. In that case the fit where the hoods met the bar tape was very neat and the hoods were secured tightly to the levers. The second set was on a Lejeunet I got a few months back. PO said she got it from her father and she had no idea about bikes. I kept the hoods from the Lejeunet because they were so odd and I meant to post here and ask if anyone had seen them like this. Even though the hoods look loose in the only pre-teardown photo I have, the hook on the hoods held them relatively tightly to the levers.
The photos aren't the best because I use a cellphone. These hoods are really brittle now and possibly could have been cut smoothly back when they were still supple.
Proper Mafac lever bodies have a slot for the tab, the Weinmanns don't, which is likely why the Peugeot hoods were tight.