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Brake lever hood for 1985 Fuji Sagres?

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Brake lever hood for 1985 Fuji Sagres?

Old 03-30-21, 11:57 PM
  #1  
jylog
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Brake lever hood for 1985 Fuji Sagres?

Hi, first post on this forum.
I recently purchased a 1985 Fuji Sagres and have been looking for lever hoods but have been stumped as to how to find resources on compatibility between brake lever hoods for these old bikes and their old brakes.

The goal is to clean it up as much as possible while keeping all of the original components and most of the bike looking the same, but I wish the brake levers had a little more on It's too scandalous for me.

I can't post a link yet because my account is too young, but if you Google 1985 Fuji catalogue and then find the Sagres, you should see all the parts. All I know is that it is a Dia-Compe 500N with dual (safety) levers. The oldness and the dual levers make finding hoods very difficult.

I'm not looking to spend too much so if there's a hood out there that will kinda fit, I'm willing to either cut it myself or just deal with it.

If anyone has had experience getting hoods for their vintage Fuji's or any bikes that had safety levers, please help!
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Old 03-31-21, 05:44 AM
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This bike is one of the lowest rung mid-level bikes that Fuji offered that year. Personally, I wouldn't restore it. Instead, I would refurbish it. This means giving it a full overhaul and doing some simple, inexpensive things that make it better than it was when new while keeping it period-correct. This includes finding some brake levers that are an upgrade from original. If you have a bicycle co-op in your area, you could find some non-aero brake levers (without the turkey/auxiliary lever piece attached) that probably already have hoods on them. Or you could go to eBay and find the same. Or you could ask here on this site, like in the ISO sticky thread near the top of the c&v subforum. It's usually a nice touch to keep the caliper and lever within the same brand. So look for Dia-Compe. Something like this on eBay would be appropriate for hoods: https://www.ebay.com/itm/DIA-COMPE-202-and-204-traditional-brake-lever-hoods-non-aero-style-1Pair-Brown/163138522265?hash=item25fbd04c99:gPgAAOSwmThcf2qL



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Old 03-31-21, 02:39 PM
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SurferRosa
Thanks for the response! The bike has already been kept in great shape for 36 years, so there's not much to restore better even if I wanted to. I think I may follow your advice and refurbish it instead of restoring if an issue with a part arises in the future.

The brake levers are feeling a little rough, but I was thinking I would just lube up the calipers and check on the cables. Quick question:
I've never really worked with vintage bikes and mostly only rode newer bikes; do brake levers this old get damaged or bent? I've always been taught that a rough braking experience is almost never the lever, but I feel like with a bike from the '80s it might just be that the levers are old and broken.

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Old 03-31-21, 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by jylog
do brake levers this old get damaged or bent?
I guess they could get bent in a crash. But usually in a crash, you just see "rash" on the lever, which can be minimized through polishing using a file and sandpaper.

The key thing here is to replace the cables and the cable housing. That's part of a full overhaul.
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Old 03-31-21, 03:45 PM
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Agreed that the lever is not likely the cause of friction in braking if the levers are not damaged. These levers were built well and are pretty simple, so they last a long time. You're more likely to have corrosion within the cables and housing, or possibly kinks in the cable, or perhaps your brake caliper pivot points might need a little lubrication. When you are able to post pictures, it will be easier to assess the condition and offer any advice on diagnosing the issue. In any case, cables and housing are a very common consumable to replace when getting something road-ready on a budget.
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Old 04-02-21, 02:50 PM
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Just finished lubing up the calipers and basically any moving points I could find along the brakes and it seems to have cleared everything up.

Another concern of mine is the foam handlebar wrap. Right now I believe it's the original from 1985 and I can't believe it's lasted this long (and still looks basically brand new!) I want to switch it for some Cinelli Cork Gel tape, but I'm kind of impressed that this foam has lasted 36 years.

The only real concern to me is that every time I wipe it it seems 36 years worth of dust comes off.

Should I cut it off and re-wrap?
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Old 04-02-21, 03:21 PM
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Some pictures for anyone interested:

(side note: just realised that the levers are a little bit off, which will now bother me until i take the foam wrap off and adjust it all. i guess that's just all the more reason for me to switch the bar cover to tape!)



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Old 04-02-21, 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted by jylog
Some pictures for anyone interested:

(side note: just realised that the levers are a little bit off, which will now bother me until i take the foam wrap off and adjust it all. i guess that's just all the more reason for me to switch the bar cover to tape!)

You should be able to adjust out that difference with the foam in place. Move the brake QR thingie (highly technical term) at the top of the lever to give yourself some slack, reach in with a common screwdriver and loosen the screw holding the band clamp. You should now be able to scoot that whole lever assembly down (or up) the bar until they are even. How to tell? Get a length of broomstick and lay it across the tops of the levers and from the front sight along the bottoms of the handlebar tops. Retighten your lever and move the QR back. You can actually move both sides (one upward and one downward) to get enough movement.
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Old 04-02-21, 11:03 PM
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Originally Posted by jylog
Should I cut it off and re-wrap?
Yes.

Bar tape is a consumable. It shouldn't be left on bars for that long. Even though they're aluminum, bars do corrode. Many mechanics are very serious about this topic. Plus, foam is just gross. It should be used to insulate pipes, not bicycles ... unless you're packing it in a box.
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Old 04-03-21, 07:56 AM
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That bike looks barely ridden, so I'm guessing that everything is original.

On my even older Fuji S-10S, I added safety levers initially since I was used to them on my previous bike. I took them off after a few months. That was 1976/77. That bike has never had brake hoods on it in the 45 years I've owned it, and never missed them. My bar wrap has probably been on there for the past 35 years (and ~10k miles) - the old 'No1 Tape' thin synthetic foam tape sold back in the '70s/early '80s as an option to classic cloth tape.




As for the thick foam 'Grab-On' bar covering - some people like it, some don't (SurferRosa). The same goes for cloth tape - some like it and some don't. Grab-On (the foam covering) is still available today. Most people today use some sort of synthetic 'cork' wrap, and it can be found in varying thicknesses, and that is again a personal 'feel' sort of thing...

What HAS changed in the past 45 years is cycling gloves. The padding has changed dramatically from a simple leather 'doubler' in the palm, to foam, to gel...


IF you change brake levers, please note that your brake levers incorporate the quick-release mechanism for the brake cables. My old Fuji had the quick release hangers on the bar stem or seatbolt. Now the Q/R is typically found on the brakes themselves. Three different systems, same net result.


.
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