I will add my general thoughts on the subject of using Delta brakes. First, the various models cover quite a range. There is a big difference from first generation to fourth and then the Croce versions are an entirely different brake as well. I have always found it interesting that many of the Delta brakes most vocal detractors have never owned or ridden a set….perhaps never seen a set in person. It does not stop them from offering opinions, presumably from things they have read or heard. I know nothing about the operation of the Croce versions , so I will leave commenting for those with experience. For the Record versions, it is safe to say as time and models progressed, the brakes gained mechanical advantage or “power”. They brake differently than a Super Record sidepull, and by that I mean that Campagnolo engineered them to optimize modulation. On that front, they have never been equaled. To fully appreciate Deltas, you have to race them in a large, crowded, nervous pack. Having said that, I can lock up a wheel with any version of the Deltas, so at that point there is nothing more that the calipers can give with respect to mechanical advantage. A lot of people don’t know that you can “tune” the brakes a bit as the reach can be adjusted via both the body and the pads. Many people adjust the body for maximum clearance and adjust the pads accordingly, but it is worth experimenting by not giving up any more clearance than necessary. By this point in time, all of the original pads on the Deltas are 30 some years old. I don’t know if the material was different, but the Delta pads *seem* to get harder with age than many other versions. Koolstop makes nice replacements, but to accommodate the stickiness you should add a little toe in. I have a set of second generation Deltas with original pads. I plan on replacing them this winter as they have gotten ridiculously hard. I filed the surface a bit which helped some, but those pads seem to get hard from surface to center. My final version set has new pads and I would be glad to have any detractors take test ride with them and then offer up any comments or complaints. There is no question that Deltas have to be one of the most polarizing bicycle components of all time, right after Simplex Delrin derailleurs. I have no defense for the 3.5 mm Allen bolt….