Originally Posted by
srt19170
my...understanding is that brifters generally work poorly with generic brakes that aren't matched to them.
this is not true
the only real compatibility issue is trying to use direct pull v brakes
with brifters
which with few exceptions
does not work well
any caliper brakes should work fine
as for the whole project
if I were you
I would leave most of the bike alone
maybe get new tires and handlebar tape
find a wider range freewheel like the ones from ird if that is part of what you are looking for
and upgrade to bar end shifters if it doesn't already have them
there is just very little to be gained by changing every moving part on an old bike