Fahrenheit531 

They're very "meh," stopping-wise. Spend the few extra $$ for KoolStop.

3speedslow

These Schwinns are just so satisfying to work on! Really like going out and gliding down the road on my 76 Le Tour II.

fury413rb

do you know of a part number? Ive looked on their website, else where on line, and searched this forum and I suck. I havent be able to find anything that looks right to me.

Fahrenheit531 

Kool Stop Continental is easiest to track down and is fairly inexpensive. The lack the metal frame around the pad but I haven't had any issues, and they definitely will take you to a full stop in a hurry.

If you really want the look of the metal frame, Jagwire makes standard rectangular pads in black (Jagwire X-caliper). My only complaint with those is I find myself constantly cleaning brake dust from the surrounding areas.

mstateglfr 

Have these on mine
Kool Stop International - High Performance Bicycle Brake Pads Since 1977

fury413rb

First round of parts came in. I guess the second Amazon box was separated.

Thinking about taking a half day tomorrow to swing by the bike shop to get the rest and work on it!

Fahrenheit531 

Oooooooo, the Road Pro cable kit. Since you don't have brake levers that route the housing underneath the handlebar wrap, prepare to improvise and/or swear a lot. You'll find that a good length of the housing will be a choice between "deal with the ugly" or "cut it off and hope you've got enough left," which will make more sense once you open the package. I know this because I bought that kit for an upper-tier Univega I was overhauling a while back and I figured I'd spring for the fancy stuff. It did work out in the end, but I won't be paying the extra money for that kit again.

fury413rb

I guess I am a little confused. Because it takes so much housing to run from the non-aero levers to the front caliper and to the front cable stop? I guess I assummed it was just a big roll of housing inside the package but I didnt open it yet.

The last bike I used two shimano kits and I figured I would save a few bucks and use this jagwire kit. The bikes housings/cables are in ok shape now so I could reuse perhaps some of it if I run short.

Pic below not mine but a beautiful 11.8 for reference on sweet read housing job

mstateglfr 

Oh, Ill just toss this in since its an 11.8 quirk Ive noticed on mine, but like the picture, I have my cables routed in front of the bars. Ive routed them behind the bars/stem and they sag a bunch. Dont know why, ive adjusted the drop bar/brake lever angle just to see if that helped, it doenst matter- floppy cables when routed behind the stem.

And dont try to change the stem as the steerer tube section is an odd diameter.

Fahrenheit531 

Don't go in front of the bars! Sacrilege! (sorry [MENTION=385973]mstateglfr[/MENTION] hahaha)



As for the housing, there's a section about 12" long, give or take, on the two lengths of brake housing that is intended to be under the bar wrap. It's sectioned off with a big metal piece and in my case -- I got the braided variety -- didn't have the same appearance as the sections meant to be exposed. YMMV, but I was more than a little annoyed.

mstateglfr 

[MENTION=348967]J.Oxley[/MENTION] - My floppy and flacid housing is one of the things I plan to work on this winter.

fury413rb

I almost spit my coffee out laughing lol

fury413rb

yeah that's definitely a bummer. I was expecting it just to be a long single piece of housing that I could as I needed!

Mine is not the braided type. I will open it up when I get home.

Fahrenheit531 

You and me both.

fury413rb

So it wasnt as bad as I thought but it still sucked on the cable. I ran the brake cables behind the bars (like you said haha and like every vintage TDF rider) and I am not really happy with it. I trimmed them to be equal from a height standpoint but the way the rear housing twists it naturally routes itself weird.

So I accidentally sent the hoods and bar tape to my house in Ohio and I am in Oklahoma working on the bike and packing. Please excuse the mess I'm in the middle of a long corporate relocation bullcrap over the holiday.

Ill pick up some bar tape tomorrow at the local shop and maybe they will have the hoods. I got the rear Dura Ace derailleur on as well. I forgot how annoying it is to put new chain on...

I think it would have been easier with the long cage GT300 I had on before (its broken) but the Dura Ace 7400 wouldnt have been too out of place for someone (like my Dad) upgrading the bike in the mid 80's. The 6speed chain seems fat in there and being short cage it was easy to run the chain into the derailleur when in low gear.

What do you guys think so far? Any idea how to touch up the Dura Ace etching?


Before





After - minus hoods and tape

mstateglfr 

You got a case of floppy housing too.

fury413rb

which one particular? or all?

I swear the only way I see to fix it with zip ties but Ive had a few sodas while working on it!

learn me! I think I should trim the rear brake behind the seat housing a bit

Lascauxcaveman 

I think the cable housing looks fine. On this setup running it in front/back of the bars looks like a wash to me. I've got bikes set up both ways (and aero-routing, too!) "Meh" on zip ties; that's hobo-bike stuff, you have a bike here that has the potential to look absolutely amazing.

Don't know what's going on with the finish on the DA RD, never seen one looking like that before. As long as it shifts well...? A little weatherbeaten makes it look more vintage, I suppose. BUT, if it was me, I'd eventually find another GT300 at some point. This bike is interesting enough to do the 'correct' thing.

Really hate that saddle, honestly. I'm a total Brooks snob, I will admit, and can't abide such a modern looking seat on such a classic looking ride. I realize a saddle is personal thing and must work well for the rider, or he won't ride it much. If that's the one your bum loves, then keep it for sure.

Fahrenheit531 

Maybe you know this and are prepared for it, but I see cable ends attached so maybe not. Either way, those freshly-installed cables will have to be uninstalled when it comes time to get your brake hoods on there. Upside: the routing and length looks good, as does the red. But I know about excitement creating extra work, and it looks like you've got a case of that here.

rekmeyata

where did you see the floppy housing, I zoomed in and I didn't see anything. If you're talking about the loop of cable coming off the brake levers that's the way it was done back then, they didn't put them under the bar wrap like they do today. I like the look of the cable looping like that, they don't flop around in the wind either like some of you may think; and aerodynamics wise...really? the wind blowing around the housing will have no effect on the aerodynamics unless you're exceeding 100 mph.

fury413rb

I left the cable ends off so I could easily pull it apart when the next set of hoods come in. Couldn't find any locally but it's not much work pulling the two back out.

I was bummed the package was sent to the wrong house and I had nothing to do last evening anyway.

fury413rb

the cables ends are not on. you can see the bare cable on the back brake. I figured I would just pull em out and put the hoods and tape on when they come.

fury413rb

Did my first triathlon of the year and have to have dinner with the gf's parents so I haven't had a chance to work on it. The brake hoods came in though

mstateglfr 

My calling the housing floppy wasnt meant to say you did anything wrong. Please dont take it that way. It was just another way to say what you said better- the rear housing twists and routes itself in a wonky way.

I dont know how j oxley got his housing to 'sit up' like it did in his pic.

Either way, its a sharp looking bike for sure. The chrome is a great part of the 11.8's history.

Fahrenheit531 

Standard-issue bulk black housing. Mine is longer than the red seen above... bigger arch = less floppy appearance? I dunno. Maybe just lucky.