John E

I have started riding the Bianchi more frequently again, and I love everything about it except the stopping power offered by the brake calipers (early-generation Campag. sidepulls). I am specifically looking for (recessed) bolt-in replacements that feature greater leverage. I already have KoolStop salmon pads, Shimano aero brake levers, and good cables and housings, so the calipers are all that is left. Recommendations? Safety takes precedence over "correctness," since the bike is a rider, not a collection piece.

Original equipment matched 1982 Campione d'Italia specs. Frame date is late 1981. "Charcoal" color not found in catalog listing.

nlerner

What reach do you need?

I have been very happy with various models of Tektro recessed-mount, dual-pivot calipers. Very good value for the price. On one more modern bike, I have TRP medium-reach calipers, and they're excellent stoppers (though much more pricey than the Tektros).

RustyJames 

105s?

smd4

Dura Ace dual-pivots, of course! I prefer the 7700s, but I hear later versions are stiffer.

rccardr 

There are bunches of excellent low mileage Shimano dual pivot calipers out there. 5500,5700,6500 and 6600 are at the low end of the price spectrum, under $50 a pair.
They’ll work as well as anything out there.

CV-6 

Shimano dual pivots for sure. If you are not hung up on brand, Tektro makes calipers that would fit the bill. You can always remove the logo.

C9H13N 

I’m happy with the performance of Tektros (have a couple sets of R539s), other than that the finish on the small hardware bits is awful and rusts very easily. I haven’t had this problem with multiple generations of Ultegra calipers.

52telecaster

I'll third tektro dual pivots. If they don't stop u I don't know what will.

bamboobike4

No need for me to post.
Polished dual-pivot Shimano are everywhere.

John E

Thank you, everyone. It looks like we have consensus. I'm going brake caliper shopping. I had a scary experience with Shimano pads on the Campag. calipers (actually keep creeping forward with brakes full-on during a descent under foggy conditions), but KoolStop pads on Shimano calipers should be a much different story.

John E

Thanks for the oxidation warning, since I live a km downwind of the Pacific Ocean.

Soody

+1 polished shimano dual pivots
the grey tricolor ones are always appropriate too imo

small note, there's a blip for shimano brakes were they didn't have much clearance. I don't know if this matters with your bianchi but 5500/6500 (and 5600/6600?) can struggle to fit 28s/30s or wider rims, after and before that it's more generous.

JohnDThompson 

Just about any dual-pivot caliper will have greater mechanical advantage than a single-pivot side-pull caliper. Tektro makes a variety of dual-pivot calipers in a range of price points and reaches. Nothing wrong with Shimano calipers, either.

Bianchigirll 

I must be the only person in the world to have removed dual pivot brakes and put singles on.


BTW I am looking for a good condition red calipers, recessed.

John E

I have a pair of Ultegra 6500s coming this weekend -- I'll report back on fit and function.

The Bianchi frame is pretty close-coupled. I can fit 700Cx28 Continentals, which actually run about an inch, or a bit under 26mm, but not 700Cx28 Specialized, which run closer to callout size. Even with the Contis I have to deflate the rear tire completely to remove the wheel. This differs significantly from my same-era PKN-10, now my son's bike, which can take 700Cx32 and some 700Cx35 tires.

The Golden Boy 

When I was outfitting my 1986 Trek 400 Elance- I didn't know about "reach" or "compatibility" or, really... "bikes." I was just choosing **** I thought looked cool and I, unsurprisingly ran into trouble. I've forgotten the whole story- but I think my bike has recessed front and nutted rear- so I ended up buying 2 sets of 6400 brakes- and ended up with one set of single pivot and one set of dual pivot- I ran with the dual pivots in the front and the single in the rear. I like it that way- sort of unique. I need to get some pix of that setup.

I learned a lot about stuff building, re-building and upgrading that bike.


1986 Trek 400 Elance by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

52telecaster

I've lately been running old campy and diacomp sidepulls. They stop plenty good when you are as slow as me.

79pmooney

Any good dual pivot will give you a lot more power. I have Shimanos I picked up used (2000?) that are real stoppers.

Early generation Campys were poor stoppers unless you have big strong hands. I have the size but not the strength. I rode a pair of NRs for about 18 months on my commuter (a former racing bike. There were several times in the wet when I wondered if I could actually stop at the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, starting mid descent. When I raced mid-'70s I had far more stopping power with Grand Compe sidepulls. I kept in mind that none of the bikes around me had my stopping power. The SunTour Superbes on one of my setups are also far better. Still, both pale compared to the dual pivots.

Dfrost 

Another strong vote for dual pivots with Kool Stop salmon pads.

I’ve been using a variety of Tektro dual pivots, probably four different sets of different reach, as well as plenty of experience with Shimano DP’s. Both are excellent when set up with the same pads and I always use KS salmons.

FWIW, I live in the PNW about 2 miles from salt water, no stranger to rust, and I haven't noticed that the Tektros are any different than other components with chromed fasteners. The Nitto stem bolt hex recess seems to be the only spot that show rust. The high polish of the Tektro calipers goes well with the full chrome rear triangle of the Marinoni. These days I’m using R556 (R559 predecessor) long-reach with the 650B conversion.

One weird negative for Shimano: The rear Dura-Ace 7403 (and I do like these otherwise) on the Marinoni developed an incurable squeal last year after having been trouble free for years, strong enough to send quite a vibration right up the seat post. (Front 7403 continues to be fine.) No change of toe-in or different pads, pivot or bolt tightness would solve it. I replaced that caliper with a used Tektro R540 and the same KS salmon pads - problem solved!

I would recommend against Campy dual pivot calipers for the simple reason that they don’t include a caliper-located QR. Having a QR on the caliper, plus one on the brake lever (Sachs Ergos in my case) allows the brake to open wide for fat tires (700x32 or 28, 650Bx38).

Anecdote about pad effectiveness: When my son was coming down the a steep hill leaving our Seattle neighborhood on his first drop bar bike, equipped with Shimano DP’s and Shimano pads, all in good condition, he was barely ably to stop at the base of the hill. Yes, he was squeezing from the drops. That evening I replaced the pads with KS salmons. Next day, same hill - no stopping problems whatsoever!

tkamd73 

Lots of dual pivot Campagnolo calipers, new and used, on eBay, they would fit the all Italian theme of your bike a bit better. Of course the pic is fuzzy so maybe it’s not.
Tim

Bad Lag

I just don't understand this at all.

I've never had trouble with Campagnolo Nuovo Record brakes. They stop the bike. They are easy to modulate if you want to slow or decrease your rate of acceleration. I can operate them from the drops or the tops.

Go back to the original Campagnolo levers and ditch the aero cable routing and levers.


P.S. - that rear cable routing does not look right.

Bianchigirll 

Im sure everyone will disagree but I think part of the problem is people “discovering” vintage bikes after decades of riding bikes with the stop on pinhead dual pivot brakes and they automatically assume they are lacking in stoping power

Bad Lag

My brakes will skid the tires if I wanted to do so. Not just the rear but they can probably skid the front tire, as well. Certainly they are strong enough to throw you over the handlebars, if you wanted to do that for some reason.

The thing is, they are easily modulated to NOT do those things. You can take them right to the point and hold them there as you slow down. It's true on the flats. It's true on high speed descents.

Well, like I said, I don't get it.

smd4

I don't know. I had Dura Ace 7400 single pivot brakes. Top of the line, and maybe even better than Campy. I was a shop mechanic then, and could adjust brakes to within an inch of their lives.

Did they work? Sure. But never with the positive action I always thought top-end brakes should have. They always had a certain amount of mushiness.

I never got the kind of braking I always wanted until I got DA 7700 dual-pivots, and then I upped that game considerably using compressionless cable housing. Now I could probably stop the bike from the hoods using my pinky fingers.

I thought my 7400 calipers were the best looking brakes ever created. They were never the stoppers I thought they should be. I don't believe Campy brakes at the time were any better.

JohnDThompson 

If you're accustomed to the mechanical advantage of dual-pivot calipers, braking with a single-pivot side pull can be disconcerting. Like you, I have no problem stopping my bike with Campagnolo Record side-pulls and their various clones from SunTour, Gran Compe, etc. But it does take decidedly more effort than a dual-pivot caliper.