Campag brake caliper reach - mudguard clearance

SJLcp
SJLcp Posts: 239
edited July 2010 in Workshop
Hi

I have a frame built for 49mm calipers and mudguard clearances - whilst these are spot on at the front, the rear pads slightly impinge onto the tyre, ie the calipers don't reach quite far enough, they are Campag delta CDA's (49mm reach) - I have tried other modern calipers (Dura-ace and Campag Chorus) which are similar.

Question is - does anyone know what Campag brakes have a slighly longer reach - I read that the old Campag Chorus monoplaner brakes from the early 90's (used to have some and they work well) have a 52mm reach? Also head that some Centaur brakes are 52mm also?

Thanks

Simon

Comments

  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    http://www.campagnolo.com/repository/do ... 10-ENG.pdf


    Says that the drop is 40mm to 50mm on all brakes

    I'm sure I've seen a recent campag brake model that had a 54mm drop however

    Because I have large (28mm) tyres and mudguards on my best bike, I use tektro 57mm drop brakes with campag levers
    Audaxing Blog - Long Distance Cycling
    follow on twitter-c.png
  • BG2000
    BG2000 Posts: 517
    I used to have those Chorus monoplanars on my 1992 Gios, and I wouldn't say they had a particularly long reach, but they could have been 52mm. I struggled to fit mudguards under them, partly due to the fact they were quite bulky. When I replaced them with 2003 Veloce dual pivot calipers, I found that I had more clearance for mudguards due to the slimmer design, abut I don't recall the reach being any different.

    Either your frame's seatstay bridge is a tad too high, or it could just be that those Delta brakes are really for TT bike with little clearance.
  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    Campag Centaur and below brakes were 42-52mm up to at least 2005. I don't have all the PDFs for the more recent stuff, but it looks like the change came with UT and "skeleton" callipers, etc as the 2008 brakes are 40-50mm. IIRC, the change came in late 2006/early 2007, so you may be able to find something still out there.

    Old NR/SR brakes also went up to ~52mm (I think) for the shorter reach ones, while the longer ones were ~57mm. Both Tektro and Shimano currently offer brakes with 47-57mm reach.

    Current road brakes all seem to be 39-49 (Shimano) or 40-50 (Campag), and Campag brakes are about the worst for clearance under the callipers due to the shape of the arms. Older single-pivot brakes and some Tektro callipers will be more compatible with guards than most.

    You could always just file the slots to make them a bit deeper - IMO Campag delta brakes are worthless anyway so you wouldn't be losing anything!
  • SJLcp
    SJLcp Posts: 239
    Thanks Satanas - I think you have confirmed something I had heard that earlier (pre-2007) Centaur might have a little extra clearance up to 52mm - I might try and source some of those or maybe some SR if I can find some good ones.

    Its not a problem of the CDS delta's, rather that the brake bridge is a tad too high - the CDA's provide good clearance and aren't bad brakes - I have three pairs of delta's, both Record and CDA and don't understand why everyone things their crap - I agree their not as good as modern stuff but they do work and are powerful?
  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    Not everyone thinks the delta brakes are crap - some think they're great. But not me. I worked for one of the Oz importers at the time but couldn't see that they had anything to offer other than a different look and greater complexity. IME they were much harder on cables, more problematic to adjust, had a less effective QR, needed a unique 3.5mm Allen key for the cable clamp and weighed more than the NR/SR brakes they were supposed to replace, but never really did. The best thing about them is probably that they are now "collectible."

    If you like them, that's good. I'm happy as long as I don't have to use them!

    Also, if you might be having the frame repainted soon you could just file a bit off the top of the pads where the problem is, then have the bridge moved lower during the paint job.
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    Didn't pros refuse to use the first incarnation of Deltas, and so the very lovely Cobalto brakes were born.

    (Sold a pair to a very happy American for a lot of money not so long ago!)
  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    I used to work for the sponsor of the Italian team in the now-defunct Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic (Oz event). The guys riding in that *hated* delta brakes, and in fact we ended up removing some from Etos Poli's bike and fitting normal Campag sidepulls. I personally cannot imagine any reason other than appearance or bling factor why anyone would prefer these brakes, and I wanted to like them - it would have made my job easier.
  • SJLcp
    SJLcp Posts: 239
    Satanas

    I like them for their engineering and beauty more than anything else - can see why mechanics wouldn't be so keen - are a pig to install. Seem to be sensitive to the cables and levers as to whether they perform well or not.

    Have done exactly what you suggested and shaved tops of brake pads - its a bodge but it works and avoids more aggro.

    Cheers

    Simon
  • BG2000
    BG2000 Posts: 517
    The early 90's campag brake shoes (rubber insert in chromed steel cage type) were fairly broad weren't they ? You may find the newer, narrower blocks don't ride as high on the rim.

Categories