(left) side-pull brakes?

[TimH]

This might sound like a crazy question, but does anyone know of a side-pull
brake that was made to pull from the left side (looking from the back) of
the calipers instead of the right?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[MSeries]

TimH wrote:
> This might sound like a crazy question, but does anyone know of a
> side-pull brake that was made to pull from the left side (looking
> from the back) of the calipers instead of the right?
>
> Thanks,
> Tim

Alhonga long reach dual pivots are left handed.

 

[Tim McNamara]

"TimH" <[email protected]> writes:

> This might sound like a crazy question, but does anyone know of a
> side-pull brake that was made to pull from the left side (looking
> from the back) of the calipers instead of the right?

There were several back in the days of yore, I think you're probably
going to have to look for vintage stuff if you want left handed
sidepulls. IIRC Universal or DiaCompe brakes from the bike boom era
(late 70's) were left handed, but I don't have any to check. One of
the bike shop guys who've been around a while- Andrew M., Sheldon,
Mike J., Peter- would know this off the tops of their heads.

 

[Jeff Wills]

Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "TimH" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> > This might sound like a crazy question, but does anyone know of a
> > side-pull brake that was made to pull from the left side (looking
> > from the back) of the calipers instead of the right?
>
> There were several back in the days of yore, I think you're probably
> going to have to look for vintage stuff if you want left handed
> sidepulls. IIRC Universal or DiaCompe brakes from the bike boom era
> (late 70's) were left handed, but I don't have any to check. One of
> the bike shop guys who've been around a while- Andrew M., Sheldon,
> Mike J., Peter- would know this off the tops of their heads.

I guess I'm from that era. My first "real" touring bike had Dia-Compe
"G" brakes, which had the cable entry on the right side (while facing
the brake). In fact, I think I've got a set in my dusty parts bin.

They're useful for short-wheelbase recumbents, where the chain tends
to interfere with the brake cable. I got around that by mounting an
RX100 caliper behind the fork on my wife's P-38 Lightning recumbent.
Modern dual-pivot sidepulls are far better than the old Dia-Compes.

BTW: the Alhonga brake is used on a couple of the Bacchetta
recumbents. However, it's configured for a bottom-entry cable pull.
There's a sketch at
http://www.x-eyed.com/manual1.html

Jeff

 

[A Muzi]

TimH wrote:

> This might sound like a crazy question, but does anyone know of a side-pull
> brake that was made to pull from the left side (looking from the back) of
> the calipers instead of the right?

That is an excellent question!

(I'll describe front brakes with cable on the chain side as
"right")

Generally, top quality and forged arms are right, pressed
arm standard models are left, as this current Tektro version
of Weinmann's timeless "500" :
http://www.yellowjersey.org/BINKYUDL.JPG

There isn't any "rule" about that.

Curious, I looked through some old catalogs and it appears
the convention was left( Weinmann, therefore DiaCompe, CLB,
LAM, Bebo, etc) until Campagnolo redefined 'pro brake' with
the Record of 1968. Then everyone switched to the
now-more-prestigious right side ( Zeus, Modolo, All The
Labels Really Made By Modolo, Universal, Mafac/Spidel, etc)

In the seventies and eighties, Weinmann/DiaCompe made their
standard series left (photo above) and top models (Carrera,
Royal Gran Compe) right. Shimano DuraAce have always been
right. The original 105 & 600 were left, after Shimano's
giant makeover of 1983 ( New 600 ) both switched to right.
Sante, too.

Shimano's nicely made, affordable Z calipers were offered
both ways (!). I found a Rino catalog showing a pro right
and standard left on the same page. No idea who actually
made them.

I probably shouldn't have spent that much time researching
this but I found it interesting.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Richard Brockie]

A Muzi wrote:
> Generally, top quality and forged arms are right, pressed arm standard
> models are left, as this current Tektro version of Weinmann's timeless
> "500" :
> http://www.yellowjersey.org/BINKYUDL.JPG

Is that you in the picture?
--
R.

<> Richard Brockie "Categorical statements
<> The tall blond one. always cause trouble."
<> [email protected]

 

[A Muzi]

> A Muzi wrote:
>> Generally, top quality and forged arms are right, pressed arm standard
>> models are left, as this current Tektro version of Weinmann's timeless
>> "500" :
>> http://www.yellowjersey.org/BINKYUDL.JPG

Richard Brockie wrote:
> Is that you in the picture?

That's a one-armed customer with his new bike yesterday. I
made a leather wrap for the right side of the bar

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Sun, 16 May 2004 21:08:03 -0500, A Muzi wrote:

> Curious, I looked through some old catalogs and it appears
> the convention was left( Weinmann, therefore DiaCompe, CLB,
> LAM, Bebo, etc) until Campagnolo redefined 'pro brake' with
> the Record of 1968. Then everyone switched to the
> now-more-prestigious right side ( Zeus, Modolo, All The
> Labels Really Made By Modolo, Universal, Mafac/Spidel, etc)

I don't think this is quite right. Universal side pulls were on the right
side well before Campy came out. Weinmann were always left. I used to
use a pair of Weinmann 500s that were pretty good, but perhaps those
manufactured now under that name are not as good.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | ...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or
_`\(,_ | property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person
(_)/ (_) | within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. --
Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.

 

[A Muzi]

> On Sun, 16 May 2004 21:08:03 -0500, A Muzi wrote:
>>Curious, I looked through some old catalogs and it appears
>>the convention was left( Weinmann, therefore DiaCompe, CLB,
>>LAM, Bebo, etc) until Campagnolo redefined 'pro brake' with
>>the Record of 1968. Then everyone switched to the
>>now-more-prestigious right side ( Zeus, Modolo, All The
>>Labels Really Made By Modolo, Universal, Mafac/Spidel, etc)

David L. Johnson wrote:
> I don't think this is quite right. Universal side pulls were on the right
> side well before Campy came out. Weinmann were always left. I used to
> use a pair of Weinmann 500s that were pretty good, but perhaps those
> manufactured now under that name are not as good.

I think we agree that Weinmann's standard models _are_
pretty good. I use a few myself.

But their forged-arm Carrera model is on the right, the
other side from the standard ones (as was a model I can't
recall ever seeing, the 605 )

I spent a half-hour in the library here so these details are
fresh in mind. I could not have written all that otherwise.

My mention of Universal came from a mid-seventies CX model
press release I saw this evening.

You're right about the Universal Super 68 ( and the earlier
#51) . I hadn't thought of those tonight at all ( even
though I had a set when they were in style). Perhaps they
were the different drummer that Campagnolo followed. You
make a good point.

Anyway I think I said there wasn't a rule but a general
trend to more expensive models on the right. You may have
found a better antecedent than the one I mentioned
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Helmut Springer]

A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> I probably shouldn't have spent that much time researching this
> but I found it interesting.

Appreciated 8)

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer

 

[Benjamin Weiner]

A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:

> Generally, top quality and forged arms are right, pressed
> arm standard models are left, as this current Tektro version
> of Weinmann's timeless "500" :
> http://www.yellowjersey.org/BINKYUDL.JPG

> There isn't any "rule" about that.

> Curious, I looked through some old catalogs and it appears
> the convention was left( Weinmann, therefore DiaCompe, CLB,
> LAM, Bebo, etc) until Campagnolo redefined 'pro brake' with
> the Record of 1968. Then everyone switched to the
> now-more-prestigious right side ( Zeus, Modolo, All The
> Labels Really Made By Modolo, Universal, Mafac/Spidel, etc)

I used to think the preference for right was determined
by cable routing, and became acute with aero levers and
routing the cables under the tape, where left-front lever
and "right" front brake gives a nicer curve to the cable
thann the opposite combination. Your chronology, and the
existence of current left-cable brakes, calls that into
question. Unless the lefts are being produced now by
inertia only, which is always a possibility.

 

[Steven L. Sheffield]

On 05/16/2004 11:08 PM, in article [email protected], "A
Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> A Muzi wrote:
>>> Generally, top quality and forged arms are right, pressed arm standard
>>> models are left, as this current Tektro version of Weinmann's timeless
>>> "500" :
>>> http://www.yellowjersey.org/BINKYUDL.JPG
>
> Richard Brockie wrote:
>> Is that you in the picture?
>
> That's a one-armed customer with his new bike yesterday. I
> made a leather wrap for the right side of the bar



I was so caught up in trying to figure out if the frame was chrome, or just
painted silver, that I didn't even notice that the rider only had one (real)
arm.


--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea aye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash

 

[[email protected]]

On Mon, 17 May 2004 11:12:39 GMT, "Steven L. Sheffield"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 05/16/2004 11:08 PM, in article [email protected], "A
>Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> A Muzi wrote:
>>>> Generally, top quality and forged arms are right, pressed arm standard
>>>> models are left, as this current Tektro version of Weinmann's timeless
>>>> "500" :
>>>> http://www.yellowjersey.org/BINKYUDL.JPG
>>
>> Richard Brockie wrote:
>>> Is that you in the picture?
>>
>> That's a one-armed customer with his new bike yesterday. I
>> made a leather wrap for the right side of the bar
>
>
>
>I was so caught up in trying to figure out if the frame was chrome, or just
>painted silver, that I didn't even notice that the rider only had one (real)
>arm.

Dear Steven,

Cheer up. Neither did I. And we're not the worst:

"21. The chief of police of a Southern city once gave me a description
of a man, complete even to the mole on his neck, but neglected to
mention that he had only one arm."

--Dashiell Hammet, From the Memoirs of a Private Detective

http://www.ejmd.mcmail.com/memoirs.htm

Carl Fogel