They were released @1972 with the first other Dura Ace components. The only
difference that was ever visible between "Dura Ace" and "Tourney"
centerpulls was that the Dura Ace levers didn't have permanently installed
extensions!
David Feldman
Vancouver WA
> The 1970s were my Zenith in bicycling interest but I never saw nor even
> heard of dura ACE center pull brakes-where can I see a picture of the
> calipers and the levers? Thank you.
>
> TomWitkop
> Rockville, MD
>
> On Sat, 9 Mar 2002 12:46:40 -0800 "Mark A. Perkins"
> <bicyclemark@juno.com> writes:
> >
> >
> > --------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: Mark A. Perkins <bicyclemark@juno.com>
> > To: rchasteen@kc.rr.com
> > Cc: classicrendevous@bikelist.org
> > Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 18:58:57 -0800
> > Subject: Re: [CR]Centerpull brakes
> > Message-ID: <20020308.185858.-71749.0.bicyclemark@juno.com>
> >
> > Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag, I am a Shimano Dura Ace fan.
> >
> > I've been buying the stuff as my first choice since the first Dura
> > Ace
> > components were advertised in Bike World and Bicycling magazines. I
> > have
> > to confess to having strong feelings for the Campagnolo N.R. and
> > S.R.
> > components though too. I have lots of both brands on my bikes and
> > in my
> > collection of parts. It was Campy that caught my eye first, with
> > their
> > somewhat fancier appearance, especially on the NR front and rear
> > derailleurs and shifters. I really like the simulated beading
> > around the
> > edges of the levers, as well as the way they made the area around
> > their
> > name look rough. And the logos are very appealing to the eye. And
> > one
> > bike photo that stands out in my memory, and it wasn't even in
> > color, was
> > in the book "Two Wheel Travel - Bicycle Camping & Touring", was a
> > picture
> > of a Masi G.C. with full N.R. groupo.
> >
> > But let me pose a question on this subject. All the time we hear
> > (or
> > read) about someone's Campy component that broke or cracked, but how
> > many
> > Dura Ace components can you recall hearing the same stuff about? In
> > fact, in 30 years of serious riding, I can't remember ever hearing
> > of
> > Dura Ace cranks cracking, or axles breaking (that ought to get a few
> > comments).
> >
> > As an example of Dura Ace durability, I would like to tell a true
> > story
> > about an event that took place in my life 27 years ago. Terry Shaw
> > will
> > probably remember this one.
> >
> > Back in late'76, I moved away from the Fresno area for the first of
> > three
> > times. I was moving to San Jose, and I had a U-Haul trailer behind
> > my
> > '57 Chevy pickup. I also had 4' tall plywood sides installed around
> > all
> > four sides of the pickup bed. In the bed I had more stuff, and on
> > top of
> > that load were a drafting table, a long shelf board which was
> > protruding
> > forward over the cab of the truck. On top of that was my Bob
> > Jackson,
> > orange and white w/chrome lugs, stay ends, and fork ends, and a full
> > compliment of the very first Dura Ace components. There was plenty
> > of
> > space above the bike, and I thought it was safe, so I made no effort
> > to
> > tie everything down. However, I didn't count on heavy winds as I
> > was
> > driving west across the San Joaquin Valley. Some where out in the
> > middle
> > of nowhere (I remember the exact spot very well), the wind lifted
> > that
> > shelf board enough to also lift the drawing table, and once they
> > both had
> > caught air they lifted themselves and the bike right over the back
> > plywood board, fell straight down in front of the trailer... Well,
> > I
> > felt this jerking through the steering wheel, and the seat of my
> > pants.
> > When I looked in the rearview mirror, what I saw was my Bob Jackson
> > (I
> > really loved that bike), tumbling through the air in a cloud of
> > dust. It
> > had already gone under the trailer's double axles and wheels.
> >
> > The hardwood drawing table was shattered, but the shelf board
> > survived.
> > But the bike was a different story. None of the frame's tubes
> > survived,
> > but were only bent, not cracked or broken. But the frame was still
> > mostly in one piece. The rear brake had been yanked so hard that it
> > tore
> > the brake bridge out from between the stays, and the rear wheel was
> > yanked right out of the dropouts. The fork was the only part of the
> > frame that survived without harm, and was later sold to be used on
> > another bike. The right crank arm was bent, and the front
> > derailleur
> > was torn apart, and both brakes had at least one bent arm. My
> > friend
> > Michael and I, using a large bench vise and a long piece of pipe,
> > straightened that crank arm. You should have seen me standing on
> > the
> > edge of the bench, pulling with all my weight, backwards. If the
> > arm had
> > broken I would have fallen backwards hard. I have since
> > straightened the
> > brake arms, and intend to use them too someday. But the crank is on
> > my
> > Klein Team Super, and has been on there since about 1978 when I
> > decided
> > to take the new 172.5's off and install the old 170's (I'm a spinner
> > -
> > and at the time was riding on the track a lot). I am now confident
> > that
> > that crank arm will never break. I have riden the Fresno Uphill
> > Climb to
> > Kaiser 4 1/2 times on that bike, since straightening that arm, and
> > for a
> > long time that was my regular bike.
> >
> > Incidentally, I replaced the rear axle (which was only bent), laced
> > a new
> > set of rims onto those first generation Dura Ace hubs, Installed a
> > new
> > QR, and they are still going strong, on the Klein. And the rear
> > derailleur and shift levers on the Klein are the same ones that
> > survived
> > the destruction of the Bob Jackson.
> >
> > But that's not why I like Dura Ace so much. One reason is that Dura
> > Ace
> > has chrome in a lot of places where Campy has black-oxide coating.
> > And
> > the anodized finish is at least as good as Campy's. And of course,
> > the
> > Dura Ace shifts so much better than Campy, with it's double spring
> > loaded
> > pivots and forward angle of the parallelogram. For a long time I
> > wished
> > they could incorporate Sun Tour's slant parallelogram, and years
> > later it
> > happened.
> >
> > Currently, I am faced with a need for components for my early '70's
> > Masi
> > G.C. with KAS team colors, and as much as I would like to, I can't
> > bring
> > myself to use Dura Ace on this bike. I still think of that black &
> > white
> > photo of the Masi with the cool looking Campagnolo Nuovo Record
> > groupo.
> >
> > Needless to say, since that incident, I never put a bike in the back
> > of a
> > pickup, or on a rack, without using something to hold it down
> > securely.
> > You just never know what can happen. End of story.
> >
> > Cheers everyone, at least it didn't happen to you.
> >
> > "Bicycle Mark" Perkins
> > Fresno Cycling Club - Historian
> > Fresno, California, U.S.A.
> >
> >
> > On Thu, 7 Mar 2002 21:52:54 -0600 "Rick Chasteen"
> > <rchasteen@kc.rr.com>
> > writes:
> > > Mark:
> > >
> > > I think I have a set of levers along with 2 sets of calipers.
> > You're
> > right,
> > > the levers aren't pretty and mine have "Safety levers"!!! But,
> > they
> > say
> > > Dura Ace.
> > >
> > > I like Dura Ace, also, and think it is way under rated. If I were
> > buying a
> > > new road bike it would be DA equipped, no question.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > RC
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Mark A. Perkins" <bicyclemark@juno.com>
> > > To: <rchasteen@kc.rr.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 9:12 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [CR]Centerpull brakes
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hello Rick:
> > > >
> > > > I'm afraid I can't help you with the part number at the present
> > time,
> > but
> > > > in the near future I might be able to come up with one. I have
> > moved
> > > > myself and a minimum of my things to a different town, and
> > county,
> > over
> > > > the past year, and all of the rest of my posessions are
> > currently in
> > > > storage in that other county. I believe I have magazines or
> > brochures
> > > > containing that information.
> > > >
> > > > I can tell you that they were very early in the 1970's, maybe
> > '72 or
> > '73,
> > > > and I believe they pre-dated the first Dura Ace side pulls.
> > They
> > look
> > > > almost exactly like the Tourney center pull brakes of the same
> > period.
> > > > They aren't very pretty, but they are good quality and with a
> > little
> > > > sanding and polishing they would look very nice and unique.
> > > >
> > > > Like I said, I believe I have a pair. I saved them because of
> > their
> > > > unique and short place in component history. And because
> > Shimano
> > Dura
> > > > Ace components have always been my prefered choice, even over
> > Campagnolo
> > > > in most cases. Maybe they will be worth something someday. For
> > now,
> > > > they are also in storage, and I don't intend to part with them
> > yet.
> > If
> > > > they weren't in storage I would try to take some photo's for
> > you, but
> > > > maybe someone else on the list will be able to help you sooner.
> > In
> > fact,
> > > > just today I received a message from a new member who listed a
> > bike
> > > > that's equipped with Dura Ace center pulls. If you don't have
> > any
> > luck
> > > > finding any more info. or a set of brakes, in the next month or
> > two,
> > drop
> > > > me another email, and maybe by then I will have moved the rest
> > of my
> > > > things here to Fresno.
> > > >
> > > > "Bicycle Mark" Perkins
> >
> >
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