Chuck and others:
Nice summary of the Universal line of brakes. However, the mod. 77 brakeset is omitted. I have several sets of Universal 77s that perform just fine and seem at least as capable as Campagnolo Record sidepulls. The sets that I have don't exhibit poor workmanship or quality. Weren't they introduced in 1977 and still used in the peleton of the time? Obviously that isn't always a determinant of component quality given sponsorships. Anyone else fond of the 77s?
Charlie Young
bought my first set at the New York bike show but the date is a bit fuzzy...
Honeybrook, PA
> A little history of Universal (Italy) brakes:
>
> The Universal mod.39 (1939) had aluminum side-pull calipers w/o Quick
> Release mechanism and aluminum levers w/o rubber hoods and with QR in
> the form of a slot that the adjuster could be pulled out of the lever
> body to remove the wheel.
>
> The Universal mod.50 Extra (1950) had aluminum side-pull calipers with
> QR mechanism "Extra" and aluminum levers with 1/2 rubber hoods.
>
> The Universal mod.51 Extra (1951) had the same aluminum side-pull
> calipers with QR mechanism "Extra" as the mod. 50 and new aluminum
> levers with full rubber hoods.
>
> The Universal mod.61 (1961) had aluminum center-pull calipers with QR
> mechanism in the cable stops and the same aluminum levers with full
> rubber hoods as the mod.51. It was a response to the M.A.F.A.C.
> center-pull that was extremely popular in the 1960s. There was also a
> Balilla mod. 61 side-pull too, interestingly.
>
> The Universal Super 68 (1968) side-pull was just a renaming of the 1951
> mod.51 Extra with shorter reach calipers and slightly different brake
> levers (they lost the uniquely Universal signature triangular points at
> the end of the levers. The mod.Super 68 was just a defensive response
> to Campagnolo's introduction of their uncommonly refined Record
> side-pull brake in 1968.
>
> Universal's QR design (the "Extra" in the designation) dated to 1951.
>
> The workmanship and quality of Universal brakes was uniformly poor until
> the CX sidepull of the 1980s but nobody was buying them by then. The
> Weinmann (Swiss) side-pull from the early 50s for example had much nicer
> workmanship and quality.
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> SoPas, SoCal
>
>
> ..