A recent discussion of the merits of centerpull brakes and progress in brake design brought up a few thoughts:
Is the supposed advance in braking power due to better calipers (or cantilevers, etc.) or due to better levers, or both? I do not have the answer, but I have observed that the stock lever/brake caliper combinations are not always the best.
My experience is limited to cable-actuated brakes...
First, there is the issue of cable pull. I have used the following levers, with the following cable pull:
Least: - Modern Dia-Compe (other modern "road" brake levers are similar) - Campy NR/SR widespread models, not the very first) - Mafac and Dia-Compe canti-specific levers Most
So if you want more power from your brake, moving to a lever with less cable pull may do the trick. The downside is less clearance between pad and rim.
I found that Mafac tandem cantilever brakes (long arm) require less cable pull than modern cantis. They appear to work best with Campy NR/SR levers, while they require too much force with Mafac levers. (Not my idea, initially - I have seen quite a few French bikes set up that way.) The same appears to be true for Mafac Raid brakes (the super-long-reach ones), which seem to work well with Campy NR/SR levers. The latter set-up I have noticed on bikes, but never tried myself.
On the other hand, Campy NR/SR brakes will improve with modern levers, as long as you keep your wheels reasonably true. I raced that combination for years...
Mafac Competition and Racer/2000 brakes work very well with Dia-Compe canti-specific levers, as well as Mafac levers. The Racers can be fine-tuned with straddle-cable set-up (adjustable). I know people who use them with great satisfaction with modern Campagnolo Ergopower brake levers. According to Sheldon Brown's wonderful article on the topic, you'd have to lengthen the straddle cable.
Early 1990s cantilevers (Shimano, Campagnolo Euclid) work well with Mafac levers, but Campy NR/SR levers bottom out easily. Once again, you can play with the straddle cable, but within the normal range, the Mafac/Dia Compe canti-specific levers work best.
Just a few datapoints...
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Jan Heine, Seattle
Editor/Publisher
Vintage Bicycle Quarterly
http://www.mindspring.com/