[CR]MAFAC Brake Lever Hoods

(Example: Racing:Beryl Burton)

Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Date: Tue, 8 May 2007 18:46:23 -0500
Thread-Topic: MAFAC Brake Lever Hoods
Thread-Index: AceRyxWXc6AYqmlyTTyyeAoY1lc7Yw==
From: "John Hurley" <JHurley@jdabrams.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]MAFAC Brake Lever Hoods

My thanks to several members who replied off-list about MAFAC brake lever hoods. Thanks to each of you for taking time to reply. In case anyone else out there is interested and doesn't already know all this, here is a synopsis:

MAFAC hoods can be found on eBay with at least some degree of frequency. Opinions will differ on what constitutes reasonable availability, condition and price. Half hoods can be substituted for full hoods, and are more easily found. Full hoods cannot be cut down into half hoods because they lack the embedded metal hook needed to hold them in place, however, one could presumably overcome this by winding adhesive tape around the hood and lever bracket together.

Other hoods will fit, such as Weinmann or Dia-Compe, but apparently not Campagnolo. Some riders prefer MAFAC levers to Campy because they fit the hand better, whereas Campy's seem too small. Therefore, the hoods must not be interchangeable.

A bigger problem with using alternate hoods has to do with the cable adjusters. MAFAC cable adjusters are built into the hoods, whereas other makers locate them on the calipers or on frame mounted cable hangers. So substituting another brand of hoods means changing out the cable hangers for ones that have adjusters-or doing without adjusters.

All of this seems to argue for making the effort to find original MAFAC hoods.

John Hurley, Austin, Texas, USA