Balilla sidepull brakes were original equipment on (some) Olmo racing bikes. Both my 1948 and 1961 "Rondine" are so equipped. Balilla were also sold in the U.K. during this period re-badged as "Bulla" (named after an Italian racer of the 1930s). Nice looking brakes, comparable finish and construction to Universal, with centerpulls, sidepulls, "Aquilla" levers, and those big chunky quick-release brake levers. During the 1960s quality plummeted, and "Bike Boom" Balillas fell to bottom-of-the-barrel with awful finish, oversized bores, sloppy fits.
I have a set of 1960s sidepulls for which the center bolts are threaded their entire length - each time the brakes are applied, the threading eats-away a bit of the bore in the brake arms. That's lousy engineering (bordering on criminal IMO).
Aldo Ross Middletown, OH USA
J.M. Aldo Ross
Manufacturing Engineer / Procurements
Rhinestahl Aerospace
Montgomery, Ohio
513-727-9219
> Interesting. My early 60's Frejus TdF has Balilla sidepulls. The center
> pull calipers seem to be plentiful but I have not seen too many sidepull
> calipers. What say you "oldtimers"? Are the sidepull calipers rare?
>
> Jay Sexton
> Sebastopol, CA
>
>
> Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 06:50:30 -0500
> From: "Ken Freeman" <freesound@comcast.net>
> To: "'Richard Robinson'" <vintagespoke@earthlink.net>,
> <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: RE: [CR]Balilla brakes
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> I know these were sold in the US on Fiorelli bikes in the late '60s, say
> 1968 thru 1971. Robert's Cycles in Chicago sold those bikes back then.
> The
> store staff thought they were better than the Mafac's on PX-10s and the
> classic Weinmann's. Campy Record sidepulls were not in the local market
> back then, at least the stores I haunted.
>
> Ken Freeman
> Ann Arbor, MI USA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Richard
> Robinson
> Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 8:48 PM
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Balilla brakes
>
> I have a question for all those vintage Italian lovers out there. I
> bought
> a nice set of vintage Balilla center pull brakes on ebay several months ag
> o
> and know only a little about the brand. I know they were offered on top
> tier Frejus bikes of the late 50's and early 60's, but this is about it.
> The brakes look very similar to Universal mod. 61 brakes, bu t are
> engraved
> with 'Balilla' in script on the front calip er arm and engraved 'Made in
> Italy' in block letters on the rear arm. They come with a set of very
> interesting levers with a unique q uick release, and have cool red
> anodized
> washers on the calipers like Weinm ann CP brakes only marked 'Balilla'.
> Can
> anyone tell me th e years they were offered and on what bikes these brakes
> may have been orig inal. Thanks in advance!
>
> Regards, Rich Robinson
> On the road in V.Beach Va.