First, thanks to everyone from the list for the replies on my chain question.
Aldo and Jerry immediately noticed the rear brake mismatch, and until
yesterday I had not really given it much thought (although I have owned it for over
20 years, the Legnano is my only vintage bicycle, and I generally only ride
it a couple of times each year).
>>I've always sort of assumed that Legnano would have drilled all the frames,
which would have allowed more flexibility in fitting brakes, at least as
long as one could still obtain the special rear hanger from Legnano when
switching from SP to CP. Shaun, can you tell us if there is a threaded hole in the
back of the seatube, perhaps covered up by the seat collar?<<
There is not a threaded hole or boss on the rear of the seat tube; here is a
link to a photo of the rear brake set-up: http://tinyurl.com/
So, with the Olmo collar, it sure seems that the rear brake was changed later sometime. The condition of the hardware (you can't really see in the photos) is consistent with the rest of the bicycle parts, so perhaps it was changed out early in the life of the bicycle.
I like the centerpull; it's easier for me to set up, and seems to give better braking power than the sidepull. Not that I go out and really test it much. Maybe the first owner swapped it out for this? And if so, why not swap out the front as well?
Nonetheless, I will be shopping for a match with the front, another Universal Extra SP.
Regards, Shaun Klebold Auburn, Washington, USA
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