I finished reading the latest bicycle quarterly a few days ago and was very impressed with the history and advances of braking technology. I learned a lot. I do have to question an item that Jan brought up in Chapter 4, Modern Racing Brakes, describing the Campagnolo sidepull as being a step backward in brake technology. 'Campagnolo's brake offered adequate perfomance, but it did not compare favorably to a good centerpull brake. The famous line was invented that these bakes did not stop the bike, but just "modulated speed".'
I do agree that the Campy pads in particular faded badly in the heat. And I had a pair of aching hands once after starting a mountain descent in the rain bunched up with about eight or nine hundred of my closest friends for the money shot at the start of a wet 'Cycle across Maryland'. But racing cyclists can't be all wrong. Those brakes were favored in the peloton for many years because they worked well. If a spoke broke or a wheel went out of true, it was easy to open the brake caliper a bit with it's micoadjust lever on a brake that would open more than a centerpull because it had a longer lever arm. The adjustment barrel could loosen or tighten the caliper further without having to stop riding. Properly adjusted, they didn't chatter and were one of the most solid feeling brakes of the day. And because it took a firm feel, modulation and quick response was excellent. With Mathauser pads optimizing my personal bike, feedback makes it easy to keep braking close to the limit of the tire's adhesion both front and rear. The wheels can be locked, but to me not as easily as centerpulls. I'm sure at least a few of you have done emergency braking at speed with both wheels feathering a line over an unexpected slippery patch to keep from going down.
The Campy sidepull basically enhanced one of the greatest racing or fairly close ratio brakes of all time, the lowly Weinman 500 sidepull which I believe works every bit as well. I think it preceded the Campagnolo sidepulls. The flats on the Campy's centerbolt allowed a cone wrench to center the caliper easily, and took two 'Y' wrenches on the 500 to do the same thing. Through the years Weinman offered different barrel adjusters, quick releases, the ability to reverse the housing direction (say for ladies frames), but the Campagnolo sidepull served it's purpose like another famous line 'with jewel like precision'.
While I look at the progression from GB coureur sidepulls (the earliest brakes I've tried) to Weinman to Campagnolo and now the dual pivots which are hard to better in a short to medium reach brake, the Campagnolo Nuovo & Super Record's were (and still are) fabulous brakes for all but tandems and heavily laden touring bikes. And I still put up with them on my tourer! I believe in old technology that works well.
Happy trails,
Dan Artley in Parkton, Maryland USA