Derrick-
Youi experience mirrors mine. However, a "trick"--which is really no trick at all--is to use the thicker Campy brake cables. Super 68s are fun brakes, as any late 60s/early 70s Cinelli owner can tell you; they came as an OEM option on the super corsa.
best regards- Nels (no I have never owned a cinelli) Cone Seattle WA
p.s. yes the brake pads wore faster than campys, but didn't just about every other pad?
> Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 20:05:23 -0700
> From: kommisar89@yahoo.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] Old French bike and Universal Super 68 brakes
>
>
> I'm not sure what you mean Alan. That seems pretty normal. Grab them from down in the drops with two fingers and squeeze hard. That's how my Universal brakes work. I just have the plain generic black pads that come on a cardboard card hanging on the wall at the bike shop. Are you trying to use them from the hoods position like you would a modern brake lever?
>
> Regards,
> Derrick Bourgeois
> Colorado Springs, USA
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 12
> Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 22:09:21 -0400
> From: <cigar460@aol.com>
> Subject: [CR] Old French bike and Universal Super 68 brakes
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Message-ID: <8CBA250212E6CEF-1650-2557@FWM-D39.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> Hello All,
>
> I recently found an unidentified old French bike at my local Recycle-a
> -Bicycle. Painted a vibrant purple, it has a rather elegant diamond
> shaped head badge with the initials CS. Mostly Suntour components but
> I don't know if this is original. The original wheels were Ukai
> tubular rims with sunshine hubs. It has a rather unusual quick release
> on the base of the stem, even though the SR stem has the usual stem
> bolt (maybe the stem is not original). Stamped unmarked dropouts, and
> half chromed on the chain stays and fork. Very short top tube, 56 cm,
> for a 61 c to c frame.
>
> Anyway, the brakes are Univeral super 68, very vintage looking, with a
> neat linkage type quick release mechanism. The only problem is that
> they don't work! I put on modern Tektro pads, tried tight adjustment,
> loose, etc. The rims are new and clean. The brakes simply don't stop
> the bike....unless you grab the very end of the brake lever from the
> drops and really squeeze hard.
>
> Anyone have any idea what this bike may be....and why these very
> nice-looking brakes don't work? Thanks in advance.
>
> Alan LaVine
> New York, NY, USA
>
>
> ------------------------------