Mafac Factory Cantilever Brake Post Location Data Wanted

[jclay]

Does anybody have the original, MAFAC, factory recommended cantilever brake post/pivot location specifications (spacing between posts AND distance from axle or brake track)?

I don't need a primer on how to place posts, I simply want to know what MAFAC recommended for their cantis, back in the day.

Thanks much,

[rwsaunders]

John...I bet that Peter Weigle would be a good resource.

[Andrew R Stewart]

Given what I've seen if Mafac did issue guidelines many "builders" didn't follow them, or the guidelines were rather broad. Many of the bosses seems too close together and/or not the best height WRT the rim, causing the canti pads to have to be angled awkwardly. Dia Compe did offer basic positioning advise early on, Shimano later. Andy

[steve garro]

IMG_5422.JPG

I actually used Mafacs on MTB's.

Worst brakes ever, stamped pieces of aluminum too shitty for tin cans with the worst pad compound and no vertical or toe-in adjustment and you had to zip-tie the arm together to keep the straddle from popping out under load, which did make you go faster.

Very French.

Horrible idea but if you were to do it I wold have them in hand with a rim of the intended width as there's no adjustments to be found in the brakes, none - seemed to be pretty much the same as every other canti but if a frame needs one dedicated part for which there is no replacement, well, I'd have it.

I just sent my buddy a whole NOS bike's worth, BTD they came with their own stamped spigots in the box which you had to also braze up.

- Garro

[lumpy]

Worst brakes ever
- Garro

I had some on the back of my Ritchey for a while. I would not have used them on the front.

ETA: My name is Ed Carman

[thollandpe]

My first real bicycle was my Dad’s C. Itoh 10-speed with SunTour Spirt (not a misspelling) derailleurs and stamped steel centerpull brakes. Steel handlebars, steel stem, steel rims.

Most of my friends had bikes that were supposedly much nicer, Peugeots and Motobecanes with plastic Simplex derailleurs, Mafac centerpulls, and steel rims with textured sidewalls.

Those derailleurs were junk (post-type front mech), the shifters were comical (soft plastic with a nicely-knurled thumb paddle and steel sleeves that tried to add some stiffness), and the rims were way better than my smooth-sided ones if it was raining. But those brakes were absolute fucking crap, as were the rest of those entry-level French 10-speeds from the 70’s.

At least the C. Itoh cost only $59.95 at Two Guys department store and took me like 20,000 miles. And had an English-threaded bottom bracket, and taught me how to service cottered cranks.

[jclay]

Thanks, all.
For posterity the info can be found here: https://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?...geViewsIndex=1
And here: https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Parts/...brake_dims.jpg

[steve garro]

Thanks, all.
For posterity the info can be found here: https://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?...geViewsIndex=1
And here: https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Parts/...brake_dims.jpg

I don't see the cantis

- Garro.

[lumpy]

I don't see the cantis

- Garro.

"Criterium" and "Tandem" were cantis.

-Ed Carman

[steve garro]

"Criterium" and "Tandem" were cantis.

-Ed Carman

I can't imagine using them for either, hence my confusion !!!

- Garro.