# Why delta brakes discontinued?



## samh (May 5, 2004)

Does anyone know why Campy discontinued them? The triangular shaped ones? People say they have good modulation, they look good. They worked for people in the '80s.


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

Here's a history lesson:

http://www.campyonly.com/roadtests/delta.html#Road


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

They were expensive and cool in the 80's.
Very difficult to adjust, especially cables.
Once adjusted they worked well.
Kinda like being a 'dinosaur'...

john


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

My first Campagnolo brakes were '96 Record dual pivots. Then in '99 I rented a bike with Deltas. Cost me a puncture before I learned that one finger braking with them was a bad idea. Modulation was good, but white knuckle braking is not my idea of good ergonomy.

Dinosaurs, yes. The variety that didn't evolve into birds.


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## satanas (Nov 8, 2002)

Let's see: heavy, ugly, don't allow much rim clearance, cannot use a big tyre, not much power, require a unique 3.5mm Allen key to adjust the cable, cable clamp damages inner wire, spares not available, complicated internals, crappy quick release... Have I missed anything?

In the 1980s I worked for the sponsor of a semi-pro Italian cycling team competing in our national tour; we also imported Campag at the time. Those riders with Deltas begged us to replace them with normal Campag sidepulls. After we did, brakes were not mentioned again for the rest of the race.


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## LigonierA1 (Aug 12, 2005)

satanas said:


> Let's see: heavy, ugly, don't allow much rim clearance, cannot use a big tyre, not much power, require a unique 3.5mm Allen key to adjust the cable, cable clamp damages inner wire, spares not available, complicated internals, crappy quick release... Have I missed anything?


Yeah, but they're Italian and they look fantastic, I don't see the downside


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## Cobalt512 (Aug 8, 2010)

LigonierA1 said:


> Yeah, but they're Italian and they look fantastic, I don't see the downside


Ever hear the saying "function over form".


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## Kenacycle (May 28, 2006)

Campy should reintroduce them.. but of course with redesigned internals that would work and with much lighter material. Make it a special edition thing. I would buy them!

I have the generation 2 Delta brakes on my Pinarello. I love them.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

There were a couple of quite different internal designs. Retro has pointed to the bad one. The later design works fine. I have one set on a bike and another on my desk just to look at. Don't knock them till you try them.


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## satanas (Nov 8, 2002)

"Form follows function" - Campag failed utterly to follow this with Delta brakes. It took them ages to finally release a flawed product, which was (IIRC) then withdrawn from sale for quite some time. I've tried them; they were crap.

If people who have them think they look nice, more power to them... (I still think they look heavy - which they are.) If Campag were going to copy the Dura-Ace AX brakes they might at least have copied the mechanism so that they actually worked. It's amazing to me that there are fans for a product which is heavier, more complicated and does not work as well - in any way - as the one it was designed to replace, and which functioned perfectly well. I'm guessing all the Delta fans also own iPads and B&O hi fi systems... (And maybe Edsels.)


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## LigonierA1 (Aug 12, 2005)

Cobalt512 said:


> Ever hear the saying "function over form".


Blasphemy...these are Italian parts we're talking about. Do not bore me with "function" when the form is Delta....


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Simple evolution. As one poster mentioned, like dinosaurs they simply died out. What Campagnolo recognised was that they were simply too heavy, complex & awkward to adjust and had to go.

For years I thought my Dura Ace & then Sram brakes were the best set up. Campag felt less powerful in comparison. Until I tried a pair of old dual pivot front with single pivot rear silver Records on the Italian Riviera. Then I got it. The best modulation I'd ever encountered and really usable stopping power. No locking up just slowing down properly.


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## satanas (Nov 8, 2002)

^ Exactly. Dura-Ace 7800 dual pivot brakes can sometimes be too powerful and/or grabby, especially on rough surfaces, or when sudden braking is needed - and they claim the 7900 is "more powerful." (Why?) No real advantage to a dual pivot rear, but I guess people kept asking so Campag have now made them an option. <sigh>


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