# Campagnolo Chorus Monoplanar brakes



## OperaLover (Jan 20, 2002)

Anyone running these brakes? (one arm is slotted through the other)? I can score a pair and wanted some comments or feed back on their performance. They look cool! but do they stop you well? or are brakes brakes? 

Thank you!


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## orbeamike (Nov 20, 2004)

They stop ok.....no better or worse than single pivot brakes of the same quality from the '80s. They are poor brakes compare to dual pivot brakes you find today. Another thing to consider is finding new brake shoes for these brakes if you want to stay all original.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

yeah they are ok... less than optimal w/ ergo


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## brewster (Jun 15, 2004)

Style over performance. I have Monoplanars, Deltas, and chorus dual pivot front/single pivot rear pre-skeletons. The monoplanar springs are very stiff, so the pull is quite heavy handed with Ergo levers. They do stop, but they're more work than most brakes.


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## DannyBoy (Feb 19, 2004)

I like brewster run all 3, all are ok, i found monoplanars quite good. I'd run em for novelty on a modern ride if i could get 'em cheap. They also came in a really cool 'century' finish.


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## Big-foot (Dec 14, 2002)

Based on sheer purtyness, my favorite all-time brake. Based on performance, not so much.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

I have some Chours ones...sure are purdy. Agree, feel and braking is so-so compared to dual pivot. I have mine put away hoping that one day They'll be used.


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## OperaLover (Jan 20, 2002)

*Thanks everyone!*

Not running them with Ergos; just record aero levers (with white hoods!) from the same era. They do look good and since they are a 9.5 out of 10 condition, worth snagging. I don't expect them to be as good as a modern brake. Probably won't be as nice as the hidden spring Superbe Pros currently in use on my Colnago, which is all alloy Campy with the exception of the brakes, and for which I would consider installing these brakes to round out the Campy vibe.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

OperaLover said:


> Anyone running these brakes? (one arm is slotted through the other)? I can score a pair and wanted some comments or feed back on their performance. They look cool! but do they stop you well? or are brakes brakes?
> 
> Thank you!


I had a set on my 95 Waterford. This is a real story. On my 150 lbs they worked well and looked great. The key here is the worked well but not great. My brother, at over 6' and 225lbs took the bike for a spin. The brakes were virtually useless for him. 

Because the bike was equipped with Daytona 10 sp I swapped in a set of dual pivot Daytona brakes. What a difference in stopping power. The bike stopped great no matter how heavy the rider was. That's when I became a convert to dual pivot brakes. They're not nearly as pretty as the Monoplaner or the even more beautiful Delta brakes. OTH, they do something the others don't do, they stop.


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

I have a set on my Serotta. I upgraded that bike from Super Record downtube friction shifting to 10 speed ergo this winter. They pull stiffer than the Record dual pivots on my Seven and the Record Deltas I ran last year. Even with 1992 pads on them they work safely. I could change the pads to new cork or rubber for the race wheels... but they work so why bother?<img src="http://api.photoshop.com/home_a9cbaba77e7542c7b69a03229f545751/adobe-px-assets/ad5e2cd2d3204b06a5f2ec24231c1196" width="1026" height="724" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA"/>


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## aptivaboy (Nov 21, 2009)

They work fine, for me. I ride a 2000 Lemond Zurich, and I took the liberty of installing some softer aftermarket pads on them for better performance. The thing about them is that they aren't magic sudden stoppers, like Shimano brakes. They're more in the old school of "speed modulator" brakes. Actually, that might make them good criterium brakes... Just wondering out loud. Having said that, I've had absolutely no trouble shutting down in a hurry. 

The problem is more with the levers, not the brakes. Older Campy levers were too stiff. I'd recommend replacing them with some more modern replacements. I'm considering using some Cane Creek replacement levers since they include the lever/hood mounted quick release button which you'll need with these brakes.

Good luck! They're gorgeous, and really, with some new levers and pads you will get a nicely functional pair of brakes. 

Robert


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

TWB8s said:


> <img src="http://api.photoshop.com/home_a9cbaba77e7542c7b69a03229f545751/adobe-px-assets/ad5e2cd2d3204b06a5f2ec24231c1196" width="1026" height="724" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA"/>


Thank you. It is soothing to see someone else wrap dirty white bar tape the opposite way to squeeze a few more months out of it.


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## nenad (May 5, 2004)

They work just fine, especially if you fit them with newer style brake pads.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

I'm asking because honestly, it's never been a problem for me- Brake performance? really?

I'm a big boy- I'm about 220 at the moment and I've been up around 260 before.

I have never had a problem with a well-set up pair of brakes stopping me. Seriously, single pivot, dual pivot, centerpull, canti, v, disc, Aero levers, old school levers, whatever, they all stop just fine. Even when I'm hauling a trailer, they stop me. If I grab them hard, they lock up. 

Maybe I'm the rainman of brakes or something, but I've just never had any kind of a problem...


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## bushpig (Jun 24, 2006)

I set up my Weigle with first gen (not proto) Deltas on it and almost crashed into the back of a cab on my way to the bike shop. Upps!


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*I had*

the Athena monoplanars, and wish I didn't sell them, they looked awesome!

They were on my first bike, an 80's Basso, and I didn't know what had.

They worked, eh well, all right. Like all say, about as well as any single-pivot brake. 

Well enough, with modern pads and holders, for a commuter or recreational bike.


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## PRB (Jun 15, 2002)

buck-50 said:


> I have never had a problem with a well-set up pair of brakes stopping me. Seriously, single pivot, dual pivot, centerpull, canti, v, disc, Aero levers, old school levers, whatever, they all stop just fine. Even when I'm hauling a trailer, they stop me. If I grab them hard, they lock up.
> 
> Maybe I'm the rainman of brakes or something, but I've just never had any kind of a problem...


I'm with you. I still use Deltas and am perfectly happy with their performance.


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## brewster (Jun 15, 2004)

nenad said:


> They work just fine, especially if you fit them with newer style brake pads.


What brand of holders are those? I don't care for the original pads and holders, especially that there is no orbital adjustment. I've tried to use modern Campy holders and the post is too wide for the Monoplanar holes.


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## nenad (May 5, 2004)

brewster said:


> What brand of holders are those? I don't care for the original pads and holders, especially that there is no orbital adjustment. I've tried to use modern Campy holders and the post is too wide for the Monoplanar holes.


Those are Kool Stop Shimano compatible holders and brake pads. You are right about new Campy holders.

Find them here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kool-Stop-Shima...Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5884ca3a0e

I've been using Monoplanars for 5 years now and see no reason to change them.


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

Of course the ultimate really cool looking brake that wouldn't stop anything is the Modolo Special Professional with the "sintered" pads. Great design on the hoods, very comfortable even when your knuckles turned white with fear going down a hill


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Fai Mao said:


> Of course the ultimate really cool looking brake that wouldn't stop anything is the Modolo Special Professional with the "sintered" pads. Great design on the hoods, very comfortable even when your knuckles turned white with fear going down a hill


I've got a set of those- some of my favorite brakes. They stop great.


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## ChunkyMC (Jun 16, 2004)

campy monoplaners work great for crit racing as they modulate better in corners, modern dual pivots have more on/off feeling. Most of my bikes are dual pivots, so I'm used to their action, but they all work fine. Softer pads can change performance as already mentioned.


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## JML (May 16, 2003)

The Koolstop black or salmon replacement pads, which fit in the vintage flat-end pad holders (i.e., Nuovo Record and early Chorus) will work far better than the Campy pads.


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## clalor (May 29, 2010)

nenad said:


> Those are Kool Stop Shimano compatible holders and brake pads. You are right about new Campy holders.
> 
> Find them here:
> 
> ...


I just tried a set of these pads on Athena monoplaners and they don't fit. The mounting post is approximately 0.01" too large to fit through the arms.

nenad, did you need to alter your Chorus monoplaners to get them to fit?


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## nenad (May 5, 2004)

clalor said:


> I just tried a set of these pads on Athena monoplaners and they don't fit. The mounting post is approximately 0.01" too large to fit through the arms.
> 
> nenad, did you need to alter your Chorus monoplaners to get them to fit?


No, I didn't and I am baffed about your problem as much as you are...I had no such issue...


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## aptivaboy (Nov 21, 2009)

Neither have I. The tolerances were tight, but they fit. I would recommend taking a break into a shop and trying to fit the replacements before buying, to be sure to avoid a problem like this.


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## clalor (May 29, 2010)

Hmm. I actually did drop into one shop with one of the pads in hand to see what they had before buying that set. Everything they had was either too big or didn't have any toe adjustment. That set of Kool-Stops seemed to be a sure thing... I'll keep searching.

Editing to say that I was hoping to find something with toe adjustment, but at this point anything would be an improvement over the original pads (bought the brakes recently as NOS with the original pads, yikes!).


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## tztag (Aug 15, 2010)

Did you ever find a set of modern holders and pads that fit? I have the same problem- all the mounting posts seem slightly too big


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## clalor (May 29, 2010)

I stopped looking and decided to gently open up the slots on the brakes to fit the Kool-Stop pads. The amount of material I had to remove was small enough (about three sheets of paper thick) that I decided I wasn't going to harm anything by doing so.


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## brblue (Jan 28, 2003)

tztag said:


> Did you ever find a set of modern holders and pads that fit? I have the same problem- all the mounting posts seem slightly too big


tztag, i use the ones without holders:
athena monoplanar brakes + kool stop eagle 2 pads + tiagra levers

the levers seem to have very little power gain, i.e. pads could lock the wheel up but i never brought up the amount of force to do that.. plus I've never needed to lock up the wheels


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## Cadore (Aug 13, 2009)

I love my brakes but they work as well as any other brakes I've had. They are so nice looking thought.


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