Dia Compe mod 750 brake reviews

[Hoffsta]

I'm in the process of building my first 650b conversion with an 80's Univega 700c frame. I've been considering the various brake options and came across the Dia Compe 750 as a much lower cost alternative the the Paul Racer, Mafac RAID, etc. Has anyone used this brake and can they comment on it's performance in comparison to some of the other brakes available for long reach conversions? Thanks!

[Nick Payne]

I haven't used the Mafac Raid or Paul Racer, but the 750s work perfectly well in comparison to the Tektro 556 I also use on other bikes. I have the 750s on a Hampsten Ti 650b: https://picasaweb.google.com/100520469917381690611/Tournesol?authkey=Gv1sRgCLXu1dWGq6eNxwE#5585345441527123762. Compared with the Tektro, there's more fiddling involved if you want to remove or insert a wheel, but they work much better with fenders. I tried the Tektros on this bike initially, but when the brakes were applied, they forced the fender slightly sideways and it scraped on the tyre.

Nick

On 11/07/12 06:26, Hoffsta wrote:

[rob perks]

I will second that the 750 is a decent brake.  And will pull you out of a bind on some conversions where you need just that extra mm or so, as in 27" to 650b conversions.  There are a couple things you can do to enhsnce them a bit.  First off is the brake pads.  I have run a few different ones, and come to appreciate the KoolStop Cross pads.  They set up like any v-brake pad with spherical washers, but use DuraAce style inserts.  This can sometimes help them open a little wider in the front, reducing the chance of interaction between the pad and fork leg.  I like to keep the straddle wire short.  Having experimented with longer and adjustable options, I decided the stock short cable is just fine. 

Rob
-
oceanaircycles.com

[Murray Love]

[Meant to send to the whole group, sorry.]

The 750s work fine, as long as you use decent pads.  Like any ultra-long reach brake, you lose mechanical advantage and have more flex in the calipers, meaning they will never win stopping contests, but I found they were more than good enough for everyday use.  At 75mm, their maximum reach is slightly better than the Tektro R556s, but I prefer the stiffer springs in the 750s to the very light ones in the R556s, and centerpulls play better with fenders, since they move AWAY from fenders during braking, while sidepulls crowd them. 

I'm using a 750 as the sole brake on my Fuji Monterey Fixie with a Dia-Compe SS-7 MTB lever. The Fuji is a 27" to 650B conversion--meaning the pads are right at the bottom of the slots--but they have plenty of stopping power and have never caused me an anxious moment.

 

Murray

Victoria, BC

 

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 1:26 PM, Hoffsta <tongue...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm in the process of building my first 650b conversion with an 80's Univega 700c frame. I've been considering the various brake options and came across the Dia Compe 750 as a much lower cost alternative the the Paul Racer, Mafac RAID, etc. Has anyone used this brake and can they comment on it's performance in comparison to some of the other brakes available for long reach conversions? Thanks!

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[Hoffsta]

Good to hear they're not total dogs! Thanks for the comments everyone.

[franklyn]

I have yet to understand how to set them up so that they don't feel so mushy at the brake levers. My wife's Trek 720, which is converted to 650b, uses an old Weinmann Vanquer  long-reach centerpull brakes, and the feel at the brake levers are noticeably more crisp. Though on long descents with a load she still complains about less than excellent stopping power. My specialized sequoia has the Dia Compe 750 and they work mostly OK, but on descent with a load I find the stopping power wanting. 

That's why I am adding canti-posts to my sequoia to improve this situation. I think the Dia Compe is a good brake for most circumstances, though. 

franklyn

[rob perks]

I have found that the mushyness can be taken up a bit with very attentive housing set up, or even going to the compression less stuff favored for mechanical discs.  Increasing the pad size to something like a koolstop thinline of eagle claw may help as well.  The third place I have had trouble is keeping the pivot bolts snug.  I have a set of NOS weinmans that have moved around a few builds.  Whenever things squealed or changed from firm to mushy, the pivots had usually come a bit loose.

Rob
-
oceanaircycles.com

[Steve Chan]

The Nashbar compressionless brake housing is a really good deal (it
is jagwire housing sold by Nashbar), a good option if not already
being used.

Steve

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[ELM]

I replaced a set of Tektro 556's with a vintage set of centerpull DC 750 on a 27" to 700c conversion.  They both stopped the bike fine.  I liked the feel of the centerpulls better, and the look went well with the vintage bike I was working with.  I would not hesitate to use the long reach centerpulls on a future project.  Like others have said, high quality cable housing will help the feel . . . but that is true for pretty much any brake.