Campagnolo Delta brakes - are they as bad as people say?

Campagnolo Delta brakes - a very controversial brake set introduced as part of the C Record Campagnolo line group set in 1984, promply withdrawn from sale shortly afterwards, then brought back a year later. While the other manufacturers dropped compact centre pull brakes, Campagnolo continued with Delta brakes through a total of 5 revisions - the 5th design was pretty darned good but was still far too complicated and heavy when compared with the knew dual pivot side pull brakes coming onto the market.
In this video we take a look at the relevent Campagnolo brake sets bookending Delta brakes either side and then a close up look at the Delta brake action, fitting a set of Delta brakes onto a vintage steel bike, then we take them for a spin and see how they perform.
Campagnolo Delta brakes - not as bad as people think...
***Note - for some reason I get centre pivot and centre pull mixed up in this video, no idea why but it should be pretty obvious...
#deltabrakes
00:00 Introduction to Campagnolo Delta Brakes
01:26 Campagnolo Delta brakes development
02:15 Campagnolo Brakes timeline
06:30 Delta brake details
09:56 Fitting a set of Campagnolo Delta brakes
10:35 riding a bike fitted with Delta Brakes

[@johngigis6926]

I was always curios about these brakes, They are so different to everything else. Thanks for a very informative video again.

[@dinodaniel2237]

Wow , once again another great video. Taking me back. 50 years ,always hated center pull brakes found them to be too fidgety. Looking forward to your next video. All the best!

[@newoldsteel]

This was a fantastic video watched the whole thing. With my Suntour and Shimano vintage bike building, I am EXTREMELY uneducated with Campagnolo and you are teaching me all the cool history and details! I was aware of delta brakes but wow, how many parts are in that brake caliper is crazy!

[@vintagevelos9517]

They are mad... Dan

[@lfoster7601]

Mine are GEen5 and they are simply the best functonaing brakes I've ever used. Still on my favourite bike.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Yep, they had it sorted by gen 5 - a fine brake but still a bit weighty in comparison with dual pivots, Dan

[@SunLam]

Thanks for the Kool Stop brake pad tip. My vintage Campagnolo brake pads are hard like rocks, and I just order Campy replacements. I will try Kool Stop next time.

[@vintagevelos9517]

No problem - the Campy ones go soooo hard over time, Dan

[@thegeordietriathlete2329]

Fascinating deep dive. Cheers for this.

[@nickdowdell2441]

I am always surprised center pull brakes never work as well as you would expect . You would have thought it was the most straight forward design . Years ago i had some delta (version ?) on a tt bike and they were ok at stopping , but you never felt like you could lock up your back wheel without both hands.

[@vintagevelos9517]

I figure its down to mechanical loss - despite the quality fit of the parts and pivots, there`s just too many small parts that can flex ever so slightly that adds up to... modulation... or the feeling that you could never get them to lock a wheel up... Dan

[@tomhowell9074]

Thanks, I enjoyed the deep dive on the different brake types.

[@vintagevelos9517]

I was suprised I had so many Campy brakes to hand - too many projects on the go... Dan

[@JingsWorld]

Almost picked up Campy Delta on eBay for a pricey import. After watching this video I changed my mind and stick to my C-super record, on a Colnago. They work great and looks classy. I subscribed.

[@vintagevelos9517]

To be honest unless you really want a delta equipped bike in the stable I`d go Cobalto/Record every time, Dan

[@rodneynoriel1528]

The best advise for Delta brake set up is to take the tire off. Run the cable through the presto valve hole so you can set the pads on the rim.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Yep, getting the cable length correct then trimming it is the challenge, Dan

[@Thetoad738]

I still ride Deltas. Never had a problem with them.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Well set up they do seem to work nicely, Dan

[@stephenmoore4651]

My dad had the Shimano versions. I think they were 600 or Dura Ace AX. Compared to the Delta's, they were pig-ugly as were the Shimano elongated aero brake levers with hoods in this horrible greenish colour. I would have loved some Delta's but being a young tester, what I really lusted after was a set of Modolo Kronos. They looked far more minimalist and slightly futuristic for the time. No way near as beautiful as the Deltas, but they looked fast. The Kronos calipers were also centre-pull and the iconic levers were extremely popular with the UK time trial scene in the mid-late 80's . They still occasionally crop up on ebay, and if I ever get round to finally rebuilding my old 80's frameset..............haha.

[@andymoss]

I’m guessing they were 600AX. I had them on a 1984 Raleigh Road Ace and they looked amazing but were impossible to adjust.

[@vintagevelos9517]

@@andymossYep, heard the same but havn`t worked on a set - suprised by how easy adjustments are on the deltas and how adjustable they are - especially toe in and pad angle, Dan

[@timnewland4186]

As you say, "spectacularly over-engineered", but things of absolute beauty. Great video sir, thank you.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Glad you liked it, Dan

[@blackbearbowie8162]

been looking forward to this one Dan they are quite beautiful iv all ways thought.. by the way i use your super glue tip all the time now!

[@vintagevelos9517]

Blimey, thought I was the going mad being the only one that super glues the ends of cables - ferrule ends drive me mad! Clean cut and super glue - neat, doesn`t unwind and you can strip and refit the cable - a no brainer, Dan

[@huubmunstege3428]

Nice vid and fantastic Battaglin!

[@karlnordinger5968]

Have Record C 1st edition on my silver Alan with Campy pro fit clipless pedals , to my eye the Deltas look too big , cobaltos a bit dated , went with Chorus monoplanars 1st ed . Record C 1st ed cranks are the most beautiful in cycling , same goes for the 1st ed rear derailleur with the shield and no pulley shield cut outs . 2000 era smooth titanium skewers also look good .

[@vintagevelos9517]

Yep, pretty much with you there, Dan

[@n22pdf]

Wow great info dude.. subscribed 😊😊😃🚴🏻

[@vintagevelos9517]

Nice, glad you liked the video, Dan

[@andypettitt1344]

😊could they have been called deltas because of their triangular shape,such as delta winged aircraft?

[@vintagevelos9517]

Apparently to do with similarity to Greek alphabet, Dan

[@cyclist2906]

They were the first brakes with ABS.... ;-)

[@vintagevelos9517]

Can feel a bit like that... Dan

[@ZGRAKIJU]

i just bend the cable inside and there is no need to trim. Been running them since ever.

[@vintagevelos9517]

I know what you mean - I tried that but all seemed a bit tight, Dan

[@jerrykuc149]

Regardless of whether they worked well or not, I personally never liked the looks of the Deltas.

[@vintagevelos9517]

And many agree with you, Dan

[@strongjohn]

Nice video, but you keep calling sidepull brakes ie Record etc, centrepull.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Yep, I do like to confuse things, Dan

[@TracyLanebike]

9/64th will work if you don't have a 3.5mm allen. 👍

[@vintagevelos9517]

Good tip, Dan

[@user-gw2tm1xy3z]

krasny ale brzdici ucinek pry nic moc technologie a vzhled neprekonatelne pokud nekdo vlastnite prosim napiste sve zkusenosti dekuji

[@vintagevelos9517]

Sure, why not... Dan

[@kris8165]

To me the controversial thing is the design of those brakes! I'm sorry,but that design is awful, ugly 😞 Greetings from Kris

[@worldofameiso5491]

Thus writes somebody who has not had a set of these brakes in their hands. The design may have been flawed, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think one thing they are not is 'ugly'.

[@kris8165]

@@worldofameiso5491 They are TO ME!

[@Lemond75]

And they’re brakes, not breaks.

[@kris8165]

@@Lemond75 Thanks for the correction! My mistake! They are still, beyond the words, ugly, actually, incredibly ugly brakes 😉

[@vintagevelos9517]

@@kris8165 Easy there guys, its just a set of brakes - beauty and/or ugly has no definitive answer, just personal taste - I did read about some chap who thought they reminded him of a fat mechanic in overrals working on a bike from behind and I can kind of see that.... Dan.