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citternmaker

All,

I've recently noticed that my front brake cable hanger is starting to rust near the bends and flexes quite a bit when braking. Do any of y'all have suggestions for a replacement? I'm considering trying the clamp-on version from Velo Orange with the quill-stem adapter shim -- any thoughts on that model or a better alternative?

Thanks,

verktyg

There were 2 styles of front brake cable hangers used on Gitanes with Mafac brakes. Many of them were made of a flat steel stamping that was cadmium plated. Two of my late 60s bikes have these hangers. They flex a little but not enough to bother me.

The better quality Mafac hangers are made of thicker steel and have a slight curve in the drop section. They came cad plated, chrome plated or in stainless steel and are more rigid.

There are a lot of hangers that were made for cantilever brakes that are more rigid. They generally have a tab inside the hole to fit in a slot in the steering tube on English threaded forks. If you use one of these you'll probably have to file down the tab to fit the flat on the steering tube on French threaded forks.

Chas.

citternmaker

Chas,

Thanks for the info about front cable hangers -- I'll keep me eyes peeled for other Mafac styles on E-Bay, and check out loose screws, etc., for some cantilever options that I can try.

I'm not quite sure what the reason is, but after switching frames, the front hanger flex on the new frame with a Stronglight Competition headset isn't nearly as bad (only about 1/8"). The old bike had a Shimano 600 headset/SR fork, so maybe the hanger wasn't supported very well (even when tight).

Take care,

Ron