1-800-BIKEMAN (1-800-245-3626)
Cool bike parts and accessories from the coast of Maine since 1976
BIKEMAN.com - Advanced Search:
Shopping Navigation
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
#
Your trail: Home arrow The Attic arrow Grafton Re-Entry Levers
Watch your head!
You might run into that 1955 Elgin Bluebird hanging from the rafters. Yes, it's true. The boss never throws anything away. It just magically vanishes from the shop and ends up here. If you've given up hope of finding that low gear pawl for a Hercules three speed, drop Davis an email davis@bikeman.com. If we can't find it for you, well, uh, we can't find it for you.

Bikeman's Museum


Do you remember slapping a Fat City bandage over some rock rash or how about hearing a Tioga Disc Drive rolling down the trail. Bikeman still has found memories of the years and parts gone by. In the museum you will find collectibles, components, memorabilia and maybe somethings you totally forgot about. So tighten down those toe straps and come on in.
 Latest Museum Pieces:

Bikeman's Museum.

Attic What IZIT


Retro Grouch or just too smart to follow every new trend in your latest cycling magazine. Bikeman knows what that is all about. Bikeman is constantly finding interesting Old School parts and accessroies in the Attic that bring back both good and bad memories. We hope the Attic What IZIT will do the same for you. So browse our index and test your own Old School knowledge. Each Monday we will be posting a new item for you to guess on.
 Latest Contest Items:

Attic What IZIT Archives.

Yestertech


Covering the latest attic news and product updates to satisfy your old school cravings. Check back each week for updates. If you have a cool bike you would like highlited in the Retro Times drop us a line and include a picture.
 Latest Yestertech Items:

Yestertech Weekly Archives.

Catalogs of the Past

Catalogs From the Past
Bikeman enjoys leafing through old catalogs from time to time and we know most of you do as well. Here is a chance to take a look into the past with manufactures catalogs for days long gone. Some may even be put up for sale. The catatlogs will be complete in PDF format.
 Latest Tech Info:

Catalogs of the Past Archives.
Advertisement
Grafton Re-Entry Levers Print E-mail
Written by Wally Wallace   
Monday, 26 June 2006
Bikeman's Museum
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Grafton Re-Entry Brake Levers Circa 1992
Keeping the Brake Lever theme going we have on display in Bikeman's Museum a brand new pair of Grafton Re-Entry brake levers.  High performance in a minimalist design, the Re-Entry's first appeared on the market in 1992.  The levers retailing for $149.95 here at Bikeman.  Compatible with Cantilever brakes only, the Re-Entry's tipped the scales at a scant 165.5grams and offered features not found in other levers of the day.  

click to enlarge
click to enlarge
One of the most interesting features of the levers is the lever pivot.  The pivot placement is adjustable to allow the rider to customize the feel of the lever.  There are four holes or placement options for the pivot that will change the feel of the lever modulation or cable pull.  Unfortunately this is not an on-the-fly adjustment and does require a small screwdriver to remove the C-Clip that holds the pivot in place. 

Like many aftermarket levers the Grafton's did not feature a return spring.  They relied on the spring tension of the brake calipers to return the levers to a closed position after braking.  The levers did offer a rubber lever / grip cover that was very popular on aftermarket levers, back in the day. 

click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Grafton Performance was the first small company to enter the high-end brake market in 1989 competing with the big boys. (Shimano, Suntour, DiaCompe)  The original cantilever brake design, the Speed Contolers, was several years ahead of it's time and ushered in an era of high-zoot aftermarket parts.   It wasn't until 1991-1992 that other companys including Marinovative, Critical Racing and Pauls Components joined the fray.  A trend setter, John Grafton had plans of an All American component group to compete with Suntour and Shimano.  This dream never came to be reality but the Grafton legacy remains in tact.

Image Image

Comments (0)Add Comment

Write comment

busy
 
< Prev   Next >
Email List
Email List
Sign up to get Bikeman's news, sales and deals:



Content Navigation