On Friday, August 4, 2017 at 12:18:03 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-07-31 20:21, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 7/31/2017 5:50 PM, sms wrote:
On 7/27/2017 6:40 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 09:57:44 -0700, sms
wrote:

On 7/27/2017 7:08 AM, AMuzi wrote:

snip

In theory maybe but I've never seen that in real life. Rust is ugly
but
in terms of % reduction of cross section of a spring, it's
meaningless.

The spring is not rusty. But it pops out with no effort, it's just not
springy anymore. It seems to be fatigued.

The brake sets are cleaned and lubed. I may still order some springs to
use these brakes on another road bike which has lower quality
brakes. If
I were in Wisconsin, I'm sure that AMuzi would have the springs in
stock, but the shops in Silicon Valley have little interest in stocking
and selling little parts like this.


Probably because no one but you ever wanted to buy any :-(

Yet they are available online, so clearly someone has wanted them, and
there are instructions online that refer to the need to replace weak
springs.

There are? Where?


The springs? For example he

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Campagno...-/172611044107

Old American saying: If you don't take care of your customer somebody
else will.


AMuzi shows them he http://www.yellowjersey.org/dcbitz.html

By that argument, people must have to replace flat-concave mounting
washers too. Metal fatigue, is it?


Obviously Andrew does take care of his customers. Plus peobably a lot of
other people who were told by their LBS "Just buy a whole new brake".

Who knows if one of the zillion shops in the Silicon Valley has an old Diacomp spring. I'm sure SMS hasn't called them all. There are old shops in the Valley that probably have that sort of thing hanging around -- PAB, Cupertino, Wheel-a-Way, etc., etc. George probably has one sitting around. https://www.yelp.com/biz/sloughs-bike-shoppe-san-jose

I don't fault any shop for not carrying a spring from a low-end, 30 year old brake. If I wanted a spring for my old Campy brakes (I don't since they're in a box -- all three pairs), I'd walk across the street from my neighborhood market. http://www.burlingamebikes.com/maintenance-repair/ I've never replaced a brake spring except on an old Paul NeoRetro. If I had a Diacomp, I'd go ratting through a box at the Community Cycling Center. http://tinyurl.com/y7d3tydt Start digging! Or maybe over at Citybikes. http://tinyurl.com/ybgsrz5m More digging! I refuse to believe SCV is the bicycle wasteland SMS claims it to be.

-- Jay Beattie.