Mafac Top 63 brakes

A few years ago Jonty Ritchie gave me two sets of old Mafac brakes that he had no use for.

The set of pimpy gold Mafac Competitions found their way onto a Witcomb I owned for a while, but these Top 63s stayed in their plastic bag until I saw a set go for ₤273 on ebay.
Not that I will be cashing in- they will go on the Hurlow when I have found a few small parts that are missing.

Top 63s were the most expensive centre pull available in their day.
According to Mick Butler:

'Regarding the 1969 prices of the various makes of centre pull brakes in that year. Balila Q.R. 49/6. Universal Q.R. 55/-. Mafac Racer 55/-. G.B. Coureur 66 60/-. & Mafac Top "63" at a whopping 75/-. '

This works out at a little over ₤6, pretty cheap compared to the 27 guineas (1 guinea =₤1-1s) that Richard Oddy paid for the then-new Campagnolo Record sidepulls in the same year.


Image above from Classic Rendezvous