What's the real difference between Dia Compe Brake sets?

[g_lamb]

Ok so I can by an MX 901 brake set, NOS, for around £30 - £40 so what is so different about MX 1000's that make them so much more expensive, and of course other DC Brake sets from the era like FS 880's? 

[buzzlightyear05]

Quality!!!!!!!! The cheap knock offs are alot less quality and dont work as well. To be honest i love the look of mx900 and mx1000.
If its a cheap and cheerful build go for em but whats an extra £100 to finish a build off right.

[Juju]

If your about 40,  then your first bike probably had DC890 or DC1020's, and then the MX1000 and 900 came out, and they looked totally different - much more "industrial" than the earlier DC's which looked just like the brakes firred to your brothers racer.

I was into BMX from about dec 80 until 84-85 o levels, and from then college/uni where the bmx just sat unused, as no longer really fot for purpose - doing several miles to and from college.

I think by the time I left the bmx scene, dc901 and 880 weren't even out or at least if they were, were not widely available, most bikes were still comming with the earlier brake sets.

For example, even my DB F1 came with 890s, lLearys came with 890s, my Silverstreak too, all bikes from 80-84.

Its when bikes started coming out in ghastly neon colours, and manufactruers stopped with gussets, that my definition of proper old school finishes. 

Of course this is all imho, and frankly probably wrong, but with 4 bikes in various stages of being built, I am limited by period to the brakes I can use, and the cheap easilly available 901s are too modern for me.

[bobafett]

Ok so I can by an MX 901 brake set, NOS, for around £30 - £40 so what is so different about MX 1000's that make them so much more expensive, and of course other DC Brake sets from the era like FS 880's? 

Era corectness, desireability (both now and BITD) & looks  

............if your doing a 1985 build, for example, 901's will look fine, but on a 1980 build for another example they wouldn't look quite right.....BUT.... there is another school of thought that follows the "parts would have been replaced over time BITD" scenario meaning newer parts on an older frame still cuts it    Personally i try to keep as era correct as possible for my "non-rider keep 'em nice" builds but have no problems putting a set of 901's on an earlier rider. At the end of the day it's personal preference - there are a lot of cheap nasty MX1000 copies out there on ebay etc. that you are probably better steering well clear of - but Lee Chi etc. are proper old school brakes and came stock on some bikes so you could always go for those if you want the MX1000 look, and then there's always good old Dia Compe 890's and 1020's or shimano tourneys - not as expensive as your MX1000's and MX900's but look more at home on earlier builds than 901's and were around for a long time so cover a large era of old school  

Right i'll shut up now