Zeus brakesets

On this page: Zeus 2001 Brakeset

In 1926 Zeus began making small parts, soon moving on to component production and eventually making complete bicycles. The firm was headquartered in Eibar, in the Basque region of Spain.

Zeus made many components that were clearly Campagnolo-inspired. But Zeus enthusiasts will tell you that Campagnolo was making Zeus-derived parts and that Zeus was the inventor of the parallogram derailleur. We'll stay clear of that argument. In any case, Zeus was capable of making components displaying superb workmanship that were visually stunning.

Luis Ocaña, who won the Tour de France in 1973, rode Zeus bicycles with Zeus components in 1975 and 1976 when he raced on the Super Ser team.

Surely another casualty of surging Asian production of more advanced components than what the Europeans were making, sometime in the late 1980s Zeus went out of business.

The Spanish Orbea firm has since bought the name and makes Zeus-branded parts.

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Zeus 2001 short-reach sidepull brakeset. New, $350.00

Produced from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s

Like Campagnolo brakes of the era, these calipers have a quick-release that can be just partially opened and still function, allowing a rider with a broken spoke to keep as much brake function as possible

Like all Zeus high-end parts, the finish on these brakes is simply superb.

These brakes are still new, in the box. We have left them in their original factory sealed bags.

Another shot, the back of the calipers