Re: [CR]Re: history rewritten on Versus TV

(Example: Books:Ron Kitching)

Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:01:44 -0700
From: "Kurt Sperry" <haxixe@gmail.com>
To: "Chuck Schmidt" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: history rewritten on Versus TV
In-Reply-To: <106FBBD1-64B0-481C-A7BE-8C2123F2C1A9@earthlink.net>
References: <938974.25667.qm@web55907.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <a062309b1c2c676adff72@192.168.1.33>
cc: CR RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

On 7/26/07, Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> On Jul 20, 2007, at 7:40 AM, Jan Heine wrote:
>
> > As an aside, all the above-mentioned derailleurs shifted better
> > than the 1970s Campagnolo Super Record, and even that one wasn't so
> > bad. (The SR used a geometry that was developed for the much
> > smaller gear ranges of the 1950s, so by the 1970s, it had a hard
> > time to cope with 52-42 and 13-tooth or even 12-tooth small cogs.)
>
>
> Jan, I rode a Campagnolo Super Record (1st generation style) with a
> 52-42 chainrings and 13-21 freewheel all through the 70s and 80s and
> the shifting was fine. Most rode the same setup including most of
> the pros in Europe and back then I never heard any criticism of this
> racing derailleur having a hard time coping with the racing gears
> typical for those times. Can you elaborate on your statement above?
>
> I think it would make for a great article in Bicycle Quarterly... the
> reasons behind the complete dominance of Campagnolo equipment in the
> sport of racing starting with Hugo Koblet winning the 1951 Tour de
> France using a Gran Sport derailleur. This derailleur, with small
> design and name changes over the years, dominated the sport of bike
> racing right up through the early 1990s.
>
> Other opinions?

I've never had any complaints with a Nuovo/Super Record's shifting performance. The feel in friction shifting is a little different from a modern slant parallelogram, but either seems work great. I think the only real difference really is the slight overshifting one needs to do, especially on downshifts, with a S/NR, but that quickly becomes second nature and you can get any gear anytime with a little practice. I have a very modern Shimano rear derailleur on an off-topic bike I use in friction mode and I honestly have to say it is not really significantly better shifting with an old-style non-ramped freewheel than a vintage Campy unit. It does feel slightly better/more positive under load with a ramped cog casette but I suspect the ramped cogs in back probably account for most of the difference in shifting when I use them rather than the derailleur itself, though I haven't tried a S/NR with the ramped cogs yet.

Actually I've discovered a Nuovo will shift beautifully and effrtlessly even across a new 14-28 Shimano twist tooth FW. I guess I'm just not critical enough about shifting performance, that's the only explanation I can fathom why people seem to not like shifting vintage Campagnolo.

Kurt Sperry
Bellingham WA
USA