Tom,
It just occurred to me, that you might be describing Campy's gear cable for bar-cons. This is a much coarser weave which is much more flexible. I assumed that you knew, but maybe I shouldn't assume. These also are almost always a dark color. Could this be the cable you are thinking about?
Marc
Marc Boral wrote:
> Yes Tom, I have NOS sets with the thinner stainless cable........for the
> second time :-) My literature says that the inserts are interchangeable
> for both Syncro & Syncro II.
>
> I am not sure about there being a difference in the fat cables. I
> understand your description, but I can't find any difference between the
> larger diameter gear cables. I've got hundreds of examples from the
> early years and the very last years. Here's an observation though:
> Gear cables prior to the mid '80s vary wildly in their coloring. It
> seems some of the strands tended to oxidize much faster than other
> strands within the same cable. Sometimes NOS cables can be nice and
> silver, consistently dull grey silver, darker grey, silver w/dark grey
> stripes............you get the picture. But on the mid '80s cables,
> they seem not to oxidize, so the color is brighter and consistent.
> Could it be that the older cables look to be coarser, because of the
> oxidized strands? But then that would not account for your observation
> of wind angle. Sorry, I don't have an answer.
>
> Marc Boral
>
> Tom Dalton wrote:
>
> > Marc:
> >
> > Do you have Syncro I's that were packed with the
> > skinny cables? I had the impression that the early
> > ones were packed with wound stainless housing and fat
> > cables. Maybe that's why they never worked for me, I
> > was using the wrong cables... oh never mind, they
> > never worked for anyone!
> >
> > Did the Syncro I's use the same inserts as the II's? I
> > recall the Chorus having it's own suite of inserts for
> > 6 and 7 speeds in both A and B positions and I never
> > thought of those as Syncro I fare. Thus I assumed
> > that the II came out in support of the Chorus. But we
> > all know what happens when we assume...
> >
> > In any event, do you know the answer to the more
> > pressing question (from my perspective) of when the
> > fat cables went from the coarse to the fine windings?
> >
> > Tom Dalton
> >
> > --- Marc Boral <mbikealive@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > > I respectfully disagree. All the NOS sets of Syncro
> > > (debut in '87) I
> > > have, come with the thinner stainless cables.
> > > Syncro II debuted in '88,
> > > a year after Chorus.
> > >
> > > Marc Boral
> > >
> > >
> > > Tom Dalton wrote:
> > >
> > > > As I recall, the first generation Syncro levers
> > > used
> > > > the heavy cables and the Snycro II's used the
> > > skinny
> > > > cables. Because the switch to an
> > > index-appropriate
> > > > cable on the Syncro II was the driving force
> > > behind
> > > > the change, it is the first appearence of those
> > > > shifters that you need to date. I realize that I
> > > am
> > > > answering your question with another question, but
> > > it
> > > > should be much easier to determine when Campy
> > > > introduced a new indexing system than a new type
> > > of
> > > > cable.
> > > >
> > > > My best guess on the intro of the Syncro II would
> > > be
> > > > that it coincided with the intro of Chorus. I
> > > think I
> > > > remember first seeing ad for Chorus in the fall of
> > > > 1987.
> > > >
> > > > As a point of general info to all list subscribers
> > > I
> > > > offer the following, and request correction if I
> > > am in
> > > > error:
> > > >
> > > > The oldest Campy cables in my stash are made up of
> > > > heavy strands wound at a shollow angle relative to
> > > the
> > > > length of the wire. The surface of the cable is
> > > > somewhat rough. The head is stamped with a
> > > > C-in-diamond logo on top.
> > > >
> > > > The next newer cables are have the same marking
> > > and
> > > > are the same thickness, but the starnds are finer
> > > and
> > > > are wound at a steeper angle (they wind around
> > > more
> > > > times). The suface is smoother. I think these
> > > came
> > > > around in the early 80's, but I have no real basis
> > > for
> > > > that assertion.
> > > >
> > > > The next cables are identical to those above, but
> > > the
> > > > logo is on the side of the head and is just a
> > > plain C.
> > > > I think of these as early C-record cables,
> > > because
> > > > they are what came with the retrofrictions. That
> > > puts
> > > > them at 1985/86 to 1989 or so.
> > > >
> > > > As I mentioned above, I think the first thin
> > > cables
> > > > came with the first Syncro II's at the time of the
> > > > Chorus intro. If I'm wrong here it is likely that
> > > > they came out later when the large-wrap Syncro's
> > > came
> > > > out to operate double pivot (Campag-nono?) rear
> > > ders
> > > > in 1990.
> > > >
> > > > The only subsequent change that I have noticed is
> > > the
> > > > revision of the C logo on the side of the cable
> > > end to
> > > > a "C-in-circle" logo. This is an Ergopower (CTI?)
> > > > change that took place around 1994 (best quess).
> > > >
> > > > Any better info on my dates?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Tom Dalton
> > > >
> > > > P.S. sorry for straying into the 1990's but I was
> > > > hoping to provide an overview of my observations.
> > > The
> > > > most relevant question to this group might be when
> > > the
> > > > change from the first to the second of the
> > > > above-referenced designs took place.
> > > >
> > > > Reid <bob.reid1@virgin.net> wrote:
> > > > > I'm sure there is an instant answer to this one
> > > (but
> > > > > I just don't know it)
> > > > >
> > > > > At what point in time did Campagnolo change
> > > their
> > > > > gear cables from the old
> > > > > heavyweight type (1.56 mm dia) to the more
> > > "modern"
> > > > > 1.2 mm cable ? for down
> > > > > tube levers.
> > > > >
> > > > > Bob Reid
> > > > > Stonehaven
> > > > > Scotland
> > > > >
> > > > > http://www.wheelscycles.co.uk
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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