Don't be so quick to give up your line of thought Peter, because I think you are correct. Sure, there were other bikes that had Campy on them besides Schwinn and Raleigh, but they didn't have as big an effect on the popularization of Campy components as these two maufacturers, even if they initially sold more Campy-equipped bikes.
Now, one might ask, how can that be? Simple. It's all about marketing. Campy, Legnano, Bianchi and any similar company you want to mention had very limited marketing reach into the American public, who was largely ignorant of these specialized manufacturers. Schwinn and Raleigh, however, has national reach and their catalogs were available for free to anyone who wanted to drop by the local lawnmower shop and pick one up. Both companies included their Campy-equipped models largely for prestige. It is rumored that, at times, Schwinn actually lost money on the Paramount.
Those of us who went into the local bikeshop to pick out our dream Varsitys and Grad Prixs were also exposed to the catalog images and descriptions of the mysterious Campy-equipped steeds and lust was instilled in us. Larger shops, who may otherwise have ignored the high-end, felt that they needed to have at least one of these jewels on display. Even small shops would have some wealthy person in town who had to have the best bike in the catalog (these are many of the unridden bikes showing up on eBay now). When that bike would finally arrive, the most experienced mechanic would be rewarded by being allowed to spend a day or two carefully building it up and test riding it, the bikeshop fan club would flock in to admire the steed and it would be the topic of discussion for weeks thereafter.
Without this marketing, I believe that Campagnolo would not have had the rush into the American mass market that they experienced in the '60s and especially the '70s in the US. You are right Peter. Those mediocre Raleighs are what brought us in and gave us a taste for the good stuff, which was right there on the shelf. You will never get addicted to what you never have access.
Steve Barner, with Raleighs sticking out of the snowbanks in Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 00:21:54 -0500
> From: "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@starpower.net>
> To: <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: Re: [CR]Now: Campagnolo in the USA Was: Flying the Flag for
Raleigh
>
> >
> > Peter, as to your question of who established Campagnolo as "the"
> > component of choice? Well, that would be Campagnolo themselves.
>
> No doubt.. my question was clumsy. I meant when their components were
> offered as "stock" by the big mass produced and marketed makers in the
USA.
>
> >
> > Not sure I know what you mean by "assertions." Sounds like you have a
> > lot of questions you want answers to, so rather than take my word for
> > it, maybe you should look beyond me or beyond Raleigh for the answers.
>
> Again, clumsy phrasing. I meant my questions were just that.. I don't know
> the answers so just asking!
>
> My apologies that this has become tiresome... I'll go back to painting my
> '61 Lenton....
>
> Peter Kohler
> Washington DC USA