[CR] Campagnolo chrome-arm front D's - for those into minutae only (Ed Granger)

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

From: <EdVintage63@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 14:43:43 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR] Campagnolo chrome-arm front D's - for those into minutae only (Ed Granger)

Hoping the Campagnolo experts will weigh in on this one.

Searching for a possible period-correct circa 1962 front derailleur recently, I've noticed a couple of Campy ones on eBay that have the coveted chrome pivot arms, along with the integral cable stop. From what I've been able to glean from the archives, this makes them early 60s, possibly first- or second-gen. Record front "changers" (the bike I'm looking for one for is a '63 Flying Scot), and the arms are chrome over bronze. My '68 Cinelli appears to have alloy arms with slotted cable stop (for easy derailleur removal). All's well so far.

Here's the catch, though: My brother Duncan's '68 Mercian, which he believes to be original spec (and which has a no-date "Patent" rear NR derailleur with brazed on stop) has a chrome-arm front D with an integral stop with the slot cut into it. From admittedly tentative timelines offered in the archives, it appears that that chromed arms should have been long gone, and the alloy arms should have preceeded the appearance of the slot (the second point making it less likely it was simply leftover stock when the bike was assembled).

Several explanations occur, one of which is that not all of the chrome-pivot-arm Record fronts are as old as previous research and speculation suggest. Could some have been chromed aluminum?

This issue is relevant to my search for a period-correct front derailleur for the Scot, obviously, and might be to others undertaking similar searches. And surely it will be of interest to lovers of Campagnolo esoterica, a dark society into which I find myself becoming increasingly drawn.

Ed Granger Lancaster, PA, USA (located increasingly near Vicenza, Italy)