>I love the shifting on my 1974 Fiorelli with all Nuovo Record as
>well. Despite a 14-28 five gear cog, a stiff chain makes this a very
>precise and quick shifter. I never understood why Frank Berto rated
>this derailleur as only "fair" in overall performance. My
>expectations must be lower, but the bad rap that this equipment
>receives must come from people who don't have a great deal of
>experience with using classic components.
I found the same when testing some of the "crude" older derailleurs. As long as they are used as intended, the Campagnolo Gran Sport and Simplex Tour de France, even the Osgear Super Champion, all work great. The Gran Sport even handles a 14-28 five-speed fine - as long as you keep the difference between front chainrings minimal.
The problem - if there is one - with the Nuovo/Super Record is not the large cogs - it shifts a 28 beautifully. However, the chain gap gets bigger when you go to small cogs. It will handle a 14 fine, but a 13 is a bit iffy and a 12 is almost impossible. Also, if you try to use 7-speed with a narrow chain, it gets even worse.
So the problem started when racers went to larger gears and smaller rear cogs, and the derailleurs did not keep up. By the end of the CR timeline, most classic derailleurs had been outpaced by increasing gear ranges... even though the derailleurs were the same as before.
Jan Heine
Editor/Publisher
Vintage Bicycle Quarterly
c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles
140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com