As most of us on here are 'collectors' of vintage stuff of some kind or other, some are interested in bikes etc from way back, others such as myself, are into bikes from around the mid 50s onwards [maybe this is because I can relate this to the time of my birth, and to the time I became a 'club cyclist' in 68]...........anyway, as I've been getting more and more into this collecting thing I have noticed I seem to have a definate preference for obtaining old Campag stuff.........and in particular Record front mechs!..........I like other stuff too, but it got me thinking I wonder if anyone else has a particular thing that they MUST HAVE, almost to the point of being obsessive perhaps! I know Aldo has a fascination with old lights, mudgaurds, etc, which I think is great.
My collection of Record front mechs is almost complete, I just need the very first type [the one with the screws holding the bronze arms] I used to have one of these, it was on a Winter bike back in the late 70s and had seized a little so that when I needed to go back on the small ring I had to take my foot out of the clip and whack the gear with my foot!
Here is my list of front mechs, which I believe to be in order of production [sorry if this seems a bit tedious]
1st gen; chromed bronze arms, retaining screws. larger triangular body, flat cage. cable stop without slot. [still after one of these]
2nd gen; as above, but no retaining screws, still with larger body.
3rd gen; alloy arms, smaller triangular body, cable stop with slot, flat cage.
4th gen; as above but no cable stop ,flat cage.
5th gen; newer body with protrusion on corner of triangle, alloy arms NO CIRCLIP [my latest find]
6th gen; as above but with the circlip. still flat cage. [same period as 1st gen Super Record]
The following all have the 'lip' on the cage 7th gen; as above but now with cage with lip. [circa 78]
8th gen; 4 slotted cage, narrow banded, chrome adjusting screws & springs [circa 79]
9th gen; as above but now 3 slotted cage, narrow banded.
10th gen; 3 slotted cage, band returned to diamond shape, but smaller than earlier versions.
11th gen; brazed on version of above. [need one of these too]
12th gen; Super Record with black arms, both braze on and banded.
13th gen; Super Record, braze on, with SHIELD LOGO as later C Record stuff
That I think is the full list of Record front mechs, prior to off topic C Record........if anyone has further info I'd be pleased to know it. Be interesting to see what other folk have a 'craving for'
Cheers
Kevin Sayles. Bridgwater Somerset. UK