Well, being an infamous contrarian, I've long maintained the devotees of Campy, as well as of Masi, Pogliaghi, and DeRosa often carry their enthusiasm to cult-like lengths. (Although I admittedly own LOTS of Campy stuff and even an early 80's Masi Prestige). One thing I've alway thought rather anal is the obsession with date codes on Campy components. Stronglight, and with few exceptions, the French manufacturers in general, did not stamp date codes, for which I'm always grateful. I mean, it's hard enough assembling period correct components to restore a bike without worrying if the date codes match. Much better not to have them.
About the only virtue I can see for date codes is that when there is not a comprehensible code on a frame to date it, one can sometimes date the bike from the date on the Campy bits. But even that is complicated by the difficulty of knowing for certain if a component is original, the fact that some early Campy NR parts were not dated, and the fact that a part could sit in inventory a year or two before being installed on a frame, especially in big operations like Raleigh or Schwinn. Thank God for the French lack of the codes. Ignorance is bliss.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: oroboyz@aol.com <oroboyz@aol.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Matching Campy date-of-manufacture numbers
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009, 8:06 AM
\r?\n>
\r?\n> << It seems to me that with components so
\r?\n> close In years that it is possible that campy could
\r?\n> have sold mismatched sets to clear out old
\r?\n> stock.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Does anyone know if this is the case? Did campy ever
\r?\n> sell gruppos with components from different
\r?\n> years? >>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> To me this is like the question, "Which lugs ( fork crown
\r?\n> or bottom bracket shell) did X use in 1973?"
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The manufacturers did not think it was important to be
\r?\n> consistent in date markings. To them, a left hand crank is a
\r?\n> left hand crank.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> With groups, imagine that there are shelves on the left
\r?\n> containing boxed head sets, on the right a shelve loaded
\r?\n> with boxed derailleurs, down to the right there are
\r?\n> boxes of crank sets... the factory worker is asked to go
\r?\n> package a "group"; they pay no attention to how long the
\r?\n> brakes have been sitting there as compared to cranks (or
\r?\n> whatever). It just didn't matter to them. Nor did it matter
\r?\n> to us in the bike shop. Upon receipt and installation on a
\r?\n> frame, we just bolted stuff on. We all had no idea that
\r?\n> future enthusiasts would be matching numbers so carefully!
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Dale
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Dale Brown
\r?\n> cycles de ORO Bike Shop (since 1975)
\r?\n> Greensboro, North Carolina USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 12:20:01 -0700
\r?\n> From: Sean Flores <seaneee175@gmail.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Mismatched Campy arms?
\r?\n> To: "classicrendezvous@bikelist.org"
\r?\n> _classicrendezvous@bikelist.org_
\r?\n>
\r?\n> (mailto:classicrendezvous@bikelist.org)
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> All. I recently picked up a SR equipped bicycle with
\r?\n> a set of
\r?\n> mismatched campy cranks. The drive side is dated 1982
\r?\n> and the non is
\r?\n> dated 1980. The original owner swears that they have
\r?\n> never been
\r?\n> changed or replaced and that the cranks are what was
\r?\n> originally on it
\r?\n> when it was purchased new in Italy.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> It seems to me that with components so close In years
\r?\n> that it is
\r?\n> possible that campy could have sold mismatched sets
\r?\n> to clear out old
\r?\n> stock.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Does anyone know if this is the case? Did campy ever
\r?\n> sell gruppos
\r?\n> with components from different years?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Sean Flores
\r?\n> San Francisco, CA
\r?\n> USA