You have really opened a can of worms with this one....
Gipiemme's gruppo hierarchy depends entirely upon which particular year you are talking about:
http://www.velo-pages.com/
The "Reader's Digest" version of their production history goes something like this - Gipiemme started out with one and only one end-to-end group, designated as their Special line. By model year 1979, however, this was supplemented with a second "lesser" and very short lived parts group named Dual Sprint. The very next year in 1980, Gipiemme proliferated their offerings to include a new Cronospecial group (...designated as being intended for "Professional" use), Cronosprint (...intended for "amateur" racing), and Sprint (...targeted toward "Junior" competition). To make matters even more confusing, a couple of years later their model range was yet further Balkanized, leaving potential customers to ponder a choice between Cronospecial (...again, their top of the line "Professional" group), Special (...only a slight step down from Cronospecial and still by and large targeted for "Professional" use), Cronosprint Aero (...an aerodynamic redesign of the "old" Cronosprint line worthy of the "amateur" racer), Cronosprint Classic (...a carry-over of the "old" Cronosprint targeted to the "amateur" racer who could not abide the "aero" phenomenon), and Cronosprint Economy (...a mix of then contemporary Cronosprint Classic components along with a few re-badged holdover selections from their "old" economy Sprint group). Of course, I have not broached (...nor do I intend to) the subject of Pista or Cyclo-Cross specific offerings which were also made available from Gipiemme. By the mid 1980's, what with the ascendency of mountain bikes and such, Gipiemme began to consolidate their offerings and by 1988 had settled upon all new gruppos designated BA 2000 Bagarre (...their high end road components) and SB 2000 Azzurro (...a mid-range road group) in addition to their self explanatory Pista and MTB K2 range which was intended for off-road use.
It is also perhaps worth noting that throughout the entire time range discussed thus far, Gipiemme was known for utilizing OEM sources to supply various component subsets for their extended parts gruppos, perhaps most notably being their use of re-badged Simplex derailleurs and shifters. But by the dawn of the 1990's, with many of their traditional OEM suppliers having succumbed to bankruptcy, consolidation, and/or untenable trade restraints, Gipiemme consolidated their cycling related efforts to boutique wheelsets before ultimately being subsumed themselves by ISCA S.p.A. (...aka Iscaselle).
Finally, there is one other factor which one ought consider when contemplating the nomenclature of classic Gipiemme offerings: in our wonderful wiki-world where humans often use shorthand notations to reference names otherwise deemed "too complex" to fully articulate (...think Campagnolo versus Campy or Campag, depending upon which side of the pond you reside), only rarely does one find proper differentiation between mid 1980's Cronosprint Aero versus Cronosprint Classic versus Cronosprint Economy piece parts (...at best, they are more often than not collectively referred to as merely being Cronosprint), and Cronospecial too often simply becomes Special when referenced in the likes of eBay auction listing descriptions.
Robert "isn't all of that just special" Broderick ...the "Chronically Cloudy Clime" of Oregon Portland, USA
-----Original Message----- From: classic-rendezvous-lightweight-vintage-bicycles@googlegroups.com [mailto:classic-rendezvous-lightweight-vintage-bicycles@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Cielec Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 10:39 PM To: Classic Rendezvous lightweight vintage bicycles Subject: {Classic Rendezvous} Gipiemme Gruppos Hierarchy - Can someone explain, please ? & Wntd
Ahoy !
Subject line just about says it.
Crono Sprint, Dual Sprint, Crono Special, Road Special, Special, Sprint, What else?.... Partial listing, I'm sure. EGO (Eyes glaze over)
Can someone explain, even briefly, the hierarchy and intended applications for the various gruppos?
The reason is that I would like to pull together a gruppo but am clueless as how to classify pieces.
Also, anyone have Gipiemme drilled brake levers ? Gipiemme badged deraileurs ?
Thanks
Richard Cielec Chicago, Illinois; U.S.A.. Google Grouppo ?
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