 |  December
19, 2002--Old mechanics everywhere may be kicking themselves
about those old Campagnolo catalogs they tossed back in the
1960s. A nice copy of the 1953 Catalog 12 just sold
on eBay for $1,115--and that's with a torn page! Click
here to see the auction results (available for a limited
time on eBay). |
| December 18,2002--The online
edition of VeloNews has a report and photos of the Record
electronic road gruppo. Click
here to read their report, including photographs
(P.S. We posted a report and photos back in July--click
here to see that report) |
| December 18, 2002--Reader
Steve Stein sent in this report of a rare West Coast sighting of
frame builder Richard Sachs:
"I met Richard Sachs!!! I was walking down the
street in Walnut Creek back to my office and there were these two
guys on beautiful cross bikes at an intersection waiting for the
light to change. I commented on the bikes, and one of
the guys said that "he made it". It
was Richard Sachs himself - on a Sachs Cross bike. Very
nice guy. I only wish I could have been riding with
them instead of going back to my office." |
| December 17, 2002--If you're
in the Sacramento area and in need of Campagnolo small parts,
check out Bicycle Business on Freeport Boulevard. We
were in desperate, immediate need of a hidden chainring bolt for a Record
crankset, and they were the only shop in the region that we could
find that stocks this item. They were a real lifesaver . . .
(Call them at 916-442-5246 and tell them Campy Only sent you) |
| December 17, 2002--Several
sources are reporting that the "S" company has
been road testing an 11-speed system. Tour de France
winner Lance Armstrong is reportedly riding the new stuff.
In a departure from past "S" practices, the 11-speed
system is supposed to be available as a retrofit to earlier
9-speed (something Campagnolo has offered for years). Next
question: When will Campagnolo bring out a 12-speed
cassette? We reported long ago about Shimano's efforts to
develop a workable 14-speed cassette, which relied on a special
chain design, so it's possible . . . |
|  December
4, 2002--More eBay fun, this time an original Catalog
13 from the 1950s is up for auction, with bidding currently at
about $500 . . . |
| November 25, 2002--How much
is Campagnolo spending to develop electronic
shifting? One online source (www.nautilus.tv) places
the figure at about $7,500,000 (about 14-billion Italian lire) to
October 2000! Campagnolo is reportedly spending the majority
of its research and development funding on the electronic system,
which it reported views as the wave of the future. |
|  November
25, 2002--Retro fans with a lot of cash on hand may want to
check out this ongoing eBay auction for an all-original
1950 Bianchi "Parigi Roubaix," with the eponymous
Campagnolo rod shifter. As of November 25, bidding was over
$1,000. Click
here to see the auction |
| November 14, 2002--Well,
those Delta "prototypes" are back yet again on
eBay. Click
here to see the auction But are they really
one of only three sets, as the seller says? Hard to
tell. The brakes appear to be exactly like those shown in
Campagnolo's Catalog 18bis (issued in 1986) that introduced Delta
brakes. They are different from later versions--one major
difference being the spring clip that held the alloy cover plate
on. But are they "prototypes" or just an example
of the first generation of Deltas, which were recalled by
Campagnolo? One of our readers was curious and contacted the
seller. He reports, "The
same guy has often very interesting stuff on the German eBay but
nearly always with completely wrong descriptions. Pure nonsense,
like Campagnolo downtube shifters from 1930-40 (item 1581208702)!
Chorus stuff is sold as Record and so on. I
contacted him directly and it turned out that he has no knowledge
of bike parts at all. When I asked him where he got the info that
there exist only three sets of his deltas he responded that the
dealer who sold him his set told him so. That's all. The dealer
told him..." |
| November 5, 2002--We have in
our possession the 2003 Campagnolo Catalog! A quick
read found nothing that we have already reported on (see our
report on the 2003 lineup), with one interesting
exception: Breaking with a longstanding tradition going
back almost 50 years, the 2003 catalog begins with the
lowest-priced gruppo--Xenon--and progresses through Mirage, Veloce,
Centaur, and Chorus--ending with Record. In the section on
wheels, this pattern is repeated--Proton wheels appear several
pages before top-of-the-line Hyperon, and budget-priced Sciroccos
are listed before the more expensive Zonda and Eurus. Every
previous Campy catalog as far back as 1953 listed the top gruppo first, followed in descending order by the less-expensive gruppos.
Wonder what made them change? |
| November 5, 2002--Those Delta
"prototypes" are back on auction at eBay, this time with
a startin g
bid of $1,500. On the heels of that news, however,
came an email from another reader who says there are hundreds of
similar first-generation Deltas out there that were never sent
back when Campagnolo recalled the first production run. He
sent this screen shot of an eBay auction from 2001 as proof.
We're checking this out . . . |
| November 1, 2002--In a move
that could result in higher prices and fewer dealers,
rumor has it that Campagnolo is following the lead of ShimaNO to
revise the way its products are sold in the USA. Campagnolo
USA is reportedly looking at having a stronger role is setting
prices for components. Here's how ShimaNO's system (which
Campagnolo USA is reportedly seeking to follow) works: Shimano
dealers may only buy new XTR components directly from Shimano USA.
Shimano has also instructed all of their US distributors that they
can only sell to Shimano Approved dealers. Those dealers will be
required to not advertise or sell Shimano merchandise below a
certain price. The net effect will be that riders will have to pay
more for Shimano products and will have fewer dealers to chose
from. Mavic USA started using this system several years back
and has been quite successful with it. (Ironically Campy
wheels which do not have a fixed price yet, have finally started
to eat into Mavic's share of the market.) More on this as we
hear it . . . |
| November 1, 2002--Rumored
release dates for carbon cranks in new lengths: Look
for 170mm sets in late November, and 175mm sets just before
Christmas. No word yet on longer sets. |
| November 1, 2002--Are you too
fat for your equipment? According to information sent
out recently by Campagnolo to its dealers, you should take extra
care to check your equipment regularly if you weigh more than 80
Kg (about 176 pounds). Campagnolo's info emphasizes that
there is no clear standard to say how heavy is too heavy (many
other factors, such as the ability of the wheels and frame to
absorb road shock come into play), but they recommend that riders
over 80Kg be "especially viligant." Either that,
or lay off the cakes and pies for a while . . . |
| October 30, 2002--Another electronic
shifting sighting in the US! An anonymous reader sent
this report, which includes some early road test
results:
"Shouldn't be talking about this, but I used to be
associated with a BIG name Italian big manufacturer many years
ago. Friend of mine who used to be one of their top
engineers emails me out of the blue this summer, and asks if I
would be so kind as to help out some friends of his coming this
way (Phoenix, Arizona). I said sure, and two guys from
Campagnolo show up with the new electronic mech. So, we put
it on my bike and I ride it for a week at temps up to 28 to 30
degrees. The battery life went down rapidly as the
temperature rose, with sun influence leading to battery case temps
near 40 degrees!!!!! Some high-tech shielding (aluminum
foil-backed insulation from the hot water tank blanket) helped the
problem considerably.
Other than that, great system,
same as my current Record except almost NO resistance at the shift
levers. No pictures allowed, and quotes of three to four
thousand Euros for a gruppo put me off a bit!"
|
| October 30, 2002--The
auction for the Delta prototypes ended with bidding at
$511. Nice bid, but not high enough to meet the seller's
reserve . . . let's see if they come back. |
| October 28, 2002--While we're
on the subject (see our other 10-28-02 rumor, below), here is a
recent posting from www.worldofendurance.com
:
Campag to
go electronic?
John Moss
8/20/2002 |
| An
Italian cycling magazine called Cicloturismo was following
the Amateur Giro d’ Italia when they noticed that a rider
who had crashed and broke his thumb was still able to change
his gears. On closer inspection of his bike, they came
across a prototype Campagnolo Electronic Gear shifting
system.
Mavic tried it twice and
twice it failed. Great idea but they could not perfect it.
Now it is Campagnolo’s turn and it seems they are well on
the way to success.
When Branford Bike, an American Bike shop that runs a
Campagnolo web site (branfordbike.com), read this, they took
the bull by the horns and contacted Campagnolo in Vicenza,
Italy. Campag’s reply was to confirm that they were well
on the way to developing an Electronic gear change system,
but that substantial changes were still needed before it is
perfected. They hope it will be available to the public in
2005.
Campag first thought of the idea 12 years ago, about the
same time Mavic put their Zap system on the market. The
Italian company set up a secret department to deal with the
development of the system. The engineers on the project were
forbidden to talk about it and even the name given to new
system is kept secret.
A Campagnolo spokesman has confirmed that the system will be
fully electronic, and, unlike Mavic, will work on the front
changer as well as the back. The Ergo power levers will be
considerably lighter and surprise, surprise, it will not be
cableless. A small rechargeable battery, like a cell phone
battery, will be placed near the water bottle cage.
The rear changer will look much like today’s Record but
with a small electric motor replacing the spring.
So get applying for a loan from your bank manager now,
because it is definitely not going to be cheap.
Just an afterthought, what happens if somebody develops a
remote control that could change the gears... Imagine it,
your training partner with his new electronic gear systems
starts leaving you behind on a steep hill, you bring out the
remote control and change his gear from 39x23 to 52x12.
Ouch!
|
|
| October 28, 2002--Campagnolo's
electronic gruppo is in the U.S.! An anonymous post
to the Calfee Owner's Group reported seeing a setup somewhere in
the Midwest: ". . . saw something today that blew me
away a bit....a campy electronic system being tested in the
midwest (hush hush) for cold and wet condtions. I did not have the
chance to ride on it nor would they allow me to take any photos
but it was so dam impressive looking." For more,
see: http://www.hydromedia.com/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=15560&t=15560
The poster said company reps quoted him a price in the $3-4,000
range for the 2005 season . . . |
| October 23, 2002--Seven days
to go, and bidding on the Delta prototypes is holding steady at
$102.50 . . . |
|  October
21, 2002--One of only three copies of the Delta Brake
Prototypes from 1984 is currently up for sale on eBay.
According to the item description, the other two sets of
prototypes are in the hands of Campagnolo and Richard
Sachs. Bidding started at $1 yesterday--it's safe to say
it will go much higher. To see the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1870486234 |
| October 15, 2002--In response
to our rumors about cleat covers (see the September 23 item), one
reader pointed out that the latest version of the ProFit cleat is
about twice as thick at the front (the part that wears out first)
as the earlier version. It should last twice as long . . .
even without cleat covers. |
| October 1, 2002--Bidding on
the Cambio Corsa is now over $1,500 . . . (ended at just over
$1,500!) |
|  September
30 ,2002--Would you pay $1,000 for a Campagnolo
derailleur? What if it required unlocking your rear quick
release while you're riding, and back-pedaling to change
gears? Well, there's a mint condition Cambio
Corsa mechanism on eBay for the next day or so, and with
time left, bidding is over $1,100. Not bad for a 60-year-old
derailleur . . . Check out eBay
item No. 1863723910 |
| September 23, 2002--We're
hearing that the folks who make cleat covers are working on covers
that fit the Pro-Fit cleat. That would be good news for the
many riders who have tried in vain to find good-fitting covers for
Campagnolo's cleat design (Look-compatible cleat covers don't
quite fit). In the meantime, here's an intriguing idea from
reader Steve Davis,
who used Look-style covers, zip ties, and a Velcro strap (he used
a product called "Strapits") to create a Pro-Fit cover:
 |
|  September
18, 2002--Will the Bora wheelset be all carbon with G3
spoking, or carbon/alloy with standard steel spokes? Let's
see what they bring to the 60th International Cycle Exposition
in Milan, Italy, starting in two days. The official
Exposition web site (at www.eicma.it
) highlights an all-carbon Bora wheelset as one of the
products Campagnolo will be showing (see the snapshot of the web
site at left). |
| September 13, 2002--What
happened to the G3 spoking on the 2003 Bora wheels?
As we reported back in July, official information from Campagnolo
showed this top-of-the-line wheel updated for 2003 with the new G3
spoking pattern. The official Campagnolo web site, however,
shows the 2003 wheels with more standard radial and 2x lacing . .
. Click here for our
complete report on the 2003 lineup
The 2003 Bora rear as promoted in the summer . . .
. . . and as shown on the official site as of today. |
|  September
10, 2002--Quick note from eBay land . . . a like-new
copy of The Giant and the
File, the official biography of Tullio
Campagnolo, sold recently for $159. The Giant
and the File was never offered for sale, and copies are relatively
rare. |
| September 6, 2002--More on
those special ONCE Record gold gruppos . . . Sources tell
us that the gruppo was produced by specially Campagnolo for ONCE,
and that it differs only cosmetically from a standard Record
gruppo. The cranks are black-anodized alloy, not
carbon. And . . . no, you can't order it this way from
Campagnolo (see our May 16 rumor about black
alloy components). One other reader surmised that
this gruppo may be a leftover from the limited production run of
the Cannondale Black Lightning model, which we reported about on January
2. |
|  September
4, 2002--Campagnolo  components
as good as gold? From a reader comes this great photo
of the ONCE team, riding bikes fitted with Campagnolo
Record gruppos with cool gold lettering on the brake levers.
Note also the blacked-out brake calipers . . . |
| September 3, 2002--Several
readers have noted that the official Campagnolo web site
has been updated with information on their 2003 lineup
(which, we note, was publicized here on July 17). Click
here to visit Campagnolo's web site Our report is
also available online: click
here to see our report on what's coming for next year! |
| August 29, 2002--Is 9-speed
dead? We've heard from a number of readers concerned
about whether they will be able to contniue to buy 9-speed
equipment--their questions were prompted by info they saw at some
online web sites that inferred that Campagnolo is abandoning
9-speed. Our authoritative source (Tim Brockett at Branford
Bike, a Campy Only sponsor), offers this insight:
"I believe that Campagnolo will treat 9 speed components much like they already treat 8 speed components. Certain cassette sizes will still be available. Ergo shifters and rear derailleurs may be discontinued but 10 speed models are easy to convert to 9 or even 8 speed. Small parts support should continue for all ergo levers and post 2001 rear derailleurs. It would be a good idea for riders to have an extra 9 speed cassette or two on
the shelf at all times. The cassettes will not be discontinued but they may be times when they will be difficult to locate." |
| August 2, 2002--We have
posted an English translation of the Italian article on the secret
Record electronic gruppo. Click
here to read the detailed report |
| July 31, 2002--Can we
nit-pick for a minute? We were checking on Campagnolo's
official web site for news of the electronic gruppo (couldn't find
any) when we came across their nifty "Gear Inch"
calculator (at http://www.campagnolo.com/sviluppo.php
). It's pretty cool--input your chainring and cog sizes, and
it spits out "gear inches" for each combination.
Problem is, the number it gives you is "gear
development," not "gear inches." Sheldon
Brown's excellent web site defines "gear
inches" as "the diameter of the drive wheel, times the
size of the front sprocket divided by the size of the rear
sprocket." Example: a 53/19 gear combo on a road bike
with 700c wheels would be 27 (the approximate wheel diameter in
inches) x 53 divided by 19 = 75. "Gear
development," on the other hand, measures how far the wheel
rolls for one revolution of the cranks--it's the circumference
of the wheel times chainring size, divided by cog size. A
53/19 gear combination has a "development" of 228.
ErgoBrain, incidentally calculates "gear development,"
not gear inches. OK, now we feel better. Your
thoughts? |
|  July
31, 2002--Campagnolo will release an electronic Record
gruppo in 2005! Click
here for photos of this top-secret gruppo
(Note: We reported a rumor about an amateur Italian team
using electronic shifting on April 18th.) |
| July 29, 2002--Proving that
not all Texans ride Shimano, Kevin
writes from Austin, TX, "Hi,
just wanted to drop a note. My carbon cranks are here! Oh,
so sweet and the finish
is perfect." |
| July 19, 2002--One additional
change to the Campagnolo lineup--the cleats for ProFit
pedals have been redesigned to make it easier to release from the
pedals (one complaint about ProFits is that there is very little
difference between the highest and lowest release settings).
The new design has a more rounded profile at the back of the
cleat--and it works. Reader Frank reports that with
the new cleats he had to crank the pedals all the way to the
"+" setting to get the same release tension he was
accustomed to at the lowest "-" setting with the older
version. (One trick Campagnolo suggests to make release
easier for those of us with the current cleats is to push your
foot slightly forward as you are rotating outward to release.) |
|  July 17, 2002--We have
photos of new 2003 components! Thanks to an anonymous
source for sending us these photos--click
here to see what's coming for next year!
Samples: Campagnolo will introduce a new lubricant,
and a 3x10 Ergobrain. |
| July 16, 2002--A few items
from one of our sources:
>>VeloNews' news about new items for 2003 (see our July 10
rumor, below) is unofficial at this point . . . Campagnolo will
neither confirm nor deny whether it is all correct.
>>The special black-anodized components being used on
Giant's bikes in the Tour (see our July 12 rumor, below) is
left-over production from a run made for Cannondale's all-black
anniversary edition (see our Jan. 2 rumor) and
will not be sold to the public as a separate item. |
|  July
12, 2002--What are the Tour riders using? Check
out Cycling News for a roundup of all the team bikes,
including who is using the carbon crankset. Info and photos
online at http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2002/features/tourbikes/default |
| July 10, 2002--Here's the
first report we've seen on the 2003 Campagnolo lineup.
VeloNews reports that
Campagnolo will offer only a few changes next year, chief among
which is the introduction of an aero-profile all-carbon "Bora"
wheelset. Also on tap:
>>A new Ergobrain that will work with 3x10 cranksets
>>10x3 crankset for Centaur
>>14-28T cogset for Veloce
>>New long-cage rear derailleur for Chorus
>>Updated "hiddenset" headset for Record
>>A new 10-speed chain to replace the PermaLink design (also
being introduced is a new chain lube)
For more info, plus photos: http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/2626.0.html |
| July 10, 2002--Reports of carbon
crankset sightings are
coming in thick and fast. Here is a photo taken by one of
our readers of Erik Zabel at the Tour de Suisse--his
Record-equipped bike is equipped with carbon cranks (he won this
stage on the cranks).  |
| July 10, 2002--We've been
watching the coverage of the Tour de France, trying to see if any
of the riders are using the carbon crankset. It's tough--the
cameramen insist on focusing on the riders, not the drivetrain--but
there are definitely some black-colored cranks on some of the
Record-equipped bikes. If we get a clear shot, we'll post it
here. Note to French TV--please send some nice shots of
Campagnolo drivetrains to the US! |
| July 8, 2002--We're starting
to hear rumors of an updated Ergobrain computer to be
released later this year. No details yet, but our guess is
that it will be a 3x10-compatible version (current users of the
Record Triple 10-speed crankset can't use Ergobrain, since the
10-speed version won't handle a triple setup). |
| July 8, 2002--Trickling
up? In the past, the usual journey for a new component
was to start off as a prototype, then move to the pro peloton, and
finally to your local bike shop--the pros would test the stuff,
which would then trickle down to the rest of us. The Record carbon
crankset has been an exception to this rule, and it has only
been fairly recently that any of the scarce carbon cranksets have
been spotted on the road in Europe. Examples:
>>Graham Watson's photos from June's Tour de Suisse
contain shots of a few riders using the cranks. One example
is here: http://www.grahamwatson.com/2002/tourdeswiss/image22.html
Tour de Suisse winner Alex Zulle, incidentally, used a standard
alloy Record crankset.
>>Bike maker Giant, which supplies bikes for the ONCE-Eroski
team has announced that some of the Giant bikes in the Tour will
have carbon cranks. For more details, see: http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2002/news/jul03giant
One reason suggested for the relative lack of carbon cranksets in
the pro peloton is that they are being produced in one length only
(172.5mm). Many pro riders use 175s or longer--remember
5-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain? He used 180mm
cranks. |
| June 24, 2002--Your Campy
Only webmaster completed the Terrible
Two double century this past Saturday, and while we were
riding it became clear that the Record Triple setup is
becoming very popular (at least on rides like the TT: 200 miles
with 16,000 feet of elevation gain). Riders we spoke with
gave the Triple gruppo high marks. |
| June 18, 2002--Campy Only
notes with sadness the passing of Shozo Shimano, the former
head of Shimano, Inc., who died of heart failure on June 15 at a
hospital in Osaka, Japan. Shimano's many technical advances
during Mr. Shimano's tenure (1958-1992) helped push Campagnolo to
introduce their own improved equipment, making cycling
immeasurably better for us all. According to www.cyclingnews.com,
a private funeral was held today; a memorial service is planned
for July. |
|  June 17, 2002--Campy Only's
own Tim Laflin has
announced the long-awaited release of his "how-to"
video, "From Box to Bike" This 80-minute
video guides you step-by-step instructions on assembling and
tuning a Campagnolo-equipped bicycle, using the Record 10-speed
gruppo as an example. Exclusive source for the videos will
be Branford Bike.
To order, go to Branford Bike and order Part No. VI-25-CATL.
Price is $27.88 |
| June 17, 2002--Looking for a carbon
crankset? Look no farther than Spokesman Bicycles
in Santa Cruz, California. We stopped in for a visit on June
16 and found a brand-new carbon crankset in the display
case--172.5mm arms, 53/39 10-speed rings. Price? $899.99
Call them at (831) 429-4034 for more info, or click
here for a map to the store. Be sure to tell them Campy
Only sent you . . . BTW, the helpful salesperson said they
only received one carbon crankset, so grab this one quick! |
| June 3, 2002--Not a rumor,
but a question from a reader: When will Campagnolo offer brakes
with sufficient clearance for fenders? Campagnolo's brakes
are great, but you can't use them on a touring bike. ShimaNO,
the reader notes, offers just such a brakeset . . . |
| June 3, 2002--Sure,
Campagnolo stuff costs a lot, but one eBay seller is really trying
to win the lottery--he is asking $1,495 for a carbon
crankset! Check out the auction
site for details--and see if anybody bids . . . (Thanks to
reader Alfredo Alfaro of Costa Rica for pointing this out.) |
|  May
30, 2002--How much would a 60-year-old bike with flat tires
and no paint on the frame be worth? If it's equipped with
Campagnolo's early Paris
Roubaix shifting mechanism, the answer is . . . $1,200.
That's the winning bid for a recently ended item on eBay.
The bike, a vintate L. Guerra, was offered for sale by a seller in
Firenze, Italy. At right is a photo of the bike, or click on
this link for the next month or so to read the seller's
description of the bike: eBay
Item 1831190389 For more info on Campagnolo's early
sihfters, click here |
|  May
16, 2002--Black Record cranks? Here's what they
look like! An anonymous source sent this photo of a set of
Record cranks that has been black anodized. Our source
couldn't say much about them, and would not say who anodized them,
but said that they were made to test interest in the blacked-out
look. Reports are that they have been a hit with riders who
have seen them in person. Of course, no word on when you
could be able to order these at your local bike shop. |
| May 15, 2002--It's not a
rumor--we will soon be taking pre-orders on a newly designed Campy
Only jersey! Check back for updates, including the new
design. Pre-ordered jerseys will be offered at a reduced
price. We'll be shipping in mid-August, just in time for
your late summer rides and races! |
| May 15, 2002--From an
anonymous source comes a rumor that Campagnolo will offer a black-anodized
Record crankset for riders who can't get or can't afford the
new carbon crankset but want the carbon look.
Campagnolo has offered anodized finishes in the past (see the 1991
catalog for a sample), and currently sells its bottom-end
Xenon gruppo with a black finish on some of the parts. |
| May 15, 2002--For a great
comparison of Campagnolo and Shimano, may we suggest
Totalbike.com's very detailed analysis of everything from
chains to shifters: http://www.totalbike.com/articles/Campy-Shimano.html
(Thanks to the Campy Only reader who pointed us to this link!) |
| May 15, 2002--Other
publications are reporting that the Centaur gruppo will
offer a 10-speed triple setup for 2002. This will be a more
affordable alternative to the 10-speed Record Triple introduced
this year. |
| May 7, 2002--Older Campagnolo
bottom brackets were asymmetrical--they were longer on the drive
side to help the chainrings clear the frame. Newer style BBs,
however, became symmetrical, meaning that the length of spindle on
each side is the same. They also became narrower--modern
Record and Chorus, for instance, use a 102mm bottom bracket.
For 2002, Campagnolo re-introduced an asymmetrical, 111mm bottom
bracket for the Record Triple crankset (the only triple in the
line-up that uses an asymmetrical BB). Now we're hearing
that Campy will introduce a symmetrical 111mm Record bottom
bracket, making a modern BB available to users of some types of
cranksets, including the classic C-Record. |
| May 6, 2002--Prices on
Camapgnolo clothing are coming down a bit. Check out
Excel Sports' web site, where they have several Campagnolo
clothing items on clearance. They're blowing out Campy
bib shorts for $89 . .. |
| April 18, 2002--What can we
look forward to from Campagnolo in the future? Here's
a sample of some potential future products, based on recent
filings by Campagnolo at the U.S. Patent Office. See all of
these items (including images) by clicking
here:
--Gear-shift and brake-control
assembly for a racing bicycle, with push-button for controlling
the operating mode of a display (interesting, but apparently
just a patent on the current Ergo lever system)
--Electrical control device for a motor-driven derailleur for
bicycles
--Electronic control and/or power-supply system for a bicycle,
fixable in the same anchoring point as the bottle-cage supporting
unit
--Multiprocessor control system for cycles, for example for
competition bicycles
--System for data transfer, for example for cycles such as
competition bicycles
--Process for controlling gear shifting in a cycle, and
corresponding system and components
Is there a pattern here? We'd guess that Campagnolo is
working on an entire system for electronic shifting, including a
cool computer interface of the type currently used in auto racing,
that would let a cyclist's coach download information after a race
about gears used, speed, distance, etc.
From the US Patent web site:
  |
| April 18, 2002--Here's a
rumor . . . There is reportedly an amateur team in Italy riding
with electronically-controlled Campagnolo derailleurs (see our Campy
Zap story and our Campy Zap
followup). We'll let you know if we hear more about
this. This rumor came from a reader who heard it from his
LBS, who heard it from sources close to Campagnolo . . . |
| April 18, 2002--A reader sent
these kudos for Campagnolo's customer service: "Hi just reading your rumors page and I thought I'd give you some feedback/update on my carbon crankset I'm Tony Valenti. on January 15th I reported to you my left crankarm failed/debonded after 56 miles. Campagnolo promptly corrected this (my only) problem. They went above + beyond what I would consider normal
warranty service (thanx Campy). I overnighted my l.h.s arm from Hawaii
to California, they inspected+confirmed the problem, then had
Campy in Italy drop ship a new left arm to my dealer in Honolulu HI. I had it within days. I saw the
DHL shipping invoice Campy paid 320.00 shipping to 2nd day it
to my dealer (this is with their reg cust dhl discount! retail on the shipping was near 400.00). This shows
great effort on behalf of my dealer and Campagnolo" |
| April 15, 2002--A reader in
Germany tells us that his local bike shop is expecting a shipment
of brand-new reproduction brake hoods for Nuovo and
Super Record brakes--with the original
"world" logo molded into them. The only repro
hoods available thus far haven't had the logo on them, making the
originals so valuable to collectors. We'll let you know if
rumors of these "new" old-stlye hoods are true (our
faithful reader ordered a set). |
|  April
12, 2002--News from the hood--brake hoods, that
is. We caught sight of this auction item on eBay this week:
a pair of NOS Record brake hoods with the "world"
logo. They were going for $100 when we checked last.
Check your parts bins, folks--there may be a gold mine in them!
 Note:
These hoods didn't sell for $100, but there are others currently
bidding at $49 . . .
|
| April 12, 2002--Yeah, it's
expensive but worth it, according to reader and contributor Frank,
who sent in this report on Campagnolo clothing: "I've been riding the Campy bib winter tights (XL) for
the past four months. These are the best tights I have ever owned. I really like the exta flex material in the
knees while mainaining an airfoil smoothness over the whole piece. I also bought the velcro closure headband
which while comfortable, has holes over the ears which cause an anoying howl when riding. Also, the material
seems to soak up and retain sweat making you actually colder than you would like when wearing a headband.
I don't recommend either of Campy's two headbands (the circular smaller headband is too tight for anyone
including me (I wear a small/medium Giro helment), but please tell everyone to go for the bib tights. The
padding in the tights is also perfect. (But be sure to buy at least one size larger than you would normally as
they seem to be sized small, I normally wear a Large not XL) Another experienced fellow cyclist saw them and
bought a pair for himself and agrees tht they are the best he's ever owned.
If the shorts are as well made they should be great too! I know the retail seems expensive, but it is not any
more than equivalent Assos wear." Campagnolo is
adding color to their clothing line this year. See
the official site for more info: http://www.campagnolo.com/apparel.php?gid=3&cid=all |
| April 10, 2002--A Campy Only
reader in Italy reports that the Record gruppo with the carbon
crankset can be purchased at his favorite shop in Naples for
US$1,400--about $320 more than the same gruppo with an alloy
crankset. He also reports that this is a bit pricey in
comparison with other gruppos: "We
picked up bikes made by a small shop with foco frames, a mix of
record and chorus and open pro wheels for about $1500 a piece. So
do you the gruppo will sell?????" (Our
prediction: Campagnolo will sell every single carbon
crankset they can make.) |
| April 10, 2002--It occurred
to us again today that we have still never seen in person a single
article of Campagnolo's clothing line. We have called
it expensive and drab, an opinion apparently shared by many other
riders . . . |
| April 10, 2002--One problem
with the carbon crankset that we have confirmed is
relatively low supply. Our sources tell us that retailers
recieved just a handful of cranks each, and we are now hearing
from potential buyers that the first wave of cranks is almost
depleted, and several month's wait will elapse before the next
round of shipments. |
| April 10, 2002--Riders of 10-speed
gruppos can now use an improved version of the 10s chain that does
away with the old Hyperlink design. The new UD-Link
is described on the official Campagnolo site--instructions and
specs are online at http://www.campagnolo.com/techdocs.php?did=f |
| April 8, 2002--And still more good
news--Bicycling Magazine's May, 2002, issue lists its
"Editors' Choice" of the very best cycling products on
the market. Receiving top marks is the Chorus gruppo,
lauded for having 90% of Record's performance at a price $400
less. Bicycling also likes the fact that Chorus can be
repaired and rebuilt: ". . . with Dura-Ace you have
to replace the wonr-out component as an assembly--when you can
find it." Also check out the full-spread cheesecake photo
of the Eddy Merckx machine on pages 56 and 57, equipped with Record
carbon. |
| March 25, 2002--More good
news about the carbon crankset. Reader Howard
Smith writes, "I got out this weekend for the first ride on my Serotta Ottrott IT (Ti/Carbon frame) with the full Record
group set, including the carbon crank. Not only is the performance outstanding (very stiff crank), it looks awesome on the bike. I repeat my earlier words to the readers of this column who have expressed doubt about this product, "I will be watching you cross the finish line long after I have finished." Let's toast to Campy!" |
| March 25, 2002--No recall
. . . Direct from Italy comes this note from longtime
reader Giovani Calcagno: "I had a phone conversation with the
Campagnolo Factory Customer Service Director ( Mr. Scortegagna) and he firmly denied that there is any recall on Record Carbon
Crankset. He recognized the production is running a bit slowly, but there is no problem regarding the quality and functionality of the crank.
My opinion is that the production will be running at full speed by the next autumn; if you remember it happened the same with the first run of Racing Triple Cranksets in the middle ' 90s: they were presented at the late summer bike shows, but the regular supplies started 10 months later ( and there wasn't any recall in the meantime)." |
|  March
22, 2002--To prove that the carbon crankset is actually on the
road, here is a photo of the drivetrain on Chris
Cameron's new De Rosa. See the Mod
Gallery for a shot of the whole bike. |
| March 22, 2002--Most readers
of this page are interested in hearing more rumors about carbon
cranks. One reader isn't. He checked with several
sources, including Campagnolo in Italy, who said there is "NO
recall." This was confirmed he said, by "3 very
good industry sources not some internet chatroom from a bloke
with a fake name" For the record, Clay
Bowler is a real person . . . |
| March 22, 2002--Readers Jane
Hoffman and Bob Marquart write from Italy, "Carbon
Crank sets are being marketed and sold in Italy. I saw one two
days ago at one of my favorite bike shops (we live in Naples).
They are here for those who want them. Jane and Bob" |
| March 21, 2002--Clay
Bowler responded to defend his character and he questioned the
character of Campagnolo corporate.
For the record, we
trust Mr. Bowler's account. As we said in our earlier post
today, the truth is out there . . . for now, we'll keep posting
rumors as we receive them. |
| March 21, 2002--Where is Agent
Mulder when we really need him? Reader Clay
Bowler (see our March 18 item) hears from one retailer that
the carbon crankset is being recalled. But when our
sources checked with every major Campagnolo supplier in the US,
they were told that there is no such recall! We called
Clay's retailer (they were upset over being mentioned here, so we
have deleted their name and web address). They said they never told Mr. Bowler that the
crankset was being recalled, but would not comment further.
The truth is out there . . . |
|  March 18, 2002--More bad
news about the carbon crankset? Reader Clay
Bowler (photo left) sends this item: "I called
[my retailer] to make shipping arrangements of my carbon crankset today.
He told me his distributor called him shortly after I called on
Friday to announce that Campy is recalling the carbon crankset.
Apparently, they are having problems with a seam in the carbon,
and he has to ship them all back to the distributor." |
|  March
11, 2002--Kudos to Campagnolo for good customer service.
They recently airshipped a new carbon crankset to Gregor
Brown, whose first crankset had a defective spindle hole (see our March
1, 2002 rumor, below). Gregor applauds Campagnolo for
their speedy service, but wishes the product hadn't been defective
in the first place. Click on the image to see Gregor's
new crankset, mounted on his Pinarello Prince. |
| March 6, 2002--Bad news for retro
Campy fans looking for small parts and components. We
just checked out the web site of Bicycle Classics ( www.bicycleclassics.com
) and found that they are going out of business. Bicycle
Classics offered a great stock of retro Campy and other
gear--here's wishing them luck in the potential sale of the
business and their inventory to a new owner. |
| March 4, 2002--Howard
Smith responds to our March 1 posting: "I just
checked my Record carbon crank for the size problem. Both
holes measure the same size and my Record BB fits perfectly into
both crank arms. Left crank number is 00109 (interestingly
seems to be made just before the readers) and right crank arm
00076 (one of the early ones). Quality problem? Not
so for me. Keep the faith. It's a good product
if you are lucky enough to get one." |
| March 1, 2002--Reader Gregor
Brown writes of a not happy experience with the new carbon
cranks: "I am one of the "lucky" ones
to get some new Carbon Record cranks. When putting together
my new Pinarello I came across a problem... The
left crank arm square hole was not large enough to
accommodate the bottom spindle. I thought...Maybe it's my
Phil Wood BB. But the answer to that is no, after trying it
on other BBs. We
are sending them back to the distributor in LA. Well, I
could of filed out the hole but I don't think so after I paid so
much. They look really cool though. Just like
what is reported...They are not super glossy and got that seam
around the edges." Click
here for photos of Gregor's crankset |
| February 28, 2002--A Canadian
reader sent this info: "From
Campy officials : the
cranks are made in-house by Campy and the output is 2 per day!! So
the supply will be very constrained (200 in the USA) |
| February 28, 2002--We're
still hearing about slow deliveries of the carbon
crankset and the new Record Triple. Sources tell
us that US importers ordered 300 carbon cranks, but have seen only
6 so far . . . Aesthetics is a personal issue, but we're also told
that experienced retailers who have seen the carbon cranks are
disappointed in their appearance--too rough and not up to
Campagnolo's usual high standards for their top-of-the-line gruppo.
Waiting for Record Triple? Keep waiting--these new cranksets
are only now starting to trickle into the US. |
| February 22, 2002--Where do carbon
cranks come from? Some have suggested Taiwan, but a
perhaps more plausible idea is that they are being made by hand
inhouse by Campagnolo. That would explain the slow
production and low availability . . . |
|  February
22, 2002--Looking for a permalink alternative?
Check out this article from the British publication Cycling
News
Click on the image for a larger version |
| February 19, 2002--A
recall for carbon cranks?
Not so, according to the latest
reports. Availability is still low in the
U.S.--we haven't seen a pair yet, either for sale
or on the road. |
| February 12,
2002--Not a rumor, but a prediction that
Campagnolo will announce a new hub design
for 2003. Seems a patent on a design held by that
other "S" company is set to expire this
year. If past practice holds (witness the new
cassette designs introduced by Campagnolo when
the other company's patents expired), we'll be
riding on hubs that share features with Dura Ace
. . . |
| February 12,
2002--We haven't heard much about the carbon
crankset lately . . . but our email box today
contained a forwarded message from a Campy fan
who was hoping to install one of the carbon
cranksets. His shipment was delayed. As he
explains: "[The online dealer] told me
that they were expecting a shipment from
Campagnolo next week, but, now they are all being
recalled due to a serious defect. Campagnolo
claims they will remedy the problem and [the
dealer] will receive their supply by May of this
year; they claim." |
| February 10,
2002--Campy Only reaches 500,000
visits! Thanks to all of our loyal
readers for helping make us the web's #1 unofficial
place for Campagnolo news, information, and . . .
rumors! |
| January 29, 2002--Who
makes the carbon crankset? We're
hearing rumors that Campagnolo may have
subcontracted its production to another company? |
| January 29, 2002--Looking
for the nex Xenon gruppo in your local
bike shop? Our sources tell us you're more
likely to find it on a complete bike than as a
separate gruppo available for purchase. Dealers
reportedly don't like it very much, so they're
not likely to order it. |
| January 29, 2002--Check
out several close-up photos of the carbon
crankset and decide for yourself whether its
looks are up to Campagnolo standards. Click here for photos |
| January 28, 2002--We're
still looking for reports about the carbon
crankset from people who actually have
them--here is the latest, from reader and
(unhappy) crankset owner Chris Cameron: Click here for Chris'
comments
Do you have carbon cranks?
Please email us your comments! |
| January 25, 2002--Earlier
rumors about trouble between component maker FSA
and Campagnolo are not true. FSA
president Doug wrote us to clarify the situation:
"I'm Doug from Full Speed Ahead and I'm
the president of the company. Interesting rumor
concerning FSA versus Campagnolo but not true. I
am a big Campagnolo fan and have had a long
business relationship as well as personal
friendships with many of the people at
Campagnolo. We don't have any interest in causing
them any problems. ...
Anyway, your readers will be interested to know
that we are shipping our Carbon Pro and Team
Issue cranks in 10 speed so they can have carbon
cranks for their bikes."
Check out FSA's lineup at their
website: www.fullspeedahead.com |
| January 22, 2002--We'll
have complete summary of Campagnolo's new
additions for 2002, but here's a quick note for
buyers of the Record 10-speed Triple:
Don't buy an Ergobrain.
The current crop of 10-speed ErgoBrain computers
won't work with a 3x10 setup--the unit will only
handle a 9-speed triple. Try to set up a
Record 10-speed triple, and the unit defaults
back to a 9-speed setup. Campagnolo is
reportedly working on an updated 10-speed unit
that will recognize a triple crankset--we'll let
you know when it's available. |
| January 21, 2002--A
reader from Denmark writes that his local dealer,
Danish Racing Sports, has stopped taking
orders for the carbon crankset due to
quality concerns. |
| January 21, 2002-- Reader Frank sent in this scan of a
recent Ford ad that looks more like a Campagnolo
promotion--at least their ad people know what the
best cyclists ride. (Note: This ad appeared
in the December 17, 2001, edition of Newsweek,
which makes this older model Veloce derailleur a
little out of date . . . maybe the rider ran out
of money after buying a new car.) |
| January 17, 2002--Here's
a nice item: Campagnolo topped the
list in an online vote at www.cyclingnews.com for the best product of the year 2001. Campagnolo 10-speed
Record took top honors, outpolling 9-speed
Dura Ace by about 2-to-1. The carbon
crankset came in fifth, following Ksyrium
wheels (3rd place) and the Giro Pneumo helment
(4th place). |
| January 16, 2002--We're
not alone in reporting problems with the new
carbon crankset. Go to www.cyclingforum.com and read the message
threads--and let us know how you like your
carbon crankset. |
| January 15, 2002--Our
email comment to the Campy Only mailing list that
US Campy fans should buy from US suppliers
generated |
| January 15, 2002--We
asked readers who have received their carbon
cranksets to send us their impressions.
The first response thus far was an ominous
report from Tony Valenti, who wrote, "I
have a record carbon crankset have ridden it two
days (56mi)and it has failed.
Left side debonded from aluminum insert that
bolts it to bottom bracket."
Please let us know about your experiences
with the carbon crankset! Email: enorris@campyonly.com |
| January 11, 2002--One
reader reported that an online bicycle shop based
in England is selling the carbon crankset
for about $610US, plus shipping and
duty. When we tried to go to the shop's web
site, it didn't work, so we won't post the
address here . . . |
| January 10, 2002--As
a followup to yesterday's item, we contacted
worldcycling.com and asked them if they have the carbon
crankset in stock. Their reply via
email: "We have received only a
small handful! And all went to previous
backorders.. We don't have a
"firm" date as to when we will see
more. They will ship as soon as they are
available." Watch your local
paceline--somebody somewhere will show up with a
carbon crankset soon . . . If you have a carbon
crankset, let us know if Campagnolo is sending
out special instructions (so they can perhaps
avoid the problems that occurred with the carbon
seatposts damaged by rides who weren't told not
to overtighten the seatpost clamp on the frame .
. . ) |
| January 9, 2002--At
least one web site, www.worldcycling.com , appears to have the Record
carbon crankset in stock--at least they will
let you add it to a shopping cart online.
Their price? $799 |
|  January 2, 2002--Bicycle
maker Cannondale is reprising its 1986
all-black "Black Lightning" model, this
time with Campagnolo's Record gruppo
featuring (of course) lots of black carbon
fiber. For more info: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/02/ce/model-2BL.html |
| January 2, 2002--Still
waiting for your carbon crankset?
We're hearing that they will be in stock in the
US in February . . . |
|  So you weren't included on
Campagnolo's Christmas card list?
Click here to see their official web site
Christmas card.
|
May
16, 2002
January 