# Campy's Finest Alloy Group Ever Produced



## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

Just for fun I'm curious as to what others think is Campy's all time finest "alloy" grouppo they have ever produced and why. For instance, I feel that the 2001 - 2003 Chorus 10 is 
the finest; why, because of the traditional and quality of the silver anodized components,
the ability to shift many cogs at one time, if needed, the crankset is of Record quality but
has the traditional 5 arm spider, the brake calipers are very sleek,(no exposed pivot bolts), & the 2nd generation ergo levers are, at least in aesthetics, the most beautiful that Campy has ever produced. Imo the Chorus grouppo of this era is unsurpassed in it's beauty, classic looks, & performance. Oh, let's not forget the beautiful Chorus hubs of this era;
Magnifico!


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## ericjacobsen3 (Apr 27, 2007)

agreed, though I think for a couple years Chorus used the more beautifuller 4 arm crank like Record. That group is best, assuming the 4 arm crank was offered before the levers went carbon.


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## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

ericjacobsen3 said:


> agreed, though I think for a couple years Chorus used the more beautifuller 4 arm crank like Record. That group is best, assuming the 4 arm crank was offered before the levers went carbon.


I believe '04 was the year of change to carbon levers, carbon arm on the RD, & the 4 arm
crank.


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## jaxxon (Jul 22, 2004)

I agree, my 2002 chorus 10 shifts better than my 2012 chorus 11!


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Hey, I have that gruppo! Year 2000. All components still present and working fine at somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000 miles, except for the inner chainring...which is now one of the gray ugly ones. Luckily, it's hidden. Then again, the chain and cassette aren't exactly original, either. And yeah, some of the ratchets in the rear hub are kind of worn down. We also can't forget that the Campy hubs are so easy to adjust, it's almost silly. If you ever need to adjust them, that is.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

BLUE BOY said:


> I believe '04 was the year of change to carbon levers, carbon arm on the RD, & the 4 arm
> crank.


That's correct. I bought the first Chorus group with carbon levers in '04. I still have that group, and it still runs great. I rebuilt it once in '08 and it still shifts really well. I've even crashed on them twice unfortunately, scruffing up the carbon finish, but to no other effect. 

I think of the '01-'08 period was the happiest for owners of higher-end Campa groups. Except for few cases, everything was compatible through the upper ranges. So I was able to have a Chorus bike and a Centaur bike and exchange parts and wheels easily. 

Now my Centaur 10-sp doesn't use the same cassette as my Record 11-sp, and so on and so forth.


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## bottecchia_eja (Jul 18, 2010)

All your Campy questions will be answered here:

Campy Only! Campagnolo News, Information, Rumors,

Cheers!


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

May not be functionally the best but C-Record has always been the best looking.
C-Record was the group that made me HAVE to have Campagnolo. High design, very sculpural.


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## ericjacobsen3 (Apr 27, 2007)

OK, since the 4 arm crank wasn't offered in Chorus before levers went carbon, I will nominate my '96 Record Titanium 8 speed group as finest ever.

First year of rounded off 1.5 generation Ero levers
Hidden lower der pivot bolt.
Had dual pivot brakes w/ hidden bolts
4 arm spider
Cartridge BB before it went to the carbon shell (delayed until '97 though it was in the '96 catalog).


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## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

ericjacobsen3 said:


> OK, since the 4 arm crank wasn't offered in Chorus before levers went carbon, I will nominate my '96 Record Titanium 8 speed group as finest ever.
> 
> First year of rounded off 1.5 generation Ero levers
> Hidden lower der pivot bolt.
> ...


Do you still have?


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## OperaLover (Jan 20, 2002)

I say 98 Record Ti 9-speed. All alloy hidden bolt crank. Ti bolts in rr. der. Silver hubs. Dual pivot hidden bolt brakes. add the Ti seat post in 99. Alloy brifters, too. Had it all on a steel Marinoni (Nemo) (Frame and fork). One bike I regret selling.


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## ericjacobsen3 (Apr 27, 2007)

No, I rode for 10-13 years and gradually sold off parts as they wore out. Even then with full disclosure they sold for half of what I paid new. The last thing I had were the double dual pivot brakes which escaped when I sold my Klein.


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## refund!? (Oct 16, 2006)

The responses suggest that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there's nothing pretty about that!?

The finest Campy stuff is the 78/79 Super Record gruppo. Add a Silca pump with Campy head, Cinelli stem/bars (Preferably with stitched leather), and a lugged steel Italian frame with Campy dropouts and a name that ends in " i ", and it's perfection.

After three plus decades, mine is still performing as new.


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## Wyatt963 (Oct 11, 2008)

Any one have experience with the new Campagnolo Athena 11spd alloy group?
I am currently have the 2002 Chorus 10spd.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

refund!? said:


> The responses suggest that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there's nothing pretty about that!?
> 
> The finest Campy stuff is the 78/79 Super Record gruppo. Add a Silca pump with Campy head, Cinelli stem/bars (Preferably with stitched leather), and a lugged steel Italian frame with Campy dropouts and a name that ends in " i ", and it's perfection.
> 
> After three plus decades, mine is still performing as new.


If that frame that ends in "i" carries the same name as the bars and stem, it's one I've wanted about as long as you've had yours.


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## bottecchia_eja (Jul 18, 2010)

Wyatt963 said:


> Any one have experience with the new Campagnolo Athena 11spd alloy group?
> I am currently have the 2002 Chorus 10spd.


I have the Record 11V on the Colnago and Bianchi bikes.

But on the Bottecchia I have the Athena 11V with the all aluminum finish. 

The performance of the Athena group is flawless. The quality of the finish is the usual high quality that Campy is known for.

Let me know if you have specific questions about the group.

Ciao.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

ericjacobsen3 said:


> OK, since the 4 arm crank wasn't offered in Chorus before levers went carbon, I will nominate my '96 Record Titanium 8 speed group as finest ever.
> 
> First year of rounded off 1.5 generation Ero levers
> Hidden lower der pivot bolt.
> ...


I'll second that, although mine is the last year of the "Batmobile" Ergos. It's on my late '80's Falcon that gets ridden regularly.

Beautiful, durable, smooth as silk (my Chorus 11 should be so smooth).


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## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

Richard said:


> I'll second that, although mine is the last year of the "Batmobile" Ergos. It's on my late '80's Falcon that gets ridden regularly.
> 
> Beautiful, durable, smooth as silk (my Chorus 11 should be so smooth).


I prefer the 5 arm Chorus crank of the early 2000's mainly because of it's more traditional
looks,(my cycling history goes back to the early 70's), and it's level of fit & finish is equal
to Record. Word was at the time that the 4 arm Record, (then Record / Chorus crank ), was stiffer than the ole 5 arm, but I never knew of or heard from anyone that could feel any
difference between the two; Both were very nice cranks.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

refund!? said:


> The responses suggest that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there's nothing pretty about that!?
> 
> The finest Campy stuff is the 78/79 Super Record gruppo. Add a Silca pump with Campy head, Cinelli stem/bars (Preferably with stitched leather), and a lugged steel Italian frame with Campy dropouts and a name that ends in " i ", and it's perfection.
> 
> After three plus decades, mine is still performing as new.


To me, the Nuovo Record Derailleur was always prettier than the Super Record that succeeded it. Here's my Patent '72 model, bought new. I have to say, though, that the Super Record that I eventually replaced it with (30+ years later!), does work better.


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## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

Mapei said:


> To me, the Nuovo Record Derailleur was always prettier than the Super Record that succeeded it. Here's my Patent '72 model, bought new. I have to say, though, that the Super Record that I eventually replaced it with (30+ years later!), does work better.


Nice! Looks to be in real good condition as well. I've got a Patent '81 Super Record RD
with alum Carmichael pulleys that I cleaned up & have on display; I used it for 20 years 
before retiring it.


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## mackgoo (Mar 2, 2004)

Mapei said:


> To me, the Nuovo Record Derailleur was always prettier than the Super Record that succeeded it. Here's my Patent '72 model, bought new. I have to say, though, that the Super Record that I eventually replaced it with (30+ years later!), does work better.


My first bike was a Bianchi Nuovo Record. You can guess why. It was my very first "real" bike in Celeste of course. It had tubs, and to this day I settle for nothing less.


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## ericjacobsen3 (Apr 27, 2007)

*NR vs SR*

Funny, I always felt Nuovo shifted better, but of course that is splitting hairs between 90% crap shifting and 100% crap shifting.

Having said that (having a NR bike I still ride today), the uncomfortable old brake levers is 10x more of a headache than the 90% crap shifting. Agreed though now that I am reminded, NR is the quintissential alloy Campy group (if only because of less black than SR) so NR must get the nod for best alloy group.


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## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

ericjacobsen3 said:


> Funny, I always felt Nuovo shifted better, but of course that is splitting hairs between 90% crap shifting and 100% crap shifting.
> 
> Having said that (having a NR bike I still ride today), the uncomfortable old break levers is 10x more of a headache than the 90% crap shifting.


Lol, yeah the stuff now is a far cry better than in the old NR days. The old NR / SR stuff do make good display pieces when cleaned and polished up; I'm too spoiled now to actually run any of that stuff today.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

I had this and "upgraded" to C-Record...:mad2:


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## ericjacobsen3 (Apr 27, 2007)

ericjacobsen3 said:


> Funny, I always felt Nuovo shifted better, but of course that is splitting hairs between 90% crap shifting and 100% crap shifting.
> 
> Having said that (having a NR bike I still ride today), the uncomfortable old break levers is 10x more of a headache than the 90% crap shifting. Agreed though now that I am reminded, NR is the quintissential alloy Campy group (if only because of less black than SR) so NR must get the nod for best alloy group.



I am horrified to see I just saw that somehow I spelled "brake" "break" and that had my name on it. Cannot even blame a smartphone. Fitting demographics on this forum demands one be able to spell, but hey, I just wrote a slumming Miche thread.

My editor has been fired. He's a bit of a low class guy who bought a Tiagra crank the other day that is a sure sign of IQ erosion. He can go to the Shimano lover's forum (is there one?).


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## falcon76 (Nov 23, 2007)

*Chorus Rocks*

I have an early 2000's Chorus group on my Colnago MXL and I love it. The shifting seems better than either the mid 2000's Record or various Centaur setups that I've used. The look of silver also goes much better with the MXL than carbon fiber would have, especially since I have the chrome precisa fork. My only compromise in the group was to use a later carbon Chorus crankset because I'm more comfortable with a compact than a regular double or triple.


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