Campagnolo Super Record Components

No tribute to Bernard Hinault would be complete without mentioning Campagnolo and in
particular the Super Record group.This was the groupset that Hinault used for the majority
of his professional career, through the cobbled "Hell of the North" in Paris-Roubaix, to the
dizzy heights of the Alps in the Tour de France. These components were the state-of-the-art
and used by every self-respecting pro team at that time, from it's introduction in the 1970's
to it's demise in the mid 1980's.

The aim of Campagnolo was to produce a group that was lighter and more durable than anything
made previously by themselves or anyone else. Prior to this time, the only sure way of making parts
lighter was to literally drill small holes in them; chainrings, gear levers, brake levers, derailleur cages were
all "modified" in this way in an attempt to save the all-important ounces. However, this process had it's
obvious drawbacks. Breakages of drilled parts were commonplace and only with the advent of lightweight
alloy and titanium boasting superb strength-to-weight ratios, was this practice discarded.

Campagnolo engineers introduced titanium into their new group as an valuable way of reducing weight.
Apart from the frame itself, the single most effective way to save weight was by creating a light bottom
bracket unit. Traditionally the cups and axle had been made from steel and although strong and durable
were heavy. They decided to machine the axle from titanium and produce the cups in light alloy. The axle
could not be constructed as a copy of the steel unit as the shoulders that support the bearings could not
withstand the constant wear if produced in titanium. Instead, the engineers decided to create a pair of steel
shoulders and mount them on the bare axle. This gave them a unit that was light, strong and just as durable
as is steel counterpart. The titanium bottom bracket was born!

The pedals also came in for this treatment, shaving precious ounces off of the weight of their predecessors, while
the new toe-clips were manufactured from a light alloy. Another significant weight-saving was made in the new
ultra-light rear derailleur The upper and lower pivot bolts were given the titanium treatment and supported a very
stylish alloy body and jockey cage. The Super Record hubs also featured titanium in the shape of new axles adding
to the overall weight saving over anything else comparable on the market. It wouldn't be long before the engineers
at Campagnolo turned their attention to another heavyweight part to create a masterpiece - the alloy freewheel.

The professional cyclist and mechanic could now rely on components that would withstand the rigours of
the road racing calendars. As you will see in the images below, the Super Record groupset had all the
classic styling that any Italian would expect from a product of such standing as Campagnolo. These parts
could be likened to a Rolex or Heuer watch in terms of their beauty, precision and function. Every enthusiast
would set their sights on owning a beautiful Italian road bike equipped with Super Record components.

Although production ceased some 15 years ago, no-one has since come close to recreating the beauty of
Campagnolo Super Record - the epitome of Italian design, elegance and durability, as these pictures illustrate:-

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