Welcome to our Newest Sponsor: Cycle Italia

We're proud to announce the latest addition to our lineup of Campy Only sponsors: Cycle Italia.  Check out their web site for information on challenging, small-group cycling tours in Italy.

Somebody Buy This Girl a Sweater ...

... or at least a warm jersey. A pair of cycling-appropriate shoes would also be nice ... maybe a helmet.

(She doesn't ride a Campy-equipped bike, but she's been showing up on the Campy Only blog for many readers, so we thought we'd feature her here.)

Filming in HD with the BadVision Spark

Here is a selection of videos and stills (yes, stills) taken a few days ago on Campy Only's traditional post-Thanksgiving Day ride using the Spark HD video camera from Bad Vision.  The camera performed quite well--the 720p HD footage looks great, with a little rolling shutter here and there, and the stills are acceptable (and easier to take than hauling a regular camera out of a jersey pocket). 

For more info on Bad Vision cameras, click here.

Video:

Video:

Nighttime Video:

Still:

Disclaimer: Bad Vision is a Campy Only sponsor

No Campy Content Whatsoever ...

... Just photos from today's rally at the UC Davis campus in support of the students who were pepper-sprayed by campus police last week.  More photos here.

We now return to our regularly scheduled content ...

Campy Only!

Our flagship site, on the web since 1995.

Campagnolo Trivia: The Dishing Tool

What’s the last consumer good you purchased that’s been in continuous production for over a half century?

What’s the last consumer good you purchased that’s been made in the same city, by the same company, under the ownership of the same family, for over a half century?

 

In 1953 Ferrari had been producing road-going cars for 6 years – the LP record was 5 years old. The Chevrolet small-block V8 was still two years away.

 

 And in 1953 Campagnolo introduced their dishing tool. For years it was known simply as the “N” tool and is known by Campagnolo as the UT-HU010.  Campagnolo documents refer to it somewhat prosaically as “wheel dish tool for checking the centering of the rim to the locknuts of hubs”

 

 And as of this week the last shipments to North America have been sent.  If you’re a wheelbuilder, one of the Campagnolo tifosi or just a fan of post-war Italian industrial design I’m confident you’ll find that  to be money well spent.

Note: Yes, Campagnolo is ceasing production of the wheel dishing tool after this year. Also gone is the famous "peanut butter" crank bolt wrench, another icon of Campagnolo's golden era.

 

Thanks to Campy Only contributor Mike McGary for this item.

Bike Europe Tests Electronic Shifting

The folks at bike Europe went to Italy to try out the new EPS electronic gruppos. Here's what they learned.

Lots of Words About Electronic Power Shifting (EPS)

As would be expected, Campagnolo's impending official release of their long-awaited electronic shifting system has sparked a flurry of articles online. Here's one from Bike Europe. We'll post links to others as well in the coming days.

Campy-Equipped Machines from the 7-Eleven Days

Campagnolo and 7-Eeven ruled the roost when the bikes were first built. Both are still around, of course, although it's been a while since we've seen such nice bikes with the Murray name on them.

Campy Only contributor Mike McGary spotted these at a bike shop in Green Bay, IL. He writes,

"Here’s something you don’t see every day. A couple of historic bikes I came across at Green Bay Cycles in Winnetka, IL. Larry had these in the basement of his shop. Not one but two 7-11 Team “Murrays” ( built by Serotta I believe). The inner bike was Davis Phinney’s team ride and the outer bike was made for the 84’ LA Olympic Road Race, for an unknown team member. Of course fully decked out with Super Record ."

More photos after the jump ...

Today's Ride Video

Filmed entirely with video camera sunglasses from Bad Vision (official supplier of video cameras to Campy Only).

Quick Trip on the Winters Pedestrian Bridge

Here's a quick trip over the refurbished 1906 railroad bridge in Winters, CA, which now serves pedestrian and bicycle traffic only.

www.CampyOnly.com

Reminder to check out the Campy Only web site for lots more Campagnolo-related content, including our famous classic catalogs archive! Campy Only has been on the web for more than 15 years--the original and best UNofficial Campagnolo site.

Your Tuesday Campagnolo Girl

From the Greg Lemond/Team Z/Big Mig era. Love the big hair ... and the Delta brakes

Thanks to the reader who pointed out Miguel Indurain in the peloton. We were focusing on another part of the photo and missed that ...

Electronic Gruppos(!) Are Here--Is the World Ready?

Well, it's November 7, the day on which Campagnolo was scheduled to officially unveil their electronic gruppo. And that they have done, but in a Steve Jobs-like moment, they basically said, "But wait, there's one more thing ..." That one more thing was a second electronic gruppo--yes, there will be Super Record EPS and Record EPS versions, which Campagnolo says are slightly lighter than ShimaNO's electronic ensembles.

VeloNews reports on the official launch here.

Click below for excerts from the VeloNews online story:

Campagnolo Isn't Just "Like" Jewelry ... It IS Jewelry

Found this blogger who took the concept of jewel-like components to the next level. Read their blog post here.

VeloNews' Lennard Zinn's Hopes for the Electronic Gruppo

So far, Lennard Zinn, VeloNews' tech guru, isn't seeing some key features that he thinks Campagnolo should build into the electronic gruppo. Read his article here.

Bicycling Magazine Profiles Campagnolo

In case you haven't seen it, you should check out Bicycling Magazine's recent profile of Campagnolo, "The Italian Job." It's a very detailed, warts-and-all examination that asks the question, Can Campagnolo Survive? Check out the article to see what they conclude.

Company head Valentino Campagnolo with the cart used by father, Tullio Campagnolo.

Joe Bell's Garage Sale

And what a garage he has ...
Virtuoso frame painter Job Bell (a friend and sponsor of Campy Only) has some frames and other items for sale. More details here.

A Campy-ish Tattoo

Andrew, at Olympia Cycles in Omaha, NE, sent this photo of one of his female customers. She rides a Campy-equipped Bianchi, and she's obviously very proud of that fact.

Thanks to Andrew for the photo!

You can see more Campy tattoos here.

Campy-Obsessed Writers Wanted

Are you a fan of Campagnolo? Can you write ... well? Maybe take a photo or two?

If so, we'd like to talk to you. We're looking for articles about Campagnolo equipment--news, road tests, travel, etc.--and we can offer you the exposure provided by this blog and the Campy Only web site.

Email us: enorris [at] campyonly [dot] com for more details.

Who Is This Girl ...

... And why is she balancing a Record crankset on top of an Epson printer cartridge? And who told her that bridesmaid's dress looked good on her? So many questions ...

California Triple Crown: We Are At 22 Years and Counting!

22 years ago, Southern California rider Chuck Bramwell started a challenge series: the California Triple Crown. The rules were simple--complete at least three double centuries in one year and you became a Triple Crown finisher. The next year, the counting would start again.

Your humble CampyOnlyGuy took up the challenge that first year (1990), kicking off an unbroken string of CTC finishes. Blazing heat, freezing cold, pouring rain ... even illness tried to stop us, but we rode on. And 22 years later, we're still going strong. No other rider has completed every single CTC season.

The CTC season will begin for us again in February with the Camino Real Double Century. Come back to this blog for photos and reports.

Store-In-A-Store Will Feature Campagnolo Sportswear

Campagnolo is launching a new concept for retailing its clothing line, a "store in a store" that will debut later this year in Holland. We received this press release today:

World’s first CSW shop-in-shop, own magazine and renewed website

Campagnolo Sportswear (CSW) signed the contract with specialized cycling shop Egbert Egberts from Borger for the first shop-in-shop in the world at the latest Bike Motion Benelux. In November starts the renovation, followed by an official opening at December 9.

The CSW shop-in-shop will have a prominent place in the store. The design is stylish Italian and by using indirect lighting and clever presentation and storage options, the clothing is presented to its best advantage. The whole concept is tailor made by Eddy Bouwmans of De Interieur Makers (DIM interior).

Left to right: Andrea Cagnin (CSW Italy), Klaas Almoes (Store Manager Egbert Egberts), Pascal Arts (CSW Benelux, ERP) and Eddy Bouwmans (DIM interior) toasting on the first CSW shop-in-shop at Bike Motion Benelux.)

Our Paris-Brest-Paris Movie

A reminder that the epic video of our Paris-Brest-Paris experience is available on YouTube (or, for viewers outside the US, it's available here). We invite you to check it out--tell your friends, and help us get to 1,000 views!

Bike-mounted video of PBP was shot with an HD camera from Bad Vision (a Campy Only sponsor)