SFR 200K 1-25-14

SFR 200K 1-25-14, a set on Flickr.

First official miles on the way to Paris-Brest-Paris in 2015--200 kilometers from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Pt Reyes Lighthouse. Next up are 300- and 400K brevets in March.

Today's Bike: Mr. Bean's Bianchi

A reader known only as "2012mrbeans" sent this photo of a Bianchi with a very interesting drivetrain--apparently, late-model 10-speed Ergo levers attached to Nuovo Record front and rear derailleurs.

We're going to check with Mr. Bean and see how well this mismatched system works.

Update: A sharp-eyed reader pointed out that the Ergo levers aren't connected to the derailleurs. Look closely, and you can see that the original downtube shifters are still there.

Here's a Retro Campy Part You Probably Haven't Seen Before

On eBay ... a "tube saver" that goes inside the band that holds on your clamp-on down tube shifters. Nice idea, and something that Campy Only has never seen in real life. Auction ends in nine days.

Electronic Campy Video

Lots of Campagnolo electronica in this official video on Vimeo ... electronic bikes, electronic soundtrack ... even an electronic washing machine.

Check out the video below, or hit up this link to see it in its full glory at Vimeo.

The Best Teams Trust Campagnolo from Campagnolo Srl on Vimeo.

The Campagnolo Experience: Pricey Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Tullio's World

Just when you thought you had it all, from your Nuovo Record-equipped Cinelli to the electronic-shifting Colnago, along comes ... a $4,100 tour of Tullio's world in Italy.

Bike Rumor is reporting on the 2014 edition of the "Campagnolo Experience," a fully supported, behind-the-scenes tour of Italy themed around Campagnolo. From the Bike Rumor report,

"In partnership with Thomson Bike Tours, the 2014 Campagnolo Experience includes a chance to ride the Campagnolo Gran Fondo in Rome on Sunday, October 13 2014. The ride will include a VIP guided tour of the Campy factory as well as the opportunity to rub elbows with staff and “cycling celebrities.” The 2,995 euros per person includes 7 nights in mostly 4 star hotels, VIP dinner in Vincenza, and more. Advanced registration is starting now."

In case you're wondering, airfare to and from Italy is not included. Perhaps it's time to sell that Cinelli ...

Register for the tour here.

P.S. If you're interested in a slightly less Campy-centric tour of Italy, hit up our web sponsors, Cycle Italia. They offer complete packages of cycling-oriented tours, led by dedicated Campagnolo fans.

 

Decisions, Decisions ...

Planning ahead for the 2014 randoneurring and double century season. So many rides to choose from!

Not shown on this list are a three-day ride down the California coast in the spring, and the Knoxville Fall Classic double century in September, which will cap off our 25th consecutive California Triple Crown season.

Which rides are you planning on for 2014? Let us know in the comments.

 

Campy Only and the California Triple Crown

Your faithful Campy Only Guy is still in the lead in total California Triple Crown finishes--24 consecutive years of riding at least three California double centuries.

CampyOnlyGuy at the 1989 Davis Double Century

The 2014 CTC season starts for us in February, with double centuries to be interspersed this year with  200-, 300-, 400-, and 600-kilometer brevets and a 1,000-kilometer randonee in August.

See you all on the road in 2014!

Reflecting on Reflectivity

Updated 1-6-14 with a new nighttime photo.

We here at Campy Only are great believers in the value of reflective gear for our bikes. We put in a lot of miles after dark, both training for and riding in randonneuring events, and we've found a few inexpensive items that will help make your bike more visible at night.

The first are self-adhesive reflective decals that go on your rim around each spoke. The ones we use are called "Spokees," available online from www.funreflector.com They're available in several shapes and colors, including a "stealth" black that isn't quite as reflective but blends in well with black anodized rims.

Here's a photo of a diamond-shaped Spokee on one of our bikes:

Spokees come 12 to a pack for $4.95, with free shipping. I put them about every 3rd or 4th spoke; two packs will outfit most bikes.

Last Chance 200K 12-31-13

Last Chance 200K 12-31-13, a set on Flickr.

Photos from yesterday's ride with my fellow Davis-area randonneurs. One lesson learned is that there is *no* water on the American River bike trail. 30+ miles of twisting, turning trail, often packed with families, joggers, and strollers ... and NO place to get a drink.

Alex Singer Shop in Paris

We were fortunate to be able to visit the Alex Singer shop in Paris when we were there for Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011. Even got to check out the back of the shop, which was overflowing with stacks of parts and an amazing assortment of Singer and other bicycles.

For those who can't make it to Paris, here's an interesting video from French TV. It's only in French (no subtitles), but you can learn a lot just from watching.

Enjoy!

Update! Couple of photos from my visit to Alex Singer:

Brunch Ride to Sacramento with my Bleriot

Brunch Ride to Sacramento with my Bleriot, a set on Flickr.

Photos from today's ride. That's our new Rivendell Bleriot in one of the shots--a bike we plan to ride for the 2014 brevet season.

Magnic Light Review

It's been a few months since we purchased a Magnic Light system and began using it on two different bikes. Now, it's time for a review. This review continues the intro we posted here.

The System

Magnic Light began as a Kickstarter project that promised something so outlandish that it was dismissed by some as a hoax: a friction-free, effort-free dynamo lighting system that drew power from the movement of an aluminum rim past small, self-contained headlight and taillight units. Still, the project drew enough backers, and last year the first version of the lights (more on that later) was released.

It's currently available in two places: the Magnic Light web site (located in and with shipping from Germany) and Clever Cycles, a Portland, OR, bike shop that sells both from their store in Portland and online. Clever Cycles sells a complete system (two headlights and one taillight, plus mounts to fit your bike) for $250. The price at Magnic's web site is about the same: 192€ (currently $262US).

A complete system looks like this (photo from Magnic's web site). The light head snaps into a bracket that fits onto the bike.

Campy Eye Candy: Building a Colnago

The folks at Vecchio's, the iconic Boulder, CO, shop, built up a Colnago for reader Rick Hess, and he made a nice video of the process that also highlights the historic ambience of the shop. Enjoy!

 

 

SRAM Red electronic road group: more images and info - BikeRadar

SRAM riders can now join those fortunate Campagnolo and ShimaNO riders who need to check the battery charge on their derailleurs before every ride. Welcome to the future, brothers and sisters.

Black tape is probably a pre-production feature. We hope.

SRAM Red electronic road group: more images and info - BikeRadar

Today's Retro Shots: Campy BMX Hubs

Campagnolo made a brief foray into the then-exploding area of BMX cycling in the 1980s, producing a mini-gruppo of hubs and crankset (we have one of the single-speed cranksets on our 1970s Motobecane). The parts were available in several anodized colors, including blue and gold.

Reader Warren M sent these photos of this NOS set of low-flange BMX hubs, which are (as he points out) most likely a set of Gran Sport hubs that have been repurposed with bolt-on axles.

For a photo of an "all-Campy" BMX bike from the Campy Only archives, click here.

Fascinating Classic Cycling

Hard to tell if there's any Campagnolo in these videos, but this archival footage, mostly from Paris in the 1930s and 40s, is full of fascinating images. Look closely and you'll see many things that recently became "new" again after all these years--recumbent bicycles, small-wheeled bikes, arm-powered "rowing" bicycles, high performance trailers, and more.

http://youtu.be/jdlpJqHxLxk

 

Annual Campagnolo Toy Drive December 7

If you're going to be in the greater San Diego area on December 7, you should plan to take part in Campagnolo's annual toy drive/fun ride. Great event for a great cause.

Please don't bring any ShimaNO-made gifts. That would be cruel.

 

Magnic Light Nighttime Demo: A Campy Only Video

We'll have a detailed written review up soon ... for now, here's some nighttime video of Magnic Lights in action aboard one of the Campy Only test bikes.



Click here to see the video on YouTube