Tell me about: Campagnolo steel/ aluminium hubs

[legrandefromage]

The spokes are shot but laced in the 'old' way of 36/40 I have what I believe to be a set of Gran Sport with the chrome steel?

Straight q/r levers and a little grease port.

Velobase seems to agree:

These laced to Fiamme red label tubular rims makes for a nice wheelset! The surviving tub was a Clements.

What excites me more is that the wheels come with a lovely all chromed frame with GB bars/ stem, nice centrepulls and so on - that still needs picking up as it didnt fit in my small fiesta work van...

 

[Spokesmann]

I agree, looks like early Gran Sport.

 

[yorkie1956]

The straight Campagnolo quick release levers are made pre-1978. I have two Campagnolo equipped bikes, 1977 & 1978. Only my older bike has the straight levers.

Apparently, changes in US consumer legislation were the reason behind these and other Campagnolo product changes. Below is an extract from the Campagnolo timeline http://www.velo-retro.com/tline.html

1978
C.P.S.C. (Consumer Product Safety Commission) mandates changes to NR/SR. Included are a front derailleur lip, 2.5 mm increase in spacing between crank spider and arm to clear the front derailleur lip with corresponding increase in bottom bracket axle length, a curved quick release lever and ball-end added to quick release conical adjuster, dome-shape added to quick release cam lever on brake calipers, plastic covering added to the wheel guides on the brake shoes, and plastic safety-shields added to rear derailleur screws. The word "Patent" is changed to "Brev." on the chainring, chainring bolts and crank dust caps.
Tullio Campagnolo is bestowed with the Stella D'Oro (Golden Star) award by the C.O.N.I. (Italian National Olympic organization) for his contributions to sport.

I don't know anything about your hubs, but isn't the 'old way' 32/40?

 

[legrandefromage]

many thanks! indeed it may be 32/40 - I'm getting excited about the bike they were attached to as its all chrome!

 

[yorkie1956]

That's nice. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of your bike.

Now back to the Campagnolo straight / curved quick release lever scenario.

Allegedly, the 1978 Campagnolo safety modifications were forced on the company by the Health & Safety brains of the USA. It appears that the US took the view that anything straight, like a bicycle quick release lever, brake quick release lever, or indeed a front derailleur cage and of course other items, may well cause bodily injury in the event of an accident. Accordingly, all components were modified with smooth round curves in order to meet the new 1978 US laws.

Of course, the new law applied equally to all goods that were freely available to members of the US public.