Campagnolo Chorus age, please....?

[heliski22]

I came across this recently on the second-hand stand outside a bike/sports shop near where I live these days in a small town northwest of Milan. From what I've read here on the forum, some of the Campag experts may be able to date it for me from the kit fitted to it.

Acting completely on the spur-of-the-moment, I took it away from him for very small money without even riding it, having just taken out the wheels to spin them in my hands and had a fiddle with the cranks for play in the BB.

Briefly, it's a hand-built frame, built by the owner of the shop who used to do that until product liability legislation and insurance costs made it prohibitive. That's his name on the frame. Columbus tubing as identified by the sticker in the photo further down and Camp Chorus everything - almost.

No shoe marks on the cranks, very little wear evident on the chainring teeth, I subsequently changed the saddle, put some LOOK pedals on it and went for a ride during which it all seemd to work quite nicely.

The lad in the in the shop thought it might be 12 or maybe 15 years old but with 8-speed, I figured it might be more than that. Not having been riding for some time and not having enything in the stable younger than my Raleigh Royal tourer from about 1991, I'm not familiar with this stuff any more.

 

[Shayne]

1996 +/- 1 year

 

[heliski22]

Thanks for that, Shayne!

What are the key identifiers?

 

[Shayne]

In 1995 they started adding the croup name to the parts. Prior to that everything was just 'Campagnolo'

And in 1998(I think) Chorus was 9speed

 

[heliski22]

Very good, Shayne, thanks again! I appreciate the information. I went into the shop to start pricing new bikes, planning to treat myself in the New Year once I'd determined how much I might have left over once the taxman had been paid (less than I had expected, as it happens!) and saw this on the way in.

I raced a bit many years ago but it's been a long time since I had any regular involvement. I knew Chorus was below their premium level groupset but it looked really nice and in good order so I took it away. The price tag said €250 but I paid him much less than that in the end. It'll be more than enough for me to get my legs back under me during this year!

This is the updated "fleet"...

 

[colnagolover]

I too found Shayne's info helpful but I think your frame is older than mid-nineties because Columbus Cromor was a mid-late eighties tubing: I have an '87 Colnago Super Sprint (1st generation Chorus group) which was built with the Cromor tuibeset. I am fairly sure Columbus had dropped Cromor by the mid nineties, as many Italian builders were then using Tange tubesets for their lower end frames.

Colnagolover

 

[colnagolover]

Should've added - looks like a nice bike, especially for "very small money"

 

[heliski22]

Thanks, colnagolover!

I'll go back to the shop and find out more when I get back to Italy - currently in Dublin recovering from knee surgery which, incidentally, I'd no idea was imminent when I went out to buy a bike. So my modest investment is probably more appropriate in the circumstances!

The paint is chipped quite badly, as though it was lying around for a while, getting pushed around here and there. I had first thought of re-painting it but then thought I'd leave it as it's a little bit of local history, so to speak.

It's really just to satisfy my curiosity - it rides fine and everything is nice and tight and working well.

I've since taken the Cinelli bars and stem, as well as the Selle Italia Turbo saddle from the Raleigh in the "fleet" picture above and put them onto it - they improve it quite a bit. The Cinellis date back to 1990 and have a big deep drop on them which is a bit of a stretch for me at the moment so I'll see about finding something else in due course.

 

[sswinton]

That's a very weird place to put the Columbus sticker! The frame looks good quality with a fancy rear brake bridge. Are the forks steel and what size is the seatpin?

 

[heliski22]

Yes, it does seem a little out of the way stuck up there but that's where it is.

The rear brake bridge has the Cinelli stamp on it.

The fork is steel and the left side has a Columbus sticker on it which I don't have a picture of right now. Rear dropouts are Campag but nothing stamped on the front if I remember correctly. I'll have to check the size of the seat pin. An attempt to determine the angles suggested 74 seat tube and 73 head tube but I don't think I'd be willing to wager much on the quality of my measurement!

And it weighs in at around 10kgs - again, measurement was rudimentary!