I have a Gios Torino that I purchased in 1979. About 5 years ago I stripped it down for a trip to the painters. The bottom bracket and headset are still the original ones I put in way back in 1979. The key is to know EXACTLY how to adjust the stuff. (For instance, you need to get the stem insterted and fully tightened down before you do the final adjustment on the headset. The steering tube will deflect when you crank down on the binder bolt, thus causing a very slight bind on the headset.) If you get it right, the parts will last quite a very long time. Now, I have so many bikes, I doubt any one will be getting the miles my Gios did.
The 42 tooth chainring lasted the same as the BB and headset, but it can now be used as a table saw blade. The teeth are so worn thin I am suprised they did not break. I have hung it on my wall as a tribute to days gone by.
Adjust the hubs loose when out of the bike. The clamping action of the quick release will tighten up the adjustment. You need to play with this one. If you hold the rim seam at the 12:05 position and let it go, the wheel should go back and forth several times until the seam comes to rest very close to 6:00. If you have the cones too tight, the wheel will not spin freely. I cannot remember the last time I wore out a set of Campy RECORD (Nuovo, SL, or whatever people are calling them these days) hubs. I have broken rear axles, but never wore out cups or cones.
As for the bottom bracket, I always use a Campy fixed cup tool to set the fixed cup. I loosly assemble the bottom bracket, then mount the right side crank. During the final adjustment of the locking ring, I use the crank arm as a lever to see the precise point at which the BB starts to bind. When you crank down on the lock ring, it will pull the adjustable cup out just a touch. You can turn both the lock ring and the adjustable cup at the same time for the final lock down.
Brake pads wear out quickly. Even to this day, I remove the Campy front brake pads and use after market ones. For me (240 lbs), Campy just never seemed to stop well. I used Matthauser pads up until 2000. Now, I use Ritchy Logic with great success.
I know there are several other people out there who have more to say, so I will stop now with this monologue.
Dennis Stover Arleta, CA (been wrenching bikes for way toooooo long)
> my few good bikes are all campy super record and
nuovo
> record. would anyone be willing to even hazard a
guess
> as to the life (mileage) expectancy of the wearable
> parts, under normal road riding conditions and
> relatively careful maintenance?