Thank you for the added details.
>However, I did find a copy of an article given to me by Pino,
>entitled "Eddy and the Hour" by Owen Mulholland from the March 1991
>issue of Bicycle Guide,
The Bicycle Guide article was done when the bike was at George Gibb's
shop. The VBQ article includes additional photos taken at the same
time.
>and the best thing is that in Pino's own handwriting, he wrote on
>the back of one page:
>
>"I did supply Colnago:
>
>First World Made Titanium Stem
>Fifth Weight Chain
>Shell Bottom Bracket
>Aluminum Tough Coted Head Set "
Most contemporary reports (including Rebour's) referred to a
titanium headset, which surprised me. While it is true that aluminum
wasn't quite established as a material for headsets, it seems like a
logical choice. If Pino says it was aluminum, it probably was.
(Contemporary reports also speak of Ti pedal cages, when they
probably were standard aluminum cages, because the SL pedals were
introduced sometime around 1971 according to Chuck's Campagnolo
Timeline.)
> It also goes on to state that "bars were drilled on their trailling
>edge, while the sloping stem was made of titanium expecially for
>Merckx by Pino Morroni", which is accompanied by a picture of the
>drilled bars and stem, with the tuff-coated headset also clearly
>visible.
There is no doubt that the black headset was on the bike for the
record attempt. Stem and bars were changed back and forth numerous
times - before and after the event.
>I know there has been some debate if the bars were actually drilled,
>but let me put forth that this picture shows the holes on the
>trailing edge, which would make them very hard to see in most photos.
Indeed. That is the problem with the old photos.
One other issue: Many of these "special" items later became standard in the Campy SR group:
- Aluminum headset cups - Ti BB spindle, hub axles
One wonders whether Pino's and Colnago's work pointed the way, and Campagnolo either used the development work they had done, or simply took the idea and developed it further.
Of course, the fact that aluminum pedal cages already were available indicates that Campagnolo was well on that road already. -- Jan Heine, Seattle Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com