Hi CR List Members, Thanks Ray Dobbins for posting this auction link about the FIRST GENERATION CAMPAGNOLO RECORD "no Campagnolo logo" brakeset! My take on the auction is that the price is very much in line "IF THE BRAKESET IS THE REAL DEAL". ebay auction ITEM NUMBER IS: Item number: 260003062649
My gut reaction when I saw the brake levers was that I always thought that drilled levers were only introduced with SUPER RECORD era brake levers. According to Chuck Schmidt's "The Original Campagnolo Timeline" from his website: http://www.velo-retro.com 1974 - Catalog #17 is printed for the year-end trade shows .... "brake levers with holes, short reach brake calipers"..... Thanks Chuck for maintaining your Velo Retro website! If it's not in the archives its on Chuck's Campagnolo Timeline,what a resource!!.
One of the few rare items in my "classic" bicycle parts collection is a complete brakeset set of "no logo" Campagnolo Record (brake caliphers and levers). The "no logo" applies to the caliphers only and not the brake levers(at least on my first generation set).
My set came on a late 1960's early 1970's GITANE SUPER CORSA,which was a "factory option" on the all Campagnolo equipped Gitane "Super Corsa" that I have. The standard brakeset,on the Gitane Super Corsa were the "Mafac Racer Luxe", center pull brakes. The CAMPAGNOLO brake levers on my Gitane Super Corsa are smooth,NOT DRILLED,WITH BLOCK CAMPAGNOLO letters in a box with a point.
A couple years back a list member in California sold a set of "no logo" Campagnolo Record brake caliphers only, for over $800.00 on ebay. I was told that a complete set of original levers, hoods and caliphers would be worth close to one thousand dollars and that was at least two to three years ago.
The item of real value in the auction are the brake caliphers, I defer to what others have said regarding the caliphers themselves. My real question in the auction is the presentation as a complete and authentic brakeset because of the brake levers.
Were there earlier versions of drilled Campagnolo Record brake levers from the factory before the introduction of the Super Record era gruppo in 1974 ?
Maybe Campagnolo did things different for the Swiss market.......The seller seems to have an outstanding ebay record.
I'll be holding on to,my "no logo" caliphers and solid and smooth Campagnolo brake levers for the time being. The caliphers are hiding "somewhere" in the basement since our move, but the brake levers are still mounted on the Gitane Super Corsa.
Good Luck to all and safe riding!
Yours truly, Marty Walsh in VIENNA,VIRGINIA in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA