Steven Maasland wrote:
> Chuck,
>
> Campagnolo actually made quite a few variants of covered gear cable
> housing. I sold a few Gran Turismo gear sets that came complete with
> derailleur, lever and cable in covered gear cable housing.
>
> This is part part 605 in Campagnolo catalogues that are described as
> being: covered cable housing for frame mounted gear shift (105 cm)
>
> There were also part 607 which is described as: covered cable housing
> for frame mounted gear shift (59 cm)
>
> Lastly, there are part numbers 146 and 219 which are also covered
> cable
> housing for handlebar mounted shift levers in respectively 185 cm and
> 140 cm lengths
>
> Having said that, I have never seen anything but low end bikes with
> the
> covered derailleur cable housing, so it would strike me as odd to
> see a
> bike of the quality of Kevin's bike with such cable housing in its
> original build.
>
> Steven Maasland
> Moorestown, NJ
As always you are correct Steven.
I remember the original Gran Sport had covered cable housing for the complete cable runs in 1951 when it was first released but that quickly changed to open cable runs. And the cable housing for the bar end shifters was the bare housing (and would wear the paint off the head tube). Afraid I'm only really familiar with the typical pro setups and don't have much familiarity or interest in the low end stuff that Tullio made (yeah, pretty elitist attitude I admit).
You write, "strike(s) me as odd to see a bike of the quality of Kevin's bike with such cable housing in its original build." Note that Kevin mentioned his Bill Hurlow originally came with the non covered housing and he substituted the covered derailleur cable housing.
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California http://www.velo-retro.com
.