Bryant Bainbridge wrote: "It turns out that for a few special and influential Italian builders, there [Campagnolo] were modifying cranks, shifters, brakes and seat posts."
Please excuse my doubts, but since this contradicts everything I've heard about this topic (but unlike you without direct evidence) I have to ask: Are you really sure that Campagnolo modified the parts up to the finished pantographed products? Or is it possible that they just offered to selected customers modified or special raw parts which were a better starting point for further pantographing than the finished polished and anodized original Campagnolo product? I've had myself a raw, solid undrilled Super Record seat post in my hands which was forseen to be finished by a bike manufacturer but I've always been told that Campagnolo never did the final pantographing themselves.
Dirk
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Dirk Feeken
Heidelberg
Germany