Yeah Jerry,
As I recall, around maybe 1970, PX-10s were about the greatest bargain in top race quality bikes out there, selling for under $170. Then (for around $200-225) came maybe Frejus, Atala, and other good Italian bikes (all just "mostly" Campy), and then finally came maybe Cinelli and Paramount (for over $250) at the very top of the price scale. But still almost none of even the best bikes were sold with Campy brakes. For quite a while and Mafac, Weinmann or Universal center-pulls remained respectable race-proven top-drawer components.
I do recall seeing ads for Holdsworth's orange and blue Professional "Team" bikes (available only by direct factory order) which were offered with Campy brakes - but they had a truly outrageous advertised list price of nearly $400... so, of course, I never even saw one of those. They were just the racing bikes of our dreams.
Bob Hanson Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
---------------------- Jerry Moos wrote:
I bought my first lightweight in 1972. A Peugeot PX-10 was $200 complete, maybe even $180. So a $50 set of Campy brakes seemed an item only for the wealthy. I think a new set of Mafac Competitions (I think the Competitions were out in 1972) was less than $20.
When I bought a LeJeune F-70 (PX-10 equivalent) a year or two later, I "upgraded" to original Dura-Ace SP's because they were similar to the Campys but significantly cheaper. Don't remember exactly, but I think maybe the DA's were $30 - $35.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas