This is a very interesting topic. I came to cycling working in Raleigh shop in 1972 ish. There weren't any copies available to us at that time. You sort of graduated from Simplex or something similar to Campy when you got a "really good bike". So once you start buying it you buy more of it. I had a bike to race and a bike to train on that had fenders for when it rained. They were exactly the same components. Barry Witcomb built a frame to match the geometry of my racing bike but with the eyelets for the fenders.
But there was for me the OTHER FACTOR!
Eddy rode Campy and he was my hero. AND more significantly Freddy Maertens rode Shimano. Maertens was from the dark side. I couldn't stand him. Flandria was the evil empire. How could I ever possibly ride Dura Ace stuff. NO WAY! Then I wondered how in the world could Thevenet do so well the stuff he rode? Go figure.
Bulls Eye pulleys are OK though. The only non Campy thing I ever used were Suntour Superbe peddles. Now they really were nice.
I do hear some of the cool Mavic stuff calling my name. If my wife finds out I'm toast.
Gary Glenn Seneca, SC
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