My view on this subject....'lower end components' has been refreshingly changed thanks to this CR list. I admit I probably fall into the category of collector who prefers the top end stuff.......Nuovo and Super Record, and Gran Sport for earlier bikes, but reading some of the posts made by others on the list I realise there is a 'historic vintage life' out there for the less exotic and expensive equipment, such as some of the French stuff......Normandy hubs for example, years ago I would probably have dismissed them as being cheap and nasty, but now I appreciate their place in the make up of a period bike build......and actually when set up right where pretty good.
Its good that we don't just restore and cherish the top end stuff.......it would be like classic car restoration being biased towards the expensive and exotic cars leaving the more mundane, yet obviously more popular cars used by the masses to simply rot away and be forgotton for ever.
So to anyone out there building up a 'Valentino' equiped bike or simular.......you've got my vote of approval........
cheers
Kevin Sayles
Bridgwater [in the rain] Somerset UK
> It occurs to me that Triomphe was indeed the cheap end of the Campy
> spectrum but so was Grand Sport. Even Dale himself purchased a mint
> condition Grand Sport rear derailleur from me at one time (They must have
> some value) ... So without any bias and being totally objective, here is
> my take on the line up ( the ones I've actually owned at one time or
> another).
>
> Valentino - cheap and mostly lacking in dependability.
>
> Grand Sport - cheap but rather functional
>
> Nuovo Record - absolutely classic
>
> Super Record - Misguided effort at being more starkly modern than NR but
> with the smallest measure of added functionality.
>
> Triomphe - cheap but strangely durable and interesting. Still functional
> and having the same lines and angles as NR in the rear derailleur.
>
> Victory - essentially NR and with a modern edge that makes it classic and
> clean.
>
> C Record - overly fussy in it's modern approach but still nicely
> functional.
>
> Modern stuff from the 90's and to now - cutting edge and made to a precise
> dimension and functionality. Essentially Italian cache on Japanese
> mentality.
>
> Garth Libre in Miami Florida ... laid up looking to the possibility of
> having a cutting edge anterior approach replacement for my ailing left
> hip.