Off and on, Campy made half hearted efforts at covering the touring market. Their Grand Tourismo rear derailleur, for example, could theoretically handle practically any gear range.
Campy's Rally could handle wide ranges and actually worked. The Super Record could handle 50/36 x 14/26 (that's enough for almost everything but loaded touring).
As the Triomphe/Victory/Gran Sport proved, Campy could make competent touring equipment if they wanted to. Why they didn't is a mystery.
Amir Avitzur R"G, Israel
On Sun, May 2, 2010 at 5:00 PM, Thomas Adams <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com>wrote:
> Don't forget the patriarch of the 110 mm bolt circle, the Sugino Mighty
> Tour, taking rings down to 34 teeth and fitting on a Campy BB. And of
> course you can run compact style rings on the TA Cyclotouriste and the
> Stronglight 99 if you want to pass up the triple option. But all compact
> doubles required a competent long cage rear derailleur able to wrap lots of
> chain, like the Suntour VXGT or Shimano Crane GS. So I don't think this was
> a viable option until, what, 1973?
>
> Tom Adams
> Manhattan, KS
>
> --- On *Sun, 5/2/10, Amir Avitzur <walawalaoxenfree@gmail.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Amir Avitzur <walawalaoxenfree@gmail.com>
> Subject: [CR] Classic Compact Cranksets & Tiomphe
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Sunday, May 2, 2010, 6:51 AM
>
> Old steel 3 arm cranks, the type that was popular from the 30's through
> the
> 70's, had a 116 BCD pattern.
> That enabled 36 tooth inner chainrings and "compact" cranksets.
>
> Zeus used a 5-arm 116 BCD pattern on their Criterium cranks from the 60's
> through the 80's.
> So Zeus cranks could be used on touring bikes as well as racing bikes,
> without modification.
>
> When Campy came out with their 116 BCD 3-arm Gran Sport cranks, in both
> aluminum and steel,
> they didn't bother making small chainrings.
>
> I never understood why Campy didn't go after the non-racing markets
> until their Gran Sport/Triomphe/Victory Groups.
>
> Amir Avitzur
> Ramat-Gan, Israel