Vintage Campagnolo Super Record Rear Derailleur Review

Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur
Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur (1978 onwards).

History

Campagnolo Super Record was released in 1974 as the successor to it’s top tier component group Nuovo Record. The Super Record groupset was sold with different versions of the rear derailleur up until the late 1980’s when this group was replaced by C-Record. There was also a Campagnolo 50th anniversary edition of this derailleur.

Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur first version
Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur (prior to 1978)

The first version of the super record derailleur (above) was simply a Nuovo Record derailleur fitted with 2 titanium bolts and black anodized top and bottom pivots.

Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur
Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur (2nd version)

The second version of the super record derailleur released in 1978 is easily identifiable by the printed black Campagnolo branding. This derailleur included several design changes;

  • A new cage design resulted in better shifting on the larger rear cogs (28 tooth cog maximum).
  • A redesigned top pivot allowed the derailleur to swing further forward which provided more chain wrap on the smaller cogs.

Campagnolo 50th Anniversary version

Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur 50th anniversary version
Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur (50th anniversary version).

In 1983 Campagnolo released a special version of the Super Record group set to commemorate their 50th anniversary (founded in 1933). Many of the parts featured special engravings and gold shields.

Parts Schematic

Campagnolo Super Record Rear derailleur parts schematic
Campagnolo Super Record Rear derailleur (second version).
Notes: Bolts 4004 & 4005 are titanium.

Jockey Wheel clean or replacement

Campagnolo Super Record Rear derailleur jockey wheels
Campagnolo Super Record Rear derailleur jockey wheels

The jockey wheels are easily removed from the derailleur cage and there are no markings on the wheels to indicate a specific direction of travel or that the wheels are designed differently for either upper or lower positions in the cage unlike some modern derailleurs. The jockey wheels rotate on bushings. An occasional clean and re-grease will keep them rotating smoothly.

Adjusting the Limit Screws

Rear derailleur limit screws
Rear derailleur limit screws

The rear derailleur features 2 limit screws as indicated on the above diagram. Limit screw (A) is designed to stop the derailleur travelling beyond the largest sprocket and into the spokes of the rear wheel.
Limit screw (B) is designed to stop the derailleur travelling beyond the smallest sprocket.

Installing the Shift Cable

I fitted modern Campagnolo shift cables to my vintage bike as the cables mate perfectly with the holes of the Campagnolo friction shift levers.

You will however need to source a step-down shift housing ferrule to fit the gear cable outer into the rear derailleur. I also required a second one to fit the gear cable outer into the cable guide on my Colnago Master frame. Unfortunately these ferrules are not included in the modern Campagnolo cable pack.

Spiral wound stainless gear cable outer
Spiral wound stainless gear cable outer fitted with step-down ferrule.

Rather than using modern Campagnolo gear cable outer, I purchased some traditional spiral wound stainless gear cable outer on eBay to retain the proper vintage look of the bike and it was also supplied with the 2 step down ferrules that I required.

Colnago Master rear dropout (horizontal front facing)
Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur fitted with spiral would stainless steel gear cable housing.

Spiral wound stainless gear cable outers are quite flexible. I was supplied a 20cm length which I initially installed without shortening, but I noticed that there was a lot of flex when shifting, so after studying more vintage bike photos on the internet, I shortened the outer considerably and this resulted in a far better shift by eliminating most of the flex.

Manufacturer’s PAT. Year Stamp

Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur date stamp
Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur date stamp (PAT.80)

Some of the derailleurs feature a Campagnolo PAT. date stamp, but this not found on all Super Record rear derailleurs. According to this website, the rear derailleur is 1986/1987 if there is no date code.

UK Pricing in 1981

I found a 1981 catalogue for a British cycling shop with pricing as follows;
The Super Record rear derailleur retails for GBP 45.80

Super Record Component Weight

I have weighed a set of Super Record components and quite surprisingly, these vintage parts compares quite favourably against the weight of a modern Campagnolo Super Record group set.

Learn more about Campagnolo Super Record

This article is just a small part of my full review of Campagnolo Super Record groupset.

References

I hope you found this article interesting. I have listed the following website pages as general references.

http://sscycleworks.com/components/derailleur-rear-campagnolo.html
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2014/03/classic-derailleurs-campagnolo-evolution.html

Disclaimer!

Please remember that this information is only to be used as a guide.
I consider myself an enthusiast, not an expert. The information I have presented in this article is based on my many hours of online research.

Whilst I enjoy working on my own bikes, I am not a qualified bicycle mechanic. The content of this article is purely illustrative and does not constitute professional advice. For your own safety, any type of work should only be undertaken by a qualified bicycle mechanic. Incorrect assembly of parts could result in equipment damage, personal injury or death.

About Me.

I have been riding and working on my own bikes for many years now. I wanted to share my experiences, knowledge and research with others. My aim is to inspire people to get involved in all aspects of this amazing sport. Cheers.

Comments.

I welcome reader feedback in the comments section. Should you wish to suggest an amendment, please include a note advising the source of your information so that myself and other readers can ascertain the accuracy of your information. Note: Trolling or argumentative comments will be removed as they are counter-productive.

3 thoughts on “Vintage Campagnolo Super Record Rear Derailleur Review

  • Great source of info. Many thanks. Just collected a load of vintage Campy parts from an ‘old’ cycling buddy. Like you, I am not a qualified bike mechanic but have assembled many racing bikes incl wheels in the 1980/90s – tutto Campagnolo. Plan to use some of the parts to build a vintage bike. One question: Where can I find info on the Campy 6-speed freewheel that appeared briefly before cassette hubs were introduced?
    Thanks & Regards from snowy Bavaria
    Colin

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