ncracing72

I just pulled my '86Guerciotti from storage a few weeks ago. My last race was in 1990, so it was a little like going back in time... anyhow, i never fully appreciated how nice this is, and I am overhauling it now.

The bike has full campy SR except for simplex levers (wider and easier to shift when i was racing) and Diacompe aero levers (i know, i know, but aero was the RAGE and i didn't have to money to step up to C-record)

Obviously, I would like to now buy a pair of aero C-record levers, but have found other, similar levers from Campy, such as the Athena but am wondering what the differences are between the two?

Are there any I should avoid? (After I take a bunch of detailed pics, I intend to ride this puppy again!)

Thanks in advance to the expert help!
Derek

thirdgenbird

i believe when ergo levers became the norm campy brake levers were the same from record through at least athena.

Bianchigirll 

outwardly they all appear the same or very similar. there were three basic types. the original C-Record aero lever did not have a QR as it was still on the brake caliper the basic caliper, Cobalto, and the first deltas. the early (pre Ergo) Athena and Chorus look identical but the body and few things are different inside. the CdA and later Record (not C Rec just Record) are "power grade" levers. they have a small slot in the lever to allow you to finetune the Delta brakes. there are certainly variation, I believe there was a tandem spefic lever at one time, and then the newer low end levers like Veloce, Xenon etc.

most Campi aero levers on ebay get listed as Chorus or CRec (rightly or wrongly) and thusly the price is driven up. be prepared to pay $50 and up. and some are quite nasty looking.

I am sure you realize that putting aero levers on a '86 NR bike would not really be period correct?

ncracing72

Bianchigirll,

Wow, thanks for the info - i must admit I have been lurking on this site for the past two weeks and have been very impressed with it's members.

I probably should have specified that all levers I've been looking at are pre-ergo, we're talking vintage, baby!

I also realize that some (including my family members) suggest that I keep all parts consistent within the same gruppo, and I can appreciate that, but aero was on the scene in '86 albeit just introduced. My buddy bought a pinarello full c-record the same time i bought my guerch (i was poor and couldn't spring for that set up). My only consolation was that I later ended up racing in France and my sponsor gave me an almost identical bike to race over there!

Anyhow, I've decided to split the baby down the middle and go with a campy aero lever and stay in the campy family although not in the Super Record gruppo. Interestingly, I never actually used my SR levers or the gum hoods that came with the original gruppo. They sat, beautifully preserved for over 20 years in a box in a basement. The gum hoods actually still have the talc powder on them... trying to figure what to do with those as well...

ncracing72

So in your experience the finish on the levers is the same or similar between Athena and C-rec? I'm buying some athena levers (sight unseen other than pics) and just want to make sure the finish is compatible with my SR finish!

thirdgenbird

i dont have much experience with brake levers (i grew up in the ergo era) but my guess is the finish level is close enough. cranks and rear derailleurs is where i have seen the biggest difference.

my current vintage ride has record levers (1996), record cranks (1995), chorus fd (2001) , centaur rd (2004) , and veloce monoplanars (1996). despite the huge gap in age and "quality" it looks like a pretty cohesive group.

Bianchigirll 

^^ Vintage?

the hoods themselves were the same. the finish on the levers was pretty much the same. the real differences are as noted above. can you get some pics of the levers in question?

thirdgenbird

its hand made, hand painted, lugged, steel, has a threaded fork, wears single pivot brakes, carbon fiber is absent, the spokes cross, and i was 14 when the frame left italy

classic, vintage, neo classic... we may disagree on its classification, but we will both agree its nothing like its stablemate:

Citoyen du Monde

I have a set of never fitted pantographed Campagnolo Nuovo Record levers modified for aero routing of teh brake cables (requiring drilling of the handlebars)

thirdgenbird

that sounds sexy