tsappenfield

The Colnago I won on ebay recently has arrived from Germany. It's probably an early 80's Nuovo Mexico as it has a channeled top tube and a fork that is totally chome. I've pretty much got it back together. Nice looking ride. I have several questions about the front wheel.
1. The front wheel (rim) carries a Colnago label (not Mavic, like the rear wheel), but the two rims look identical. Is this unusual?
2. The wheel has double-butted stainless steel spokes that are laced radially? Is this unusual?
3. The tires on the bike were size 700 x 20. Could I put 700 x 23 tires on the wheels for a bigger road contact surface?
4. Most puzzling of all. I decided to repack the front wheel hub (Campy Record). When I tore it down, the grease looked pretty fresh. I went ahead anyhow and pulled out two different sizes of ball bearings: 18 that were 7/32" and 15 that were 5/32". Totally unexpected! Is this unusual?
I guess I want to know if the front wheel that was original to the bike has been replaced and the front hub serviced by someone who didn't have the correct size ball bearings, so got kind of creative.

TSAPP

shnibop 

1. unusual? obviously Colnago didn't make rims so it's almost certain that the rim was made by Mavic or some other rim manufacturer and subsequently labeled with "Colnago".

2. radial laced wheels aren't unusual anymore, but not likely that this is the way the rim was originally laced or that this is the original wheel to the bike (assuming the bike is indeed early 80's).

3. yes

4. sounds like someone put the wrong size bearings in the hub while rebuilding. how they got 33 bearings in the front hub is a total mystery to me however!

we are talking about these hubs correct? Campagnolo 1034, Record (low flange)


how are you measuring the ball bearings? do you mean that the front had 18 7/32" balls and the rear 15 balls? if so, the balls are the wrong size either way. and the rear is missing 3.

Ex Pres 

+1 on the how did they jam 33 balls into a front hub?

Force 

As to #1, could be an Ambrosio rim. I recall seeing many Colnago-badged Ambrosios. It has pretty standard color anodizing so could look like a match to a Mavic.

miamijim

1. Probably a re-label but could be Ambrosio as mentioned by Force
2. Normal...no big deal.
3. Yes. 23's easily and probably 25's. I dont think 28's will fit.
4. Someone botched it. Should take 7/32's if it's your typical NR/SR hub.

tsappenfield

Front hub only, and definitely low flange. Yes, as strange as it sounds, 33 balls. I may even have had one fall onto the floor when I tore the hub down, so 34 is a possibility. My local bike mechanic measured the balls using a ball bearing measuring template or whatever you call it. He thought perhaps 3/16 bearings were the way to go, but didn't know for sure hence the question. So you're saying I should be using 7/32 balls in this hub? If not, what size should I be using and how many balls?

TSAPP