Campagnolo Portacatena on Retrogrouch Blog
08-05-14, 12:28 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Campagnolo Portacatena on Retrogrouch Blog
Hi Group --
I know this has been a topic for discussion before, but I recently put up an article about the Campagnolo Portacatena on The Retrogrouch Blog: The Retrogrouch: Campagnolo Portacatena: A Neat Idea Whose Time Never Came
There are some pictures, scans of the installation pamphlet, and a bit of history and other info. The chain holder is a neat little curiosity from Campy. Not much use to racers today, but something of interest for the classic and vintage crowd.
Check it out if you get a chance.
I know this has been a topic for discussion before, but I recently put up an article about the Campagnolo Portacatena on The Retrogrouch Blog: The Retrogrouch: Campagnolo Portacatena: A Neat Idea Whose Time Never Came
There are some pictures, scans of the installation pamphlet, and a bit of history and other info. The chain holder is a neat little curiosity from Campy. Not much use to racers today, but something of interest for the classic and vintage crowd.
Check it out if you get a chance.
08-05-14, 12:54 PM
#2
feros ferio
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Posts: 21,796
Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;
Mentioned: 44 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1392 Post(s)
Liked 1,324 Times
in
836 Posts
Interesting -- that is a new one on me. I like the little "higher than high" release lever on the shifter, but does that not imply that one sets the normal upper derailleur limit through cable length, so that the high gear adjustment screw can be let out far enough for the portacatena? This in turn would imply that one would have to keep tightening the shift cable to compensate for elongation (or compression of the housing). If I am correct about this, I can see why this was an evolutionary dead end.
__________________
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
Last edited by John E; 08-05-14 at 12:58 PM.
08-05-14, 01:03 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,305
Mentioned: 130 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3464 Post(s)
Liked 2,829 Times
in
1,995 Posts
Back in the day I considered it a non product.
To fit it in you had to increase the dish another cog's worth of spacing beyond the freewheel.
So, why not just have that additional cog?
If spaced for a 7 you can only use 6.
This is at a time where 7 cog freewheels were beginning to become available.
I installed one. Only one. It did work, but a waste.
There was another version designed to fit to earlier dropouts before the dedicated threaded holes were around.
For that the drive side adjustment screw assembly was removed and it was replaced with rest that mounted with a 5 mm hex bolt in the axle slot.
To fit it in you had to increase the dish another cog's worth of spacing beyond the freewheel.
So, why not just have that additional cog?
If spaced for a 7 you can only use 6.
This is at a time where 7 cog freewheels were beginning to become available.
I installed one. Only one. It did work, but a waste.
There was another version designed to fit to earlier dropouts before the dedicated threaded holes were around.
For that the drive side adjustment screw assembly was removed and it was replaced with rest that mounted with a 5 mm hex bolt in the axle slot.
08-05-14, 01:06 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Fredericksburg, Va
Posts: 9,579
Bikes: '65 Frejus TDF, '73 Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, '83 Colnago Superissimo, '84 Trek 610, '84 Trek 760, '88 Pinarello Veneto, '88 De Rosa Pro, '89 Pinarello Montello, '94 Burley Duet, 97 Specialized RockHopper, 2010 Langster, Tern Link D8
Mentioned: 73 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1607 Post(s)
Liked 2,216 Times
in
1,103 Posts
It was a nice idea but since it took the space that could be used for another cog, not!
08-05-14, 01:07 PM
#5
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,502
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7348 Post(s)
Liked 2,465 Times
in
1,433 Posts
I recently noticed that my 1982 McLean has these dropouts. I've had the bike since 1983. Maybe I knew and then forgot. I should take pictures!
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
08-05-14, 03:59 PM
#7
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,502
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7348 Post(s)
Liked 2,465 Times
in
1,433 Posts
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
08-06-14, 08:27 AM
#8
Bianchi Goddess
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Posts: 27,858
Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.
Mentioned: 192 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2930 Post(s)
Liked 2,923 Times
in
1,491 Posts
Interesting -- that is a new one on me. I like the little "higher than high" release lever on the shifter, but does that not imply that one sets the normal upper derailleur limit through cable length, so that the high gear adjustment screw can be let out far enough for the portacatena? This in turn would imply that one would have to keep tightening the shift cable to compensate for elongation (or compression of the housing). If I am correct about this, I can see why this was an evolutionary dead end.
It works OK and I can see the practicality of it, but agree it is sort of useless too.
__________________
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
08-06-14, 08:31 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,128
Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 150 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 34 Times
in
27 Posts
Mehhhh... a chain hanger peg works real good for me..... + I get to have 7 speeds on my bikes...
08-06-14, 08:31 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 7,639
Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997
Mentioned: 146 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 392 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times
in
31 Posts
Also you'd be unable to take a wheel from neutral support.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Chrise510
Bicycle Mechanics
4
04-25-13 06:59 AM
