... would be really nice for those Eroica-type events. Especially if you don't want to mount a triple and a long-cage derailleur on your seventies' racing bike, but your legs are not quite in racing shape - like mine.

I've built several 'vintage compacts' in the past, using 110 BCD cranks, such as the Sugino Maxy, and though they worked perfectly, they never looked quite right.

These are much nicer, I think. One of the many versions of the SR Apex-5 is this Campagnolo Record clone. With 49/36 chain rings mated to a 14-28 freewheel it provides a range of 34-94 gear inches, which works pretty well for me. And what's more: the Nuovo Record RD will handle it, at least on the bikes I've tried it with.