CAPO Date by Serial Number
10-20-17 | 07:58 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Steel Diamond
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Plain City, Utah US
Bikes: 1972 Raleigh Competition, 1962 CAPO Model Campagnolo
CAPO Date by Serial Number
Hey, friends! I recently acquired this CAPO Model Campagnolo and need help determining it's approximate age. SN = 51280 - I have pictures but not sure if I've participated enough to post them. Stock components = Capmy Gran Sport (front and back), Campy hubs, Agrati steel rims, Pivo stem, Stronglight crank, 26.4+- seat post, Invincible leather saddle, and Weinmann Vainqueur center-pull brakes. She's blue with white head tube.
Thanks for your help! Thanks for posting amazing pictures of your rides!
Thanks for your help! Thanks for posting amazing pictures of your rides!
Last edited by mikompetition; 10-20-17 at 08:14 PM.
10-21-17 | 07:36 AM
#2
feros ferio
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 22,411
Likes: 1,876
From: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
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;
Welcome to club Capo -- I have owned three (see signature), the first of which fell victim to my one-and-only collision with a motor vehicle, back in 1976. Company website: www.capo.at
Harald Cap, son of the company founder, Otto Cap (hence Cap,0), has told me that they built about 5000 units/year back then, so yours is probably circa 1962. Your seatpost diameter matches mine, indicating plain-gauge moly steel, rather than the butted tubes used in the top-of-the-line Sieger model. It is interesting, though probably not significant in terms of ride quality or weight, that Otto evidently switched from Reynolds 531 (MnMo) to CrMo sometime in the early 1960s.
With 72 degree parallel geometry and somewhat long and thin stays and a moderate fork rake, these frames have a delightfully balanced sports touring geometry, making them very comfortable for long rides, although a little "squishy" for hammering or carrying a heavy load. Yours looks like a nice specimen. Although the marque is somewhat known in and around Vienna and on into central and parts of eastern Europe, it is pretty rare in the U.S., where only a few hundred were imported ca. 1960.
Top-to-bottom:
1) recent shot of my Modell Campagnolo, showing the Nervar Star crankset and new maroon(!) Brooks Pro saddle;
2) earlier shot of same bike, 13 years ago, shortly after the CyclArt paint job went on;
3) my Sieger just before I bought it several years ago;
4) another Sieger's head badge closeup
Harald Cap, son of the company founder, Otto Cap (hence Cap,0), has told me that they built about 5000 units/year back then, so yours is probably circa 1962. Your seatpost diameter matches mine, indicating plain-gauge moly steel, rather than the butted tubes used in the top-of-the-line Sieger model. It is interesting, though probably not significant in terms of ride quality or weight, that Otto evidently switched from Reynolds 531 (MnMo) to CrMo sometime in the early 1960s.
With 72 degree parallel geometry and somewhat long and thin stays and a moderate fork rake, these frames have a delightfully balanced sports touring geometry, making them very comfortable for long rides, although a little "squishy" for hammering or carrying a heavy load. Yours looks like a nice specimen. Although the marque is somewhat known in and around Vienna and on into central and parts of eastern Europe, it is pretty rare in the U.S., where only a few hundred were imported ca. 1960.
Top-to-bottom:
1) recent shot of my Modell Campagnolo, showing the Nervar Star crankset and new maroon(!) Brooks Pro saddle;
2) earlier shot of same bike, 13 years ago, shortly after the CyclArt paint job went on;
3) my Sieger just before I bought it several years ago;
4) another Sieger's head badge closeup
__________________
"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; 10-21-17 at 12:12 PM.
10-21-17 | 04:08 PM
#4
feros ferio
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 22,411
Likes: 1,876
From: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
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;
He has good taste -- Raleigh Competition and Capo Modell Campagnolo. 
__________________
"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
10-21-17 | 05:37 PM
#5
Bianchi Goddess
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 28,962
Likes: 4,231
From: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.
Great looking bike. I love your workbench.
__________________
“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
10-22-17 | 09:17 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Steel Diamond
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Plain City, Utah US
Bikes: 1972 Raleigh Competition, 1962 CAPO Model Campagnolo
Much Appreciation
Thanks for the responses. Now I'm a serious Capo fan. More questions to come. Photo: I extracted these hubs from the rusted-out Agrati rims.
10-22-17 | 09:37 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Steel Diamond
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Plain City, Utah US
Bikes: 1972 Raleigh Competition, 1962 CAPO Model Campagnolo
Thank you, Bianchigirll! That "bench" is an inspiration when working on bikes, but embarrassingly less than brawny when I have car stuff to do there. You won't see pictures of my disassembled cooling system atop that counter.
10-22-17 | 08:12 PM
#11
feros ferio
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 22,411
Likes: 1,876
From: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
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;
Otto Cap used Agrati components, including cranks, on many of his bikes, but STEEL rims seem out of place.
I have always seen circa 1960 Capos with Record hubs and aluminum rims, either wired-on ("clincher") for the Modell Campagnolo, or tubular for the Sieger.
__________________
"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
10-23-17 | 06:00 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Steel Diamond
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Plain City, Utah US
Bikes: 1972 Raleigh Competition, 1962 CAPO Model Campagnolo
Details
Campagnolo Sportsman? It came on the 62 Capo - no scallops on the wheels and a black-satin (original finish) cage plate. The front derailleur is obviously early Gran Sport with a black-satin (original finish) cage.
10-23-17 | 06:07 PM
#13
Thread Starter
Steel Diamond
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Plain City, Utah US
Bikes: 1972 Raleigh Competition, 1962 CAPO Model Campagnolo
Rims and hubs
I can't find numbers on the lock-nuts of the axles. The pictures of my hubs don't show the large holes well enough - there are 9, each flange. Here is a picture of the rim that came on the bicycle when I purchased it - front and rear match. Thanks, again, for your help with this.
04-07-18 | 11:37 AM
#15
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 4,393
From: Alta California
+1
Sportman hubs were only around for about three years or so, roughly the 1959-63 window.
All the examples which have come through my workshop had a date mark on the inner face of the axle locknuts. If your examples lack a date it may be that the axle set has been replaced.
It is easy to understand possible confusion regarding this model as it launched a whisker too late to get into catalogue nr. 14 of 1960 and was discontinued prior to launch of catalogue nr. 15 of 1967. So its image was never found in a manufacturer catalogue.
VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo Sportman
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Last edited by juvela; 04-07-18 at 12:29 PM. Reason: addition
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