While we are on the subject of campy minutia (we were? who says?)...I was looking through my crap for a seatpost for a bike I'm putting together, and pulled out two super record (2nd gen) posts. The posts had different length flutes, uh, one shorter and one longer (um, of course)... I can't tell from the catalogs...which is earlier and which is later? when did Campagnolo switch?

ahem.

in the 2 bolt seatposts, longer flutes are older. I believe the change happened in year 11.

Seriously, don't know the date. Mid 70's probably.

I just sold a 25.0 SR seatpost and it had an 'M' right below the seat clamp. This seatpost had the shorter flutes and the bike dated from the mid 80's.

Does anybody know what the 'M' means?

Thanks

Not sure about the flute length, but the top part of the post from '78-'82 or so, was bead blasted. After '82 that was polished... The part I'm refering to is the tapered part above the actual post, just below where the cradle sits.

That makes sense. My seatpost was polished all the way to the top. Everything but the clamps.

How about the 'M'?

If anyone has one in the 27.2 size, I'd be interested in buying it. Thanks guys.

so...do you need short flute, long flute, beadblasted, polished top, all polished, one bolt fluted, two bolt fluted, no flute one bolt, no bole two bolt, or what?

I'm so confused now Short flute, amount of bolts doesn't matter, I can always polish it myself. just need one from around 1982. Does that make sense? What kind is this one? Has the globe with the word Campagnolo across it.

That's the old 2 bolt Record post, or maybe Gran Sport; I can't tell (but my all time favorite vintage post). I think the difference between the Record & GS was wall thickness...? Anybody? The Super Record (2 bolt) had the flutes down the length, alloy cradles, and thinner wall. There were also lots of custom milled posts done that started out as Record or GS 2 bolt, but the fluting was very different in appearance.

If you want a Super Record post that's correct for '82, it would be the one bolt (called Nuovo Super Record), with the bead-blasted top. The Record 2 bolt style was still commonly used in '82 as well, but it wasn't a "Super" (heavier and more old fashoned, but stronger and more adjustable).
Like the wonderful Cinelli 1R stem, the new "Nuovo" Super one bolt post tended to slip unless you got the bolt really good & snug...and then sometimes stripped the threads in the upper cradle. The fix later appeared as a factory heli-coil steel thread insert.

Back in the mid-1970s there were two Campagnolo components that I replaced on my otherwise all Campagnolo bicycles. One was the seatpost. There's no doubt that once adjusted, the two bolt posts held the saddle position, but adjustment was incredibly tedious! I found my saviour in the French Satri-Gallet seat post. With two Allen recess bolts that adjusted from the underside of the cantilver, it held the adjustment as well as Campagnolo, but was so much easier to adjust. It was one of the few pieces of truly superior French equipment during that era, along with the Simplex retro-friction shift levers.

Absolutely true; they're a hassle to adjust compared to those with access from underneath; there's where I like the original Weyless, and those that have followed it since the '70s. Placing the adjusting bolt heads on top was not the most thoughtful way to go... Thing about the old Record 2 bolt though, they look correct for anything from about '60 to mid '80s, they're bullet-proof, and they do hold their adjustment perfectly. I just take a 10mm 12 point combo wrench with me for the first rides to dial in the angle. Much easier with a 2 bolt (of any type) than it is with a one bolt post. Once I have my saddle dialed in, I don't need to re-adjust for a long time... Even while breaking in a Brooks, it rarely needs more than a slight turn of the bolts to bring up the nose a tad & feel perfect again.... something I don't like to do with a one bolt.

The first super record was a two bolt with flutes and alloy hardware. nice avatar, btw.

I got several nuovo record posts. PM me and we can get some details worked out.

Yes... And if anyone out there doesn't want them 'cause they're too much of a pain to adjust... I'll find a use for them. Thanks

BTW- I think the SL version of the 2 bolt post was pretty much a Super without the fluting, and the regular logo. I'll post pics of the 3 different fluted Supers (first gen 2 bolt, and both later 1 bolt).

I'll check mine for markings/bead blasting. Everthing else suggests a 82-83 build date ( 82 campy components). My 82 bianchi is all SR and has the single bolt seat post. I've not noticed any other markings such as "M", could this be designation for short., medium, long? Where is the M stamped? will pull out my seat post if needed to see the stamp. Do you have calipers to check thickness mentioned above?

P.S. Mine has no helicoil and is not stripped yet. Perhaps was not tight in the first place?

Oh, they weren't all that bad... Some did strip out though (probably when ham-fisted bike mechanics over-tightened 'em).

I felt like going out to the garage to take a pic. From left to right; 2 bolt Super, next the early 1 bolt (Nuovo Super), and then the later 1 bolt. As for lurker's original question on flute length (rather personal question), I think the even earlier 1 bolt post with the bead-blasted top may have had the longer flutes...? You can see the really long fluting on the old 2 bolt Super, so my guess is that when the Nuovo Super came out, it kept the long fluting for a while...? Or maybe I'm just confused, and different batches came out some with blasted tops, and some polished...? I've always thought the polished tops were the last of 'em, from '83 on.

The 'M' is right below the front, lower seat clamp.

No idea about the letter M. I'll take a look at my late Super posts tomorrow & see if they have different letters... That may be a way to date 'em.

a scan of my seatpost database shows two with M's, both with beacblasted collars. I'd never noticed the M before. The posted picture is of a later (90's) post, polished all of the way to the top...is a mystery...

I know I'm missing something here... Which posted picture? All I see are a couple '70s and some '80s posts. The '90s posts look different again... Don't they?

In the photo, there appears to be curl at the end of the right leg of the "M". Are you sure it's not a "3"? It also looks to be raised, like it was cut into the die cavitiy. In which case it is most likely a die cavitiy number. If anybody has similar posts with a "1" or "2", that would confirm a die cavity number.

It is raised. It would make sense as a die mark, but we have only seen (and I'm pretty sure it is) an M. Stands for Money, I think.

I have a '90's post in a bike in the garage; looks just like the other super record posts except it has no flutes and it is completely polished, all of the way to the top. At least I guess it is a 90's thing...

I just had a look at two of the Nuovo Super posts; one with a blasted top has the "M", and one with the polished top has a "5". It's very crisp and clear, and positively a 5....And it's on an '85 Rossin. I'll take another look at more that I have around later on... Could be that after M, maybe they were date coded...?

sorry - I was referring to yuyax' post (#16) above - that is a later style post that I thought belonged to the 90's...I found a reference at yellow jersey that indicated that the longer flute, 2nd gen seatpost was the earliest...shorter flutes were later, and no-flute, completely polished was a 90's deal after they abandoned the c-record handle.

I verified, looking at all of the posts that I have, that only a few of mine are marked, and they are marked with an M...I have a few shorties, I think from the factory, and they are not marked...maybe it stands for "Modolo..."

a little late... but it is an 'M'.

Maybe the 'M' is for Menudo. Remember that boy toy band...? ;-) Macanudo, Madonna, My Sharona... ok, ok, I'll stop.

building some good ones from a lot of scraps - I noticed that the ones with the M also have clamp parts that are embossed with "M"s as well - not that I let that stop me from mixing and matching...

luke "beating a subject completely to death" r