Someone left an old pair of wheels in the shop today with a note: "Please recycle/reuse these wheels. Tubes/tires OK [the tires are not really okay]. Needs 1-3 spokes and cluster protector [more like, needs 1-3 spokes and no cluster protector]. Campy hubs."

Needless to say, I was perplexed and intrigued. Not being one to say no to an unidentified pair of Campy hubs, and being in need of parts to build up a replacement ride for the bike that got lifted from my porch last weekend, I schlepped the wheels home.

As for the wheels themselves, they are 36-hole Campy hubs laced to narrow 700C Rigida clincher rims. They've definitely seen better days. Everything definitely looks as if it has been ridden around in all kinds of weather for quite some time - not that there's anything wrong with that, but the wheels are cosmetically rather worn. There's a couple broken spokes on the rear wheel (which is generally in tougher shape than the front), but everything looks quite restorable. Strangely, the rear wheel is equipped with a crappy SunRace 6-speed freewheel, with a splintery plastic spoke protector behind it. I have my doubts as to whether the freewheel or even the spoke protector are original parts, given that these wheels seem most likely to be from the early to mid-80's. Despite needing an overhaul, the front hub still spins incredibly smoothly and freely.

Anyway, aside from their being Campy, I have no clues as to the identity of these hubs. That's where you come in! I have no illusions about them being Nuovo Record or anything, but it would be nice to know what they are and where they stand. I have attached a photograph of the hub, with a detail image of the logo. Any help on identifying them would be most excellent!

I think they are Triompe gruppo.

We need better pics. Take some far enought away to see the entire hub in addition to the logo closeups. Also, the lighting is terrible.

Tim

Check the locknuts to see if those hubs are dated.

The Rigida rim is maybe a better clue than your picture--Rigida was just about done in the US market when the Victory and Triomphe stuff came out.

Looking like what are called 'Tipo' hubs. Same level: Grand Sport, Triomphe, like that. Locknuts shoud have a year date. I've got a pair of '70 high flanges built into mountain bike wheels. They polish up nice!

Later

Mel

Good call. That's where I was going with my locknut check suggestion. There were low-flange Tipo and Nuovo Tipo hubs with that logo. The Nuovo Tipo hubs were actually the hubs that went with the Nuovo Gran Sport group, at least early on (early 70's).

There is an '81' date stamp on the locknuts. Thanks for suggesting that! I'm sorry about the picture quality; I'll try to get better ones later today. As for the rims, there isn't much to go on. They have red oval stickers that say:
They're narrow with what I believe to be single eyelets (I haven't taken the rim tape off). They're definitely a bit the worse for wear, but for all that entirely useable.

If they are indeed Tipo hubs, what level would that be? Middlin'? Low middlin'? High middlin'? Inquiring minds wish to know!

81 would be Tipo. Middlin', but kinda nice. In good shape, smoother than price equivalent Jap stuff of the day. Parts should still be available, both cones and cups, if you know where to look. Yes, you can pull the cups and press in new ones. I've always had a spare hub or two to rob parts from if I wanted to keep a wheel together.

Rigida 1320 and Mavic E2 were the first decent clincher rims out there. I wouldn't replace anything that wasn't broken or didn't fit your use.

Have fun!

Mel

I recently snagged a '78 Raleigh Competition with the original full Gran Sport group, and the logos in your pics are a dead ringer for what I've got, so I agree with the above comments about what they are. Mine are laced to Weinmann rims ... the hubs ride really, really well, so yours are definitely worth saving, assuming that they check out okay when you tear into them.

I put similar (except 32-hole) hubs on my Bianchi; I was told they look like Gran Sports from about the same era.

One thing that I think has emerged from this thread, however, is that there were no Gran Sport hubs from that era. I believe the hubs that came with the Gran Sport group are properly called Nuovo Tipo, and are an extension of the earlier Tipo second-tier hubs. Maybe they were renamed "Gran Sport" at some point, but I have yet to see evidence of that happening. Thus the only true "Gran Sport" Campagnolo hubs may be the very early ones that pre-date the introduction of the Record model as Campy's top-tier hub. The Nuovo Tipo hubs do seem to get referred to as "Gran Sport," so it's interesting to discover that this is actually incorrect.