Campagnolo Doesn't Care About You

That is if you ride a traditional steel frame, Campagnolo doesn't care about you. Why would I say such a thing about the beloved and legendary components manufacturer? They don't make a 27.2mm size front derailleur clamp is why. I assume this is a business decision. Maybe they've concluded there is not enough demand. That's too bad; for us that is. I know there are some out there on the used market, but I don't want used and I don't want an older design. I want a current design that compliments the other current Campy components. So then I am forced to choose the 32mm clamp and make do. Thank you Campagnolo. I mean that with both sincerity and sarcasm. As seen in the above photo I have inserted a shim to adapt the larger clamp to the smaller seat tube.

I made the shim with two layers of rubber strips. One would suffice depending on the thickness of the rubber. In my case I had two sizes of rubber shims from a head lamp clamp. The thicker of the two was too large but by doubling up the thinner option it was just right. I cut the thin shim into two strips and they were the perfect width to match that of the clamp. Only a little finesse was required to position the strips neatly between the clamp and seat tube. Voila, the clamp is in place.

God Is In The Details

The Soma Smoothie build is now getting down to the details. Decisions about these aren't as little as the parts themselves. For example, the dimensions of the steel tubing of this frame are traditional which means sorting through a selection predominantly comprised of parts designed for the over-sized tubing of carbon frames. It's like a treasure hunt in the case of finding a proper front derailleur clamp. Campagnolo unfortunately - foolishly - does not make a 27.2mm size clamp. Therefore I had to find another viable option, and didn't. There are a couple of companies I discovered that make an alloy clamp in the size I need but the design of these is primitive. I found them unacceptable. So I bought the 32mm size Campagnolo clamp and will have to adapt it to fit. No problem. Call me superficial if you will but I also like the fact that there will be a Campy brand clamp to accommodate the Campy brand derailleur.

The other seemingly simple choice I had to make was on a pair of bar end plugs. Some are content with the plastic pair that come with most packs of bar tape. Once again, unacceptable. Adhering with the rest of the detailing scheme on the bike I want alloy. Lucky for me Soma makes just these very sort of bar end plugs. But after some shopping around I learned that the plugs are simply plastic with some kind of alloy looking finish. Fortunately I found this lovely pair of aluminum plugs made by ODI that compliment the bike nicely. It really is all in the details.

Late Substitution

Spring is on the horizon and I have emerged from blogger hibernation to document the final stages of the Soma Smoothie build. An important question lingered in my mind over the months since the Fall. That question is this, "Why put all of the time, energy, effort and money into assembling a fine collection of Campagnolo components and then include with that group a budget brand bottom bracket?" I've been trying to keep the costs down with extensive shopping, comparison and seizing the moment when the price is damn near unbeatable. Since I already had an inexpensive BB which came with the Record crank set I figured using it was a sensible way of cutting my expenses. It is but really why not just scrape up the cash to upgrade to a quality Campy BB, and shop around just like I had for other parts? The answer was clear. So here I have a shiny, new Chorus bottom bracket and am I ever pleased because of it. It's only fitting to compliment the rest of the Campy drive train with more Campy. Am I right? The thought of having a ride equipped with a lesser quality version of a crucial component and whatever surprises it may have in store is one that would bother me every time I'm on the bike. So this was both an aesthetic and practical decision. Now, my ideal choice would have been a Phil Wood with titanium spindle, but that just wasn't in the budget and realistically this is a perfectly acceptable compromise. A welcome compromise for that matter. The Chorus BB has the reputation of longevity which is comforting knowing as long as I care for it, it will spin and spin for years to come. As well, the design of the Chorus is the same as the top-of-the-line Record except for the carbon housing sleeve that allows the Record to be lighter. Since saving a few grams is not a priority I believe I've made a wise selection. Quite.

A Praise Chorus: Campagnolo Chorus D Brake Set

Campagnolo Centaur Skeleton brakes, the decision had already been made for some time. They are in the right price range and offer the level of performance suited for my riding. From what I could gather they are similar in quality to the previous generation Chorus D brakes. Between the two I leaned toward the Centaur because of the updated design, although that was not a deal breaker. As it happened on the very day I was prepared to put down my money this Chorus D brake set appeared to me in the form of a sweet discounted sale price at Cambria Bicycle Outfitter. An amount I didn't need to consider more than once. From time to time Cambria offers 20% off of the already discounted "Hot Deals". This just so happened to be one of those deals. Goodbye Centaur Skeleton., hello Chorus D. I actually like the classic design of these very much, so it turned out for the best.

Take the C Train: Campagnolo Centaur Drive Train

The "C" could be for Campagnolo or Centaur. It could stand for ciclismo, cappuccino or campione. The C Train is open to interpretation. I didn't buy this trio of components in one fell swoop, but rather in two different purchases from two online retailers. It was quite fortunate timing for me to get a great deal on the 2009 Campagnolo Centaur front derailleur and then the companion rear derailleur and 10-speed chain in a span of a few weeks. Piecing together a gruppo can be an uncertainty, but with patience and a keen eye all will come together well. Not having put these components into action yet the most I can say at this point is I expect them to perform similarly to the previous incarnations of their Chorus and Record counterparts. This is what the "expert" reviews of the cycling media have concluded at least. As I've noted in a previous blog post, or two, it is natural with any technology for the design innovations to trickle down from the top over time. While they await their installation I can at least admire the shiny, polished alloy and imagine how they will look on the completed bike. After all that is half the fun, acquiring the parts and envisioning the full assembly in the mind. The other half, naturally, is the actual building of the bike. That day is not too far off.

Forza Italia: Campagnolo Record Alloy Crankset

My neo-traditionalist inclination will be highly influental on what this bike will eventually come to be. When deciding on a crank there were a couple of important considerations. Firstly, aesthetics. The current productions of cranks are predominantly carbon...and black. The material takes off a significant number of grams, but they all look so chunky, dense and hi-tech fanboyesque. So many components these days are black. Cranks, stems, seatposts, rims, forks, handlebars. Black, black, black, black, black. One thing I love about the classic bikes is all the shiny alloy and chrome parts. Carbon fiber is excellent for a lightweight rig, but in appearance it just doesn't compare. When it comes to cranks, carbon is quite pricey as well. A fact which makes for perhaps the ultimate deal breaker. Even if carbon cranks were as affordable as alloy, I'm still not sure if I would go with them. That's how devisive the issue of black vs. metallic is with me.

On the subject of tradition Campagnolo is THE one, the component of champions for decades. And in the aesthetics department the tried and true Record crank is as smooth as they get. The design is sleek. The transition from crankarm to spider is so elegant and natural, it epitomizes my idea brilliant simplicity. In comparison, today's Shimano alloy cranks look like alien space saucers turned on their side. The detailing is Large. I'm guessing the robust Shimano design with its extra surface area is intended to be aerodynamic. If this the case, I question the amount drag reduction and its significance in my application as a recreational rider. I'm not doing any time trialing with this bike. The FSA alloy crank is guess what? Black. Specialties TA makes a nice Shimano compatible alloy crank in the same traditional fashion as Campagnolo, but it is more in price by at least a hundred dollars. This new Campagnolo Record crank I found on eBay for a song fits my ideal. Therefore I am very happy. I didn't go into this process committed to Campagnolo, but came to realize that it was the likely choice.

Another decisive factor was the consideration of what rear hub I am planning to use. I really like the Chris King Classic hub. Really like it. The circumstance one finds with this hub though is it is Shimano compatible only. That would count out a legendary Campagnolo drivetrain. Unless...I want to use a conversion cassette like the one made by American Classic. Or even a Shimano cassette with a Campagnolo crank which may seem like a crazy notion, but I've been told by a handful of riders that they have run this setup with seldom a hitch. Although I don't want to run the risk of encountering a hitch, however slight it may be. An attractive feature about Chris King is the variety of colors. Not just black or chrome, but a small rainbow to choose from. I think a set of pink hubs would look pretty sweet. Throw in a pink headset and the bike has an understated splash of color. Chris King hubs are just about some of the most expensive though. It's hard to justify forking over the extra hundred or more when there are more affordable high quality alternatives. So, the choice was made to unfortunately pass on Chris King and eventually get that beautiful Record crank.