Chain ring Campagnolo 48 teeth, BCD 151 mm, 3/32"

Damn, this was hard!
It took me month to get a Campagnolo chain ring with a BCD (bolt circle diameter) of 151 mm. I didn't care if it was for a 3/32" or 1/8" chain. It just had to be affordable / available at a reasonable price.
And finally I got exactly what I wanted! 3/32" is ideal, because most of my other rings have that size. That means good compatibility. And this ring should go on a very small bike, maybe for a junior rider, so the no. of teeth should be not too high. 48 teeth is ideal, because I can also use it myself, for example with a 14 or 15 teeth sprocket.
What's the deal with the 151 mm BCD?
To be honest, that's a bit of a problem. When I bought a Campagnolo Pista chain set, I was convinced that the BCD was 144 mm, same as the sets on my other track bikes.
What I wanted to finish the build (I thought I had all the parts), it turned out that things didn't fit, because of the crank's BCD. What a mistake!
Even then, I thought that it wouldn't be a huge problem to get a fitting chain ring. Well, I was wrong!
First of all, these rings are very rare. And because of that, other buyers push the price up sky high. Or the sellers know pretty well what these rings can be worth and ask insane prices.
Then the last hurdle: this is the 3rd 151mm chain ring that I've bought, but the 1st two are still "on the way". And so is another, 144mm, ring. It looks like postmen in U.K. or The Netherlands collect chain rings. I doubt if these 3 missing rings will ever show up. Waiting already several months now and the busy month of Christmas is already far behind us.
But at this moment I'm so happy that I received this part. And it's all perfect: affordable price, 3/32", 48 teeth, Record style and New Old Stock!
For the bike in question (Rossin), I prefer the Record "double rim" chain ring style over the more prestigious Super Record. I remember that "Record" looked more average or even cheap, while a Super Record had the image of quality, value, pro, etc. We all know how much of a snob or poseur we are if that makes the difference, but that's how things go.
Super Record may have more prestige, but this Record is just nicer!

What's the story of the different BCDs?'
That's the Campagnolo history / time line.
During the ages, they changed the diameter a couple of times.
Maybe a larger circle (crank spider) offered more stiffness and less wobbling chain rings, it limited the choice of (small) chain rings.
The original size of a 5 arm spider was 151 mm, introduced in 1958 (?).
Later (1967?), it was reduced to 144 mm, the current standard for track cranks (that don't need a second or third small ring). This can take 41 teeth chain rings, vs. 44 teeth as a minimum for 151 mm cranks.
The actual BCD (since 1984?) for road cranks is 135 mm for Campagnolo (smallest chain ring 39 teeth) and 130mm for Shimano and most other manufacturers. "Compact" cranks for double rings go down to 110 mm, an old MTB standard.

Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow saddle

I've got a few of these saddles for my wife and she likes them.
That's also all the maker can say about this saddle. According to the sales manager, it was really a lucky shot. The made and offered a lady saddle and it became a commercial success. But nobody at Selle Royal knows why it is so appreciated by women. Somehow the mixture of shape, hardness and materials works.
The Lady a typical product what saddle makers call a women's saddle: shorter, wider, softer. However, this doesn't mean that every short, wide and soft saddle is a popular or good saddle for women. On the contrary. Some women like long, hard and narrow saddles, like the original Flite. And many men, if they have the guts to try this, may like this Lady saddle, too.

Fi'zi:k Gobi saddle

This saddle with strong curved shaped was introduced by Fi'zi:k as a MTB saddle. In the beginning of this Millennium, the Italian company launched a new range of saddles with the so called Wing Flex technology. Some cuts in the shell of the saddle, near the inner thighs of the rider, should enable the saddle to flex in that area and allowing for more freedom/movement/comfort when pedalling and less pain.
To be honest, I never felt any problem or pain in that area with any other quality bike saddle and I didn't feel any extra benefit with the Twin Flex saddles of Fi'zi:k. But, I must say, that I really like the curved shape of the Gobi saddle in combination with the right amount and quality of padding and it's still on my No. 1 mountainbike.
Gobi's twin brother/sister for road bikes is Arione. It was introduced at the same time and it uses the same technology. However, the shape is totally different. Arione is very long and extremely flat.
I had the honour to attend the official bike manufacturers introduction of these saddles. A very nice test event was organized near Villajoyosa (close to Alicante, Benidorm), Spain, together with a couple of other companies (Hutchinson, Mavic, Manitou, Hayes, Motorex) and we had some good bike rides with nice people from the bike industry.

Selle Italia Flite TransAm saddle

There have been lots of discussions about this subject. Is it a benefit to have a "saddle with a hole". Or, as the saddle manufacturers call it: an anatomical cut-out.
Well, for me it doesn't work. At least not with a Flite TransAm. I've spent several years on this type of saddle and some rides were really long. Road, CX, MTB: I've tried it all with this saddle. But for me, it just doesn't feel right. Not so bad either, otherwise I wouldn't have kept it so long. But the one without hole was just more comfortable.
This TransAm, as Selle Italia used to call the model with the cut-out, is one of the many versions of the classic Selle Italia Flite. That saddle, from the early 1990s, was a break through. A very slim, lightweight, minimalist saddle. When it first came out, your balls already hurt by seeing the saddle. But to be honest, that classic Flite turned out to be quite comfy. I've had 1 like that and I used it on a cross bike and a hardtail MTB. Unfortunately, I've lost it during an MTB marathon race, after I broke my seat post. My most impressive saddle experience is the race I had to ride without a saddle. Or nearly 50 km, offroad.
As mentioned, the standard Flite was fine for me. The TransAm felt a bit weird at the edges of the cut-out. Some hard edges or areas of a saddle where it shouldn't be hard.
This particular Flite TransAm, in yellow and black, must have been from the Spanish ONCE road racing team, riding Giant bikes during the years I worked there. Either a team saddle or one of the team replica bikes. Similar saddles in black and red were used by the Giant Global MTB team.
Since saddles are the most personal item on a bike, I cannot speak for other riders. And not all the saddles with a hole will feel like this Flite.
So, I can't say if it's right or wrong. Everybody has to make his or her own decision.

Fi'zi:k Pavé High Performance saddle

A saddle offered by Fi'zi:k as a high end ladies saddle. I'm nor really sure if it was designed like that and sold as a ladies saddle from the beginning.
Anyway, it's a good looking saddle and has a big popularity in the womens' peloton.
It reminds me of my long time favourite, Fi'zi:k Pavé, but a bit wider and thicker padding.
Titanium rails and a Microtex cover.
Let the ladies tell how it rides.
Or the men, who rode this saddle for a longer time.

Look PP75 pedals

Just like on my Look PP65 pedals, also no production date, year or code on these. And no type indication either.
These pedals could be Look PP75 Touring from 1988, but I'm not really sure.
They look a bit more modern, because the design is less bulky, better finish and big Look logos on the back clips. The clips are a bit smaller and pivot around an axle / Allen key bolt, that can be removed. Also different from the PP65, these pedals have no preload adjustment.
The bearing system is the same, despite the different dust caps. The hexagon design of the PP65 caps/nuts has been replaced by a sleeker, flat and round shape. Instead of a bench vice, open end wrench or adjustable wrench, a special tool has to be used to remove and install the dimpled caps. Circlip or needle-nosed pliers work very well.

NOTE: I hope the type indication is correct, because I see some strange things on The Web. Please let me know if you think that this is right or wrong. Thanks a lot.

Reydel GTi saddle

Reydel is a well known name for cycling freaks. The french bike saddles are pretty rare, but mainly because the Reydel name was on the jersey of Sean Kelly and his teams (SEM, Skil), people may remember it.
The same goes for me. I've never owned a Reydel saddle, even haven't seen one, as far as I can remember. But as a real equipment lover, I'm familiar with the name since the 1980s and know that they supply the saddles to the teams.
Well, Sean Kelly is a cycling hero and thanks to the efforts of the marketing people at Reydel, his name is related to the saddle brand forever.
So, I just needed to buy a Reydel racing saddle. This GTi I found on Ebay is a nice saddle that reminds me of a Selle Italia Turbo. Searching on the web a bit more resulted into a small disappointment. Suddenly I saw a picture of a Reydel Pro and at that moment I realized that that was the model Kelly used.
The 1980s GTi is nice and a real Reydel, but a Pro will be a new target. I know that it will be very hard to find and get one, but isn't that the fun of it?

San Marco Concor Junior saddle

I have 2 of these saddles in the "light" version, but to my surprise I could pick up a genuine "Junior" saddle in mint condition. That saddle is a real junior version of the Concor Supercorsa. And because I needed an extra kid saddle for the Giant track bike, I rushed to get this sample. One of the lights will go to the Giant and this junior will find a place on the Benotto 24" for the time being.
This saddle really looks like a vintage Concor Supercorsa with its soft, suede, velvet like cover and the yellow Concor sticker on the back. You know, the black and yellow sticker that always comes loose.
A quick rub with a suede brush will make the fingerprints disappear and make the saddle as new.

Shimano Dura Ace PD-7300 pedals

The first road bike I purchased was a second hand Batavus Professional team bike, equipped with Shimano Dura Ace.
Dura Ace was (and is) Shimano’s top end component group, but especially in the late 1970s, early 1980s, Campagnolo was considered to be the absolute No. 1.
Besides this subjective image thing, it was also what I experienced myself. Campagnolo Record had better surface quality, better bearings and sealing, higher quality hardware, better materials and design details like cast components instead of pressed sheet steel (e.g. brake lever brackets). So, it lasted longer, was easier to maintain, less rattling, better appearance.
So, bit by bit, I was replacing the Dura Ace components by Record.
When Shimano entered the pro road scene at the end of the 1970s, the company, the people around it and the teams using the stuff were not taken seriously. Flandria, IJsboerke and Cilo must have suffered from it.
With this background, it may be easy to understand why the market didn’t embrace the new AX series, when introduced it in 1980. The reputation of Shimano was not that good (“bad, cheap Japanese stuff”) and the difference with traditional bike components was too big. The traditional bike world was not ready to understand the benefits of new technologies. AX series offered many new things: one key release (everything with a 5mm Allen key), cassette hub, Uniglide, Dyna-Drive, aerodynamics and several others.
When it comes to Shimano AX parts, I cannot speak from my own experience. I understood what Shimano claimed and admitted that there could be some advantages, but didn’t believe that the differences were deciding. And soon, rumours were spread, that the new Shimano gruppos were having serious quality issues. Parapull brakes were not powerful enough, rear mechs weren’t working well or snapped and “there was also something with Dyna-Drive cranks and pedals.
I ‘m still not sure what the problems were, despite my 9 years experience at Shimano. Broken cranks, broken pedals, worn bearings: I don’t know.
A fact is, that especially tall people, thus heavy, were using DD pedals. One of the benefits was, that the base of the riders’ foot was level with the pedal axle and the saddle could be lowered by approx. 1.5 cm. Koga Miyata even changed the geometry of their road race frames by keeping the length and the angles, but lowering the top tube.
Anyway, Shimano AX series died soon and so did some of its features like Dyna-Drive and the whole aero thing. What remained were the brake cables with internal cable routing and freehub and cassette.
What were Shimano’s objectives with Dyna-Drive?
In the first place, by bringing the riders foot closer to the pedal axle, the biomechanics were improved. Less energy was wasted to keep the feet stable on the pedals. Like Shimano said, a bit like walking of flat shoes instead of high heels.
Besides that, the whole low profile design of pedal and crank fitted nicely in the total picture of aerodynamics of the AX series.
Because of the low centre of gravity, the pedals should always hang in the right position with the toe clips up and the pedals body down, so no hassle to get the foot into the clips.
Instead of an axle that supported the whole pedal body, Shimano used a very short axle with a very large diameter. The axle and bearings wear completely at the side of the pedal and partly in the crank arms. Instead of the standard 9/16” fitting, Shimano used 1” to offer enough strength, stiffness and bearing durability. But somewhere they failed…
In each pedal I counted 30 pcs 3/32” balls. I think the correct placement is 14 pcs on the inside and 16 pcs at the outside, near the pedal body. On one side the balls must be placed on the axle stubble and not in the bearing cup, otherwise it cannot be assembled.
The bearing cannot be countered in the normal way. There’s a screw for a 5 mm Allen key that can be reached from the side of the pedal body. That screw counters the bearing.
Shimano DD pedals are not the first with this “drop-spindle” design. Similar constructions were used in the 19th century and in the 1950s .

See also: Speedplay Bicycle Pedal History Museum

Look PP65 pedals

I've got to be honest. I've never used a pair of Look pedals. And now, all of a sudden, I have 2 pairs of earlier (?) PP65 and 1 pair of another type.
Already at young(er) age I was a lover of classic components and a late adept.
Around 1984, when Look introduced their clipless bike pedals, I though it was a gimmick and an unnecessary, funny item. They looked bulky too. I had no urge to try a pair. How wrong I was. These pedals caused a real revolution in bicycle development. Look was certainly not the first company that made clipless pedals, but technically it was okay and marketing wise, they made a brilliant move. First, Bernard Hinault and later, Greg Lemond used and promoted Look clipless pedals and due to their enormous successes in the Tour de France and other races, it became a commercial hit.
When I joined Shimano in 1990, I got my 1st pair of "Look patent" pedals, a set of Shimano 105 pedals PD-1056, assembled by Look in Nevers, France. These pedals were better than the SGR and Systeme 3 pedals I had tried and rejected before.
The Look pedals were the 1st commercially successful pedals and racers performed well with them. As mentioned earlier, they looked bulky and from what I heard from other riders, there were some quality issues, too (noise, wear, bearing quality, cleat quality), but overall, it turned out to be a pedals system that was going to stay for a long, long time.
These early Look PP65 pedals have an adjustable preload (just a few turns). The bearings are kept in place by the dust caps. Needle bearing on the inside and (industrial) ball bearing at the outside.

NOTE: I hope the type indication is correct, because I see some strange things on The Web. Please let me know if you think that this is right or wrong. Thanks a lot.