Nominate the most beautiful vintage groupset
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06-05-19, 08:27 AM
#52
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Shimano 600 tricolor.
Its the first great group I owned and loved the usability and as a result really like the soft gray. I get that its painted and one of the first groups to go from chrome to paint, but that gray is so nice.
There is beauty in functionality and simplicity.
Its still the group that I compare everything else to.
I dont really lust after high chrome groups. I instead like the frames to stand out.
Its the first great group I owned and loved the usability and as a result really like the soft gray. I get that its painted and one of the first groups to go from chrome to paint, but that gray is so nice.
There is beauty in functionality and simplicity.
Its still the group that I compare everything else to.
I dont really lust after high chrome groups. I instead like the frames to stand out.
06-05-19, 08:53 AM
#53
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I have always lusted after the factory drillium of the Zeus 2001 groupset. I know you could get gold, and bpack, but maybe other annodized colors.
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Last edited by mgopack42; 06-05-19 at 11:19 AM.
06-05-19, 09:45 AM
#54
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Always needed a pantograph insignia, though. Cranksets, brake levers, brake calipers, seatposts basically make the aestheticsto me.
Cranksets: Stronglight 49D, Spidel 107, Super Record, Zeus 2000, DuraAce 4710 (was not a fan of Mavic ZAPs)
Derailleur: Zeus Criterium, Mistral derailleurs were cool too...
Brake Levers: Sun Tour Superbe (CB 3200), Super Record, Modolo Master Pro (hated Kronos),
Brakes: Sun Tour XC cantilevers, Shimano Adamas AX, Modolo Speedy La Vie Claire (always wanted to get my hands on one of those guys...)
Seatpost: Rino Leader, far and away the best, Original non-fluted Super Record, Gipiemme Aero was the one I always wanted, Dura Ace AX-B
Stem: Modolo Q Race, Cinelli 1R, Nitto Crystemblue was cool
Cranksets: Stronglight 49D, Spidel 107, Super Record, Zeus 2000, DuraAce 4710 (was not a fan of Mavic ZAPs)
Derailleur: Zeus Criterium, Mistral derailleurs were cool too...
Brake Levers: Sun Tour Superbe (CB 3200), Super Record, Modolo Master Pro (hated Kronos),
Brakes: Sun Tour XC cantilevers, Shimano Adamas AX, Modolo Speedy La Vie Claire (always wanted to get my hands on one of those guys...)
Seatpost: Rino Leader, far and away the best, Original non-fluted Super Record, Gipiemme Aero was the one I always wanted, Dura Ace AX-B
Stem: Modolo Q Race, Cinelli 1R, Nitto Crystemblue was cool
06-05-19, 11:17 AM
#55
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That's more or less my point: Subjective personal choices are being turned into a totem pole of public opinion thanks to this thread. Do we have to reinforce the elitism of complete groups? Can't we appreciate components without playing beauty contest with them?
The OP even gave Super Record a podium 1-2-3 finish by praising three different variations.
Don't get me wrong, this is coming from someone who's build history has been "throw Campagnolo at it" - with a few exceptions. But as much as I like NR, SR, and C-Record, I can appreciate looking past them for other beautiful bits.
I'm glad to see Superbe Pro getting a voice here - it deserves to be mentioned - but we're still stuck in groupset groupthink. If we put groupsets to the side, there are many beautiful components to appreciate (and note that I said appreciate, not judge):
The OP even gave Super Record a podium 1-2-3 finish by praising three different variations.
Don't get me wrong, this is coming from someone who's build history has been "throw Campagnolo at it" - with a few exceptions. But as much as I like NR, SR, and C-Record, I can appreciate looking past them for other beautiful bits.
I'm glad to see Superbe Pro getting a voice here - it deserves to be mentioned - but we're still stuck in groupset groupthink. If we put groupsets to the side, there are many beautiful components to appreciate (and note that I said appreciate, not judge):
I agree it's a good idea to put "groupset groupthink" aside.
If we are purely doing a beauty contest, I like the Frenchie pseudo groupsets the best. Jubilee/TA/MAFAC was essentially a virtual group. Simplex/Stronglight/MAFAC was another. I'd rank Jubilee/TA as probably my favorite for pure looks, by a nose. On another day I might prefer Stronglight & Simplex. Delrin rules.
I do love the original Tullio Campagnolo stuff. Frankly. NR/SR worked better and was made to higher tolerances than the typical frenchie stuff, with some exceptions of course.
Incidentally I'll second your nomination of the Schwinn Approved Varsity group.
I really do have a fondness for Ashtabula cranks and Allvit derailleurs.
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06-05-19, 12:39 PM
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06-05-19, 01:03 PM
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06-05-19, 01:19 PM
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06-05-19, 01:24 PM
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06-05-19, 02:04 PM
#60
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This is like asking me which is my favorite child? Beauty for me is strongly tied up with durability and reliability. It's hard for me to pic a whole groupset but just some parts off the top of my head:
Suntour XC Pro hubs
MKS Touring pedals
REAL chainrings
Old Stronglight cranks are underrated imo
Panaracer Duster Pro Compe
Nitto stems just in general make me feel swoony...
Brooks B72 saddle
The old Shimano 600 stuff was tough as coffin nails in my experience...
Suntour XC Pro hubs
MKS Touring pedals
REAL chainrings
Old Stronglight cranks are underrated imo
Panaracer Duster Pro Compe
Nitto stems just in general make me feel swoony...
Brooks B72 saddle
The old Shimano 600 stuff was tough as coffin nails in my experience...
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06-05-19, 02:58 PM
#61
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Oh it has to be French for me.
And to me, the acme of French components was late 70s-early 80s so it's the STC Sélection Tricolore Course which was introduced in 1977 to bring together Vitus (971), Stronglight, Huret, Simplex, Super Champion, Pivo, Pelissier, Ideale etc. best and lightest components to build the perfect and lightest racing machines of the era. It was also the only group that included the tubing set. Of course, all different firms and even a choice of derailleur and crankset manufacturers but it was all super sweet, beautiful stuff.
Hopefully my next project: a really top notch Super Vitus 971 frameset built up with all STC components c. 1978-79. 100% French and all the better for it.
The following scans courtesy of the Tonton Velo site
https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39556
Peter Kohler
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And to me, the acme of French components was late 70s-early 80s so it's the STC Sélection Tricolore Course which was introduced in 1977 to bring together Vitus (971), Stronglight, Huret, Simplex, Super Champion, Pivo, Pelissier, Ideale etc. best and lightest components to build the perfect and lightest racing machines of the era. It was also the only group that included the tubing set. Of course, all different firms and even a choice of derailleur and crankset manufacturers but it was all super sweet, beautiful stuff.
Hopefully my next project: a really top notch Super Vitus 971 frameset built up with all STC components c. 1978-79. 100% French and all the better for it.
The following scans courtesy of the Tonton Velo site
https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39556
Peter Kohler
Washington, DC USA
Last edited by kohl57; 06-05-19 at 03:07 PM.
06-05-19, 03:48 PM
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06-05-19, 03:49 PM
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The most beautiful group set, in my book, would be either the Shimano 600 Arabesque group, as fitted to an old ALAN that I built years ago...
Or, and I have seen this group only one time, a Cambio Rino group as shown on this Cambio Rino (duh) that I found at the dump even more years ago...
Or, and I have seen this group only one time, a Cambio Rino group as shown on this Cambio Rino (duh) that I found at the dump even more years ago...
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06-05-19, 10:10 PM
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French parts with acres of shiny aluminum... Mavic SSC . The crank is inspirational:
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06-05-19, 10:33 PM
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06-05-19, 10:39 PM
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I love many aspects of nearly every group; Superbe Pro (building up my Look Equipe for Eroica), Sante (got a whole NOS groupset and searching for a perfect frame for it), and I built up my beloved Masi with Tricolor,
This will get some groans for not being vintage enough, but the most beautiful groupset to me will always be Dura Ace 7800. It's what C-Record was trying to be.
FFS, its 20 years old. Is it still not vintage enough?
This will get some groans for not being vintage enough, but the most beautiful groupset to me will always be Dura Ace 7800. It's what C-Record was trying to be.
FFS, its 20 years old. Is it still not vintage enough?
06-05-19, 10:45 PM
#67
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All good stuff,
Throwing some outliers
- ano Galli any thing, hairspray and John Hughes movies...
- Ofmega Mistral more so the cranks and less the derailleurs...
Throwing some outliers
- ano Galli any thing, hairspray and John Hughes movies...
- Ofmega Mistral more so the cranks and less the derailleurs...
06-06-19, 05:15 AM
#68
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06-06-19, 06:12 AM
#69
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06-06-19, 06:28 AM
#70
~>~
Nothing else comes close to the brilliant chrome of the Schwinn Approved components found on thousands of Varsities and Continentals in the '70's.
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06-06-19, 06:41 AM
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That DA 7800 crank is very attractive, indeed!
So true about that Schwinn chrome. They were the best. Their headsets are particularly beautiful.
So true about that Schwinn chrome. They were the best. Their headsets are particularly beautiful.
Last edited by BFisher; 06-06-19 at 06:42 AM. Reason: spelling
06-06-19, 08:50 PM
#72
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Until you've experience Raleigh's chrome of the '50s, everything else is imitation chrome. I'd gladly pit (pun intended) any Schwinn Approved bits of the '70s against Raleigh chrome from the '50s. No contest.
The TI-era Raleigh stuff though - decent, but mediocre in comparison to the chrome of their heyday. But still better than any Schwinn Approved steel ribbed rim. Yech.
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06-07-19, 12:10 AM
#73
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Sugino GT Drillium
Maybe not as great as the stronglight drillium crank I saw posted earlier, but I really dig the Sugino GT crank. I'd love to own the triple ring verion of this one day.
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06-07-19, 12:17 AM
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Also a big fan of the Dura-Ace 7500 track ensemble, especially those forged chainrings that 'integrate' with the spider arms.
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06-07-19, 07:10 AM
#75
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