History
Campagnolo Super Record was released in 1974 as the successor to Campagnolo’s top tier group set, Nuovo Record. The Super Record group set was in production from 1974 to late 1980’s. During this period, Campagnolo released 4 different versions of the Super Record seat post (or the ‘seat pin’ as it is referred to in their literature). The first version featured a 2 bolt clamping system whilst the later versions all featured a single bolt clamping system.
First Version (circa 1974 to 1978)
The first version featured 2 bolts mounted on top of the clamps to fasten the saddle rails. The saddle tilt is adjusted by tightening one nut and loosening the other.
This post is similar to the Nuovo Record seat post that preceded it, but it can be easily identified by the lovely elongated flutes which are present on the upper section of all 4 versions of the Super Record seat post.
The upper section is cast alloy and the post is polished alloy. Unlike other components in the group set, the seat post is not anodized and can be restored by polishing.
Second Version (circa 1978 to 1982)
The second version was a simplified single bolt saddle clamping system.
The bolt was relocated to underneath the clamp which made it much easier to adjust or removed the saddle.
The clamp sits on a curved top section of the post to allow the saddle to tilt fore & aft.
You will also notice the upper portion of the post is now tapered and polished.
Third Version (circa 1983 to 1984)
The third version utilised the same single bolt clamping system as the previous version, however the tapered upper portion of the post is no longer polished and the text and flutes were moved further down the post.
All 4 versions of the post appear to have ‘BREV. INTER. CAMPAGNOLO’ engraved at the top of the post.
Fourth Version (circa 1985 to 1987)
The final version of the Super Record post is nearly identical to the third version, however the upper section of the post is now completely polished to give it a nicer finish.
All seat posts are marked with a minimum insertion LIMIT marking.
Dimensions & Sizing
The Super Record seat posts were available in 2 different lengths; 130mm (standard) or 180mm (long). A quick check on eBay shows that most of the second hand and new old stock posts are the longer 180mm version which gives you a few more options regarding frame sizing. Bear in mind that whichever post you choose, approx. 55mm of post must be inside the seat tube of the frame.
Campagnolo offered the seat post in no less than 10 different diameters;
25mm, 25.8mm, 26mm, 26.2mm, 26.4mm, 26.6m, 26.8mm, 27mm, 27.2mm & 27.4mm
You can see in the above photo that the seat post diameter is marked on the top rear section of the post. It is important to use the correct diameter post in a steel frame to ensure it doesn’t slip down when riding. From my experience, a greased seat post will be a firm fit in the seat tube of the frame. My 1984 Colnago Master requires a 27.2mm seat post.
Problems with a Single Bolt Clamp Design
Whilst the single bolt clamping system is easy to use, I have experienced problems with the saddle nose dropping down during riding. I found this was due to the saddle clamp slipping on the curved top section of the seat post.
Initially I cleaned all the clamping parts (except the bolt threads which need to be greased) and tightened the bolt up firmly, but the saddle nose was still dropping on just one ride. Whilst the clamping bolt is steel, the threaded top clamp is only alloy, so I didn’t want to over-tighten the clamping bolt for fear of stripping the threads, but it could be a case of me being over-cautious.
After searching online, I decided to apply some carbon paste to the underside of the saddle clamp where it contacts the top the seat post. I tightened the seat post clamp bolt to 22Nm. So far this has worked to keep the saddle in position, but I will update this after a few more rides.
Campagnolo 50th Anniversary Seat Post
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Campagnolo in 1983, they created a limitied edition version of the Super Record group set.
The seat post included in this group set was identical to the last version of the standard Super Record seat post, but featured some special 50th anniversary markings.
These seat posts can sometimes be found for sale as New Old Stock (NOS), but fetch a high price as they are sought by collectors.
Colnago 30th Anniversary Seat Posts
Apparently there were 3 different versions of the seat post designed for Colnago’s 30th Anniversary group set. All of them feature Ernesto Colnago’s signature as well as the special gold club. However, the only seat post advertised with Campagnolo Super Record group sets was the plain round seat post. The 2 aero seat post style shown below was later included in the C-Record group set which was released in 1986, however these seat posts were available in 1983 primarily for use by professionals as well as inclusion in this limited edition group set.
UK Pricing in 1981
I found a 1981 catalogue for a British cycling shop with pricing as follows;
The Super Record seat post retails for GBP 21.80
Super Record Component Weight
I have weighed a set of Super Record components and quite surprisingly, these vintage parts compares quite favourably against the weight of a modern Campagnolo Super Record group set.
Learn more about Campagnolo Super Record
This article is just a small part of my full review of Campagnolo Super Record groupset.
References
I hope you found this article interesting. I have listed the following website pages as general references.
lecycleur.com/campagnolo/4-generations-of-super-record-seatposts/
lecycleur.com/campagnolo/how-to-distinguish-1st-and-2nd-generation-c-record-seat-posts/
Disclaimer!
Please remember that this information is only to be used as a guide.
I consider myself an enthusiast, not an expert. The information I have presented in this article is based on my many hours of online research.
Whilst I enjoy working on my own bikes, I am not a qualified bicycle mechanic. The content of this article is purely illustrative and does not constitute professional advice. For your own safety, any type of work should only be undertaken by a qualified bicycle mechanic. Incorrect assembly of parts could result in equipment damage, personal injury or death.
About Me.
I have been riding and working on my own bikes for many years now. I wanted to share my experiences, knowledge and research with others. My aim is to inspire people to get involved in all aspects of this amazing sport. Cheers.
Comments.
I welcome reader feedback in the comments section. Should you wish to suggest an amendment, please include a note advising the source of your information so that myself and other readers can ascertain the accuracy of your information. Note: Trolling or argumentative comments will be removed as they are counter-productive.
Hello;
I am a long time Campagnolo enthusiast having started using Campagnolo in 1975.
You have a very interesting and fascinating website.
Do you know why Campagnolo stopped making seatposts?
Thanks,
Erwin Won
El Cerrito, CA
Hi Erwin, thanks for your comments, much appreciated. That is a very good question. I suspect it was due to market forces. Of course there was the rise of their major competitor Shimano. At some point the standard contents of a group set was redefined (and seat posts were omitted). Bike manufacturers started including seat posts as part of the frame. I’m just not sure as to which of these changes was the primary driver?
Do you know if any of the super record 2 gen seat post variants were sold with a helicoil pre installed in the top clamp. I seem to have problems finding a spare top clamp that does not include a helicoil. A helicoil may be a good repair of a busted thread but hardly part of a NOS item. Well I do not know, but maybe you know?
Hi Troels.
That is an interesting question. I had not heard of a helicoil so I had to look up on internet to find out what it was. It seems they are often used to repair a damaged thread or potentially resize an existing thread. Unfortunately, I am not sure if the top clamp is equipped with a helicoil. I never really paid any attention to the thread. Both of my Super Record seatposts are fitted with saddles, and I don’t really want to remove the top clamp as I have got the angle and position perfect.
I just read in in one of my references that mentions the use of a helicoil should you strip the threads. As such I don’t think they are fitted originally. Here is an image of the top clamp. Hope that helps.
Hi,
I asked Bart from thecycleur.com. He thinks the use of a helicoil became the “standard” at some point because the aluminium thread was notoriously weak. That makes a lot of sense. But like you I do not want to disassemble my old Campy Super record seat post to check if I myself have a helicoil in my unaltered 2 gen 83-84 variant seat post. If or when I change my saddle then I shall find out I guess. For now I have accepted the helicoil in the later versions of the Campagnolo single bolt seat posts.
A few of your pictures seem to show top clamps with threading in the aluminium and no helicoil at all. Could they possibly be early versions of the top clamp?
I’m not sure the exact age of those clamps, just found the pictures online to illustrate.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Campagnolo needed to reinforce the thread by using a helicoil. One of my Super Record seat posts which featured a single bolt clamp design was unable to hold the saddle tilt position. The saddle nose kept dropping down when riding the bike. I tried tightening the bolt more, but it didn’t solve the problem and I was afraid to damage the clamp thread by overtightening the bolt.
The solution was to apply some carbon paste in the clamping area of the post to create more friction and give it more grip. It works well, no need to excessively tighten the bolt. Maybe this is the reason people were overtightening the bolts?
I don’t think a single bolt clamp is a good design. I use a dual bolt seat post clamp on my modern bike and it just works really well.
They look beautiful, but it’s another flawed design with a highly stressed single bolt and female aluminium thread – prone to dangerous failure from the (chromed and embrittled) bolt breaking, thread stripping or saddle slipping. No cycle mechanic used a torque wrench (or even knew what one was!) in those days, so under-tightening (causing slipping) or over-tightening (causing bolt or thread failure) were commonplace – hence so many found with helicoils and non-original bolts. The previous two-bolt design was far safer and more effective. Plain polished (non-anodised) finish aids electrolitic reaction and corrosion for posts sticking badly in frames. Those carved-away customised Colnago versions simply don’t look strong enough and add even more danger! It was the” bad old days” for sure when this was some of the best equipment available. But, many modern seat post designs are also not perfect.
Hi David, yes I definately prefer a dual bolt seat post design to eliminate any saddle tilt slipping issues. Having said that, the carbon assembly paste on the vintage Super Record seat post is still keeping my saddle tilt locked in place. I always use good quality grease on the seat post to prevent it binding in the seat tube.
A couple notes:
1) Super Record group was available in 1973. SR rear derailleurs can be found with “PATENT-73” stamped knuckle. The catalog first showing SR group was copyrighted in 1974, but the group was actually released before the catalog since parts had to be designed and in production well before the catalog. Possibly as early as late ’72 due to testing and use for builders and pros prior to general release.
2) There are 2 versions of the earlier 2 bolt design. Reference Velobase.com to view design differences.
3) Slippage with the single bolt clamp head can be alleviated by lightly roughing up the contact surfaces (very fine sand paper works well), and/or using some thread locker on those same surfaces. I am fairly light weight at 140 lbs, but never had a saddle slip when using my methods and loaded with a backpack.
4) Helicoils are generally used for repairing or modifying threads. A factory design for preventing thread damage is to use a steel threaded insert. Helicoils fail regularly also; I have seen it many times. It generally depends on the original thread pitch, amount of damage to the original threads, type of metal of original threads, and service since you can strip/rip out helicoils under excessive torque also when tightening. I have no single bolt posts (I have many); Super Record, Victory/Triomphe that have coils or inserts in the upper clamp piece. I cannot give any verification as to if the newer C Record and Chorus posts had a different design, but I can check as I believe I still have an early example from one of those groups.