History
Campagnolo toe clips first appeared in the 1982 Campagnolo Olympic catalogue in both steel & alloy versions. At that time they were sold as an accessory product and not included as part of their group sets. It wasn’t until their 1984 catalogue that the lightweight alloy toe clips were included as part of their Super Record group set. Interestingly though, toe clips were not included in their lower tier group sets at that time.
Steel vs Alloy Toe Clips
Campagnolo manufactured toe clips in 2 versions, chrome steel or aluminium alloy. The steel version offered superior strength, whilst the alloy version was super light (superleggeri). Here is table showing the claimed weights of each sourced from the 1982 Campagnolo Olympic catalogue.
Size
Small
Medium
Large
Weight (Steel)
32 grams
36 grams
40 grams
Weight (Alloy)
12 grams
13.4 grams
14.8 grams
Toe Clip Sizing
Stamped on the underside
According to the 1984 Campagnolo catalogue, toe clips were sold in only 3 sizes; Small, Medium & Large. You can see in the above photo that the size was stamped on the underside of the toe clip. Whilst there are no measurements shown in the catalogues, after searching the internet, I have found a generic size chart for toe clips:
Small
Medium
Large
US 6-8.5 / UK 5-8 / EURO 36-39
US 8.5-10 / UK 7.5-9 / EURO 39-41
US 10-12 / UK 9 – 11 / EURO 41-45
In comparison, I own a pair of Christophe alloy toe clips and they were available in only 2 sizes: Small/Medium (C version) or Large/Extra Large (S version). Here is the measurement specification for their toe clip sizing as an additional reference.
Campagnolo 50th Anniversary Toe Clips
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Campagnolo in 1983, they created a limitied edition version of the Super Record group set.
Interestingly, Campagnolo decided to include a specially stamped version of their chrome steel toe clips in this anniversary group set, rather than the alloy toe clips which were traditionally included in the Super Record group.
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.
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.
Great website for someone like me, who has a vintage Tommasini with Campy Super Record parts. One question that is nagging me – it is probably obvious, I will face palm when I get an answer. Campy toe clips have a little triangular tab on them. I have heard them referred to as flipping tabs, but they sit INSIDE the pedal on my S.R. pedals. Have I had them mounted wrong all these years..?
Thanks Clint
Hi Clint, I don’t use toe clips on my vintage bikes, but the toe clip is affixed to the front of the pedal. I believe the answer to your question can be found in this post. If I understand correctly, those triangular tabs on the Campagnolo toe clips are not flipping tabs, they are there to prevent you accidentally inserting your foot in the gap between the front plate and axle of the pedal body. As such they help guide your foot easily into the toe cage.
I believe the Kick Tab (of flipping tab) you mentioned is a short triangular tab found on the rear plate of the pedal. It is designed to help you rotate the pedal upright with a backward stroke of the foot, as the toe cage and straps cause the pedal to hang inverted.
That makes total sense, many thanks – a small mystery solved. Thanks again for this site, I am enjoying going through it. If you have any interest in looking at a vintage catalogue from the 1980’s for an Italian-specialist bike store called Bicicletta, please email me. I would be happy to scan and send to you.
Clint