This is the top-of-the-line front derailleur from what has been considered by many to be the most prestigious maker of bike parts ever. And though the Record front is well made, it's disappointing to see all the major parts riveted together. The Record front uses the pantagraph lift and push principle to move the chain between chainrings. It is made for braze-on mounting or with a 1 1/8" diameter clamp. The linkage, clamp and mounting pieces are all forged from aluminum alloy and given a very fine, high polish. The set screws to adjust the throw of the cage are on top of the mounting or clamp piece, permitting top-down access. The cage is made of thickly chrome plated steel with a mirror like high polish. The rear of the cage can be opened by removing a steel bolt and aluminum spacer, to permit the derailleur to be removed from the bike without having to break the chain. The cage is riveted to the aluminum link parts. The cable anchor bolt is made of steel weighing 2 grams. The cable bolt has a six sided bolt head, rather than the more common recessed hex fitting, it's threaded however to the industry standard 5mm by .8mm pitch with just 7.5mm of length. The SRP Titanium cable bolt at the end of this section will be a good replacement at a 1 gram weight saving. The mounting bolt for the braze-on model has the standard 5mm by .8mm pitch, but is an un-usual 24mm long. Careful study shows that this bolt weighing 4.5 grams, is at least 6mm longer than need be, the proper Titanium replacement for this bolt would be the SRP extra-long water bottle braze-on bolt which is 18mm long and weighs 2 grams. The Record front will work with friction or index shift system, and any narrow chain. The Record is intended for double chainring cranks and will accommodate 5, 6, 7, or 8 speed rear gear ranges and has a 14 tooth max capacity. The braze-on model weighs 100 grams.
1 1/8" clamp/band type $ Price in Catalog Braze-on type $ Price in Catalog
At the time of writing we didn't have the OR front derailleur on hand. The OR has two types or mounting bands. One is the standard 1 1/8" the other is a clamp capable of adjusting and tightening around both the 1 1/4" or 1 3/8" seat tube. The clamp section is made of aluminum, the cage is chrome plated steel. The rear of the cage is fastened by removable bolt so the derailleur can be removed without breaking the chain. Both models of the OR are made in either a top or bottom pull model. They have a 22 tooth maximum capacity.In July 1995 Campy discontinued the OR parts, these will have very limited availablity.
Record OR 1 1/8" bottom pull $ Price in Catalog Record OR 1 1/4" - 1 3/8" bottom pull $ Price in Catalog Record OR 1 1/8" top pull $ Price in Catalog Record OR 1 1/4" - 1 3/8" top $ Price in Catalog
The Chorus is a less pricey, more affordable Campy front derailleur but doesn't appear to be of any lesser quality than the Record. The linkage, clamp and mounting pieces are made of forged aluminum alloy, with the cage made of plate steel that is formed, high polished, then chrome plated. The aluminum pieces are finely polished, then clear anodized leaving the metal Silver. The cage is riveted to the link arms. To remove the derailleur, without breaking the chain, the cage can be opened by removing a bolt and spacer which fasten the rear of the cage. The screws that adjust the throw of the derailleur cage are positioned on the top of the clamp or mounting piece near the top tube. The cable fastening bolt is made of steel with a 2.5 gram weight. Threaded with 5mm by .8mm threads and 7.5mm long the SRP Ti cable bolt can replace it perfectly. The clamp fastening bolt has 5mm x .8mm pitched threads with a 20mm length, which we found to be at least 10mm longer than necessary. The 4.5 gram steel bolt can be comfortably replaced by the 14mm long SRP Ti replacement. The mounting bolt on the braze-on model is actually imbedded into the aluminum mounting piece with the threaded ends protruding. It can't be replaced, and uses a threaded-on nut, with a 5mm hex fitting to hold the derailleur onto the bike. A 5mm hex wrench is all that's needed to perform installation and cable fastening. The Chorus will work with any narrow chain, using any shifting system. It is intended for double chainring cranks and will accommodate 5, 6, 7, or 8 speed rear gear ranges. The clamp type weighs 102.5 grams, and the braze-on mounting model weighs 95.5 grams.
1 1/8" clamp/band type $ Price in Catalog Braze-on type $ Price in Catalog
