Most vintage bike enthousiasts know that there are 2 types of super record seat posts, the 2 bolt design and the single bolt design also known as the second gen. Surprise, the second gen has 3 variations, very small differences just like the c record first and second gen seatposts and headsets.
1: 1973-1978 based on the superleggero (or nuovo record superlight) seatpost with alloy shoulders for the saddlerails and the well known indistructible steel clamps, machined bushings and the typical campy bolts, notice the elegant letters of the campagnolo logo that go around the seatpost, not like the nuovo record with the worldlogo on the front.
The flutes are also really subtile not like those homemade seatposts you see done by people themselves. The upperpart is casted alloy, the lower pard is machined and polished (the one in the picture has been restored).
2: 1983-1984 “brev inter. campagnolo” stamped on the shaft, matte saddleclamp.
3: 1978-1982 “brev inter. campagnolo” stamped on the tapered piece of the seatpost, the clamp is polished and anodised.
4: 1985-1987 fully polished seat post, matte saddleclamp.
Common issues:
The material Campagnolo used for these seat posts was a cast-alloy. Very good for machining but not very corrosion resistant. So we often see seat posts that are stuck, especially if the flutes were deep enough in the frame, when riding in the rain the water gets in the frame trough the flutes and everything starts oxidizing.
Mounting guidelines for the First gen
- to put the saddle into the correct position requires special tools and still isn’t easy to accomplish
- just like the superleggero seat post the small shaft on the clamp intend to break if your weight is too high (I would not recommend riding this seat post if you are +85kg) (see the pictures for most common crack areas).
Mounting guidelines for the Second gen
- if you don’t handle the clamp bolt with care and the right tool it will wear out
- If you tighten it without grease or too hard the threads will vanish, I provided a picture of a simple solution called a “helicoil” it is used a lot in the automotive industry to repaire spark plug threads
- If you put too much force on the clamp, it will crack. I provided pictures of the most common areas where the clamp may fail
Great article! I have what appears to be a 3rd or 4th generation seatpost, and it slips frequently, and tilts nose-up too much. I’ve tried cleaning and re-oiling it, and tightening the bolt as much as I dare. I’ve even tried coating “saddle” area with sandpaper, contact cement, etc., but it always slips and tilts.
Is there a way to fix the clamp to the post securely so it stays at correct angle?
Thanks.
Mix grease with sand… sounds weird, but I’ve heard it works great. Or do it the proper way and use tackx carbon mounting paste those also have a certain grid in the mixture to prevent slipping seat posts etc.
other than that, try to keep the centre of gravity in the middle. The seat adjustment is quite useless if you are over 70kg then it slips indeed. I’ve also had a seat post where someone had cut extra groves in the surface with a chisel, that helps too but kinda ruins the whole thing imo.
Thanks for an excellent article. But someone sad that the seatposts are in the correct chronological order. Is that now corrected? It still looks to be in the wrong order?
Yes, my bad. Haven’t had the time to update yet nor do I have all the seat posts any more to take fresh pictures.
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There are actually 5 generations of Super Record Seatposts
1. Campagnolo Superleggeri Seatpost – has a drilled pivots for the cradles and thin-walls, weighs only 224 grams for a 27.2 size (vs. 290). Lighter than super record, which needed to have thicker walls to accept the flutes. Super record adopted the drilled pivots for the cradles.
2. Campagnolo 1st-generation with microadjusters – has flutes and just “Campagnolo” on the post.
3. Campagnolo 2nd-generation with microadjusters – has flutes and “Campagnolo” and a limit line on the post.
4. Campagnolo 3rd-generation single-bolt, un-anodized clamp, milled shaft.
5. Campagnolo 4th-generation single-bolt., anodized clamp, milled shaft..
6. Campagnolo 4th-generation single-bolt., anodized clamp, polished shaft.
The way you can tell a genuine super record post is because the flutes don’t end in a circle, they end in an elliptical shape and gradually taper “out” of the seatpost …
That’s right! There are more variations, noticed it a while after we made this. Haven’t had time to update it but I do have a couple different ‘first gen’ super record seat posts now. Any idea around what period they might have changed? They changed the headset around ’76, perhaps the seat post too?
Don, Great contribution to this topic! These minute and not-so-minute points of distinction you outline help so much in differentiating the succession of offerings from Campy through the years. Very much help in seeking replacements. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, etc!
For those of us who regularly use our vintage bikes, do you by any chance know the thread details of the single bolt seatpost as I would like to get an alternative security bolt to safeguard my beloved and well broken in Brooks Swallow.? The Super Record seat post is beautiful and elegant so I use a well know security bolt along with security skewers instead of Campagnola quick release. I of course keep the original parts for special occasions but life is certainly more relaxed in busy city life.
Many thanks
J.S
This is a SUPER article. Thank you so much! It is difficult to keep straight on all the small changes in the multiple versions of these vintage issues (God bless Campagnolo!) One suggestion for when you re-do the article (since you mention you found additional versions of the seatpost and will update): my eyes are not that young – could you please consider lighting the photographs more brightly? Some are too dim for me to really see all the detail you describe. Thanks again for one of the best articles I’ve read in a long time.
Thanks! and yes those were the early days where I took photographs on the coffee table in the living room… I have some cheap studio lights now that do the trick a bit better (as you might see in newer posts) but I’ll keep it in mind for the update!
I think that the seatposts are in the correct chronological order in the picture but not in the text: I’m I wrong?
That’s right, there will be an update soon, due to new information I had to replace them, i found one of the seatposts in a merckx catalog from 1980 (which i didn’t expect to excist then) there is also a second version of the “first generation” super record, the two bolt model so that one will be added soon as well
Dear Bart
I enjoy the web site for researching my vintage rebuilds. I raced in the early 70’s.
I am unable to find contact details. Is there a reason?
Aha, good point! At the bottom you can find all my info and social network sites and stuff in the black box, next to written by: but thanks for pointing out, we will make a new “contact” button on the website to make it a bit easier in use.