1992-ish ad for the C-Record group focusing on the SGR pedal features. Yes, highly adjustable for that period and the best bearing system to ever grace a bicycle. But still, the heaviest pedals ever made, and a real bear to unclip.
That's right. I said it. After a few weeks of riding them, and after adjusting the rotation exit point to be just slightly before you tear something in a knee or ankle, these things were made for race-day-only! Sure you can unclip after the big race... when you're leaning on your massaggiatore after the big sprint finish on Via Roma!
The next piece of my Rossin arrived this week. I always wanted a Campy Electa saddle, and it doesn't disappoint! I got a great price on this ti-railed black Electa (SD-10EL) on eBay a couple of weeks ago and was getting a bit nervous when it didn't arrive immediately.
There is some conflicting or incomplete information on the origins of the "Airdea" pneumatic saddle out there. One side attributes the design to a Swiss racer named Silvio Fant, while another claims Fugazzi made it. Here are a couple of images of said versions. My thought is that Fant may have designed it and taken it to Fugazzi for production, who in turn licensed the design to Campagnolo and produced the Electa. Regardless, these things go from $250 - $900 (yes, that guy) on eBay. There's a lovely red version being sold right now at a reasonable price, should I decide that two would be almost enough.
Mine holds air quite well, and the air pump was included, along with the box. No instructions, however, so I dug around and found the ones shown here, along with suggested pressure chart, anticipating full suspension charts by quite a few years). I also found the letter shown below from my archives, which seems to be a Campy USA letter introducing the saddle for the trade shows at the time.
From one of my first trade shows, probably CABDA when I was still a bike shop rat. Seems to be first-year introduction, as there is no mention of the titanium version.
Silvio Fant version, from an old eBay listing
Fugazzi-branded Airdea version, from another old eBay listing
And this low-res Fant, from an expired Russian eBay-like listing
I came across this article in a 1989 issue of Bicycling as I was purging about 50 pounds of magazines with very little interesting content. Here is what they had to say about the SGR:
Campagnolo introduced the C-Record SGR-1 pedal last year with extra features for racers. In the company's words, it's a "machine in itself." The SGR-1 allows the foot to "float" outward 5 degrees to minimize pressure on the knee. There's an adjustment that varies resistance to this rotation and the amount of force needed to release. However, even at its lightest setting the SGR-1 has much more resistance to load than the other systems with this feature (Time and Avenir). Another adjustment governs the amount of flood (up to the 5-degree maximum). This also affects the release point, as you must take up the flood (by rotating the heel of your foot outward) before the system will disengage. It's an easy system to enter. Put the front of the cleat in the pedal and slide your foot forward. When exiting, the pedal maintains its position on the axle for easy re-entry. The lean angle is excellent - 4 degrees better than Campagnolo quill pedal. It uses 2 cup-and-cone bearings on the inside and a needle bearing on the outside. However, even at the minimum setting the required exit torque is high. (This doesn't bother racers.) And all the features come with a cost - these are the heaviest, most expensive pedals available.
The article's comparison chart is shown below. Note the $400 retail price. In the same issue, I found them for sale $249 from Cycle Goods, $219 from Excel, and $199 from Colorado Cyclist!
In addition, I found this Diadora ad... if you're going to pitch expensive Italian shoes to the masses, you better picture them clipped to the most expensive and over the top pedal system!
While tomorrow may be my favorite race of the year, I should be writing again about it being my first big pro race I ever saw live way back when. However, it also ties to today's topic, my cycling idol, Costante Girardengo, born March 18, 1893. Girardengo won in San Remo six times - seven if you count the time he was DQ'ed for going off course in 1915.
Gira loved San Remo like no other race. Much like myself!
Part of my shrine to Gira... thanks, Brett Horton!
I found this online somewhere and grabbed it a while ago. It's Girardengo's ten points to be a perfect racer...
Quick translation below:
Love your bike and care for it as best you can
Submit your body to the strictest control and avoid, with equal fervor, the excessive wear and tear from unnecessary tasks
Get to bed no later than 10:00 and wake early in the morning, even if you don't have to train
Don't ask from your muscles more than they can give
Stay well away from alcoholic drinks, don't abuse coffee, and never get drunk from wine. Well water is the drink of champions!
Remember to abhor drugs. Taking drugs will age you in no time. You must smoke as little as possible(!).
Don't forget, when racing, to act fairly. Winning from cheating has a toxic stink.
Don't believe you a fuori classe. Don't confuse the desire to win with the certainty of winning. The first is a macho virtue. The second is an ugly swagger.
Don't just bring your legs to the race, but also your brain. Always have a clear and lucid mind. Only like this can you react to those little moments of difficulty that no racer can avoid, not even the greatest.
Pay your dues according to the rules. If you lose, don't blame the jury. If you win, don't boast to your rivals. Tomorrow could be your turn. Don't complain but consider your sport for what it is: master of nobility and provider of wellness.
Still applies 90 years later! Well, apart from that smoking bit!
Gira... l'omino who was Italian national champion NINE times, San Remo SIX, fought the Spanish flu, raced until he was 43, "friend" of public enemy #1 Sante Pollastri (of which the famous ballad was written by Grechi), 106 wins on the road and 965 on the track, and DS to Guerra and Bartali.
My SGR-1 pedals arrived and I've been staring at the box and mix of parts for a few weeks. I finally decided to mount them yesterday and thought I'd document the proceedings.
"... and that's the only thing I need is *this*. I don't need this or this. Just these SGR-1 pedals... And this paddle game. The SGR-1 pedals and the paddle game and that's all I need... And this remote control. The SGR-1 pedals, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that's all I need..."
Letting 25-year-old Vicenza air out of its bag is never easy on me...
So am I missing something here? Using the provided hardware, you could NEVER mount these to a shoe. The spacers slip right through the cleat and the screw head and washer do as well! I had to take the grinding wheel to some old spacers and I was back in business. But seriously, you just made the heaviest, most expensive pedals - you add mysterious mounting hardware to them mix? Easy to see why these didn't take off!
Yeah, but can your pedals do THIS!?!
The pedals are stable and provide a nice large platform that I'm not real used to (Speedplay user here). Clicking in is easy, out as well once I stiffened the release adjustment. I also lubed the bearings and loosened up the float as instructed in the manual, presented here --->
1992-ish ad for the C-Record group focusing on the SGR pedal features. Yes, highly adjustable for that period and the best bearing system to ever grace a bicycle. But still, the heaviest pedals ever made, and a real bear to unclip.
The next piece of my Rossin arrived this week. I always wanted a Campy Electa saddle, and it doesn't disappoint! I got a great price on this ti-railed black Electa (SD-10EL) on eBay a couple of weeks ago and was getting a bit nervous when it didn't arrive immediately.
