SGR-1 IN THE 1989 BICYCLING PEDAL ROUNDUP

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!