I purchased this on eBay a week ago or so, and was surprised when it arrived yesterday at the overall excellent condition of this Campagnolo Nuovo Record derailleur. Very few sings of oxidation, only minor abrasions, and even the return spring action is still strong.
Keen eyes might notice a missing tooth or two on the jockey wheels. No biggie. This isn't going on a bicycle anytime soon. I know - Gasp! Criminal, right? Fact is, I'm building a vintage parts museum that will represent iconic bicycle parts from the last 50 years, so finding decent representative parts is hard enough; I'm not going to then thrash them by putting them to use.
There's a strong argument that bikes are meant to be ridden, and parts are meant to be used. I can make the argument that some bicycles can be considered works of art, and the same goes for parts. Tributes to industrial design, if you will. I own bicycles that I rotate out and ride on a regular basis, but I also have a couple that I like to keep in pristine condition, so I don't ride them. It's not like the world has a bicycle shortage. I'm not hording pennies, for crying out loud.
What's your opinion? Do you keep any parts to display and/or admire? What about whole bicycles - have any that you never ride, just look at?
* Year is approximate - Brev. Int. Campagnolo
A NR that nice I'd have to make a display piece somewhere. I'd get a scuffer for a user.
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