Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion [Hardcover]

Paolo Facchinetti (Author), Guido P. Rubino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

A revered brand among cycling enthusiasts and bike racers alike, Campagnolo is to cycling what Ferrari is to race cars. And like Ferrari, it carries the name of its founder, Tullio Campagnolo, who segued from bicycle racing to manufacturing when he found the equipment of the day not up to the rigors of competition. His patented designs are still in use today, and Campagnolo's components have been part of more cycling victories than any other brand. Yet the same equipment used by world champions is available to everyday cyclists -- it's this universal appeal that has forged Campagnolo's sterling reputation. The company's legacy is explored here in text and images. With its deeply researched history, much of it drawn from the company's private archives, spectacular color photography, and lavish presentation, "Campagnolo: 75 Years" is a book for every cycling lover.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With spectacular photography and attention to detail, this coffeetable book is one to be treasured by every cycling fan and bicycle conoscitore." — VeloNews magazine

"The passion and adoration for the company is well represented in this book, which is a must-have for any Campy fan." —BikeRadar.com

"Unless you have a key to the Campy archives, you won't find the stories in this book and the vintage photos and illustrations anywhere else." —Roadbikerider.com

"If you're looking for a Christmas gift for your favorite cycling history buff or bike owner, Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion should go over rather well. Like any good large-format title, the book contains enough sidebars and anecdotes (and pure heft) to double as my techie brother's ideal coffee-table book." —PodiumCafe.com

"Whether you are a member of the Campy cult, a user of their components or a fan of cycling history, this book is worth a read." —BikeWorldNews.com

"The ultimate Campagnolo coffee table book." —TheWashingMachinePost.net

"Full of incredible insights, admissions and explanations that have never been published before. Even the most dedicated Campy aficionado will find page after page of new information, much of it from the friends of Tullio who worked alongside him in the bicycle industry. An absolute necessity for anyone who craves information about Campagnolo." —USCyclingReport.com

“Campagnolo is worth the price just for the early racing accounts and the reproductions of early racing posters, photographs and illustrations. Plus it’s fun to remember the components that influenced so many cyclists.” — Cycling Utah

 

Review

"Whether you are a member of the Campy cult, a user of their components or a fan of cycling history, this book is worth a read."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 159 pages
• Publisher: Velo Press; 1st English-language Ed edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934030376
• ISBN-13: 978-1934030370
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just Awful!, April 27, 2009

By 

Ed Menke (The Shortstop) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion (Hardcover)

As good as "Paris-Roubaix: A Journey Through Hell" is, this book is bad. Indeed, the ONLY recommendation I can offer about the book is that the layout/graphic design is competent. Every other aspect -- photography, product selection, content, tone, writing -- is pitiful. As a Campagnolo aficionado, I suggest that if this book had been subject to the same quality evaluation as the namesake components, it would have been deemed fit only to paper a shop floor. Written more like an English-as-a-second-language press release by an Intern, there's endless laudatory puffery about "the genius of Campagnolo" at the expense of meat and potatoes information about the storied products. There haven't been that many generations of groups. Omitting detailed pictures and descriptions of them is unforgivable.

High-end bike components are BEAUTIFUL. They are FUNCTIONAL ART. This book is not not bike porn. Even the Huret Allvit managed to redeem itself with ball-bearing pulleys. This, absent almost any redeeming qualities, is just plain bad.

...Sigh...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read if you are a fan of cycling history, November 25, 2008

By 

Ronald T. Callahan (Cincinnati, OH, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion (Hardcover)

In conjunction with the manufacturers' 75th Anniversary, Velo Press recently released the book Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion. Whether you are a member of the Campy cult, a user of their components or a fan of cycling history, this book is worth a read.

Written by long time Italian cycling journalists Paolo Facchinetti and Guido P. Rubino, the book starts with the birth of the bicycle itself and its growing popularity in Europe, but quickly moves to the fateful Fall 1927 day on the Croce d'Aune when a young racer named Tullio Campagnolo struggled to change the gearing on his racing bike with nearly frozen hands. Out of his frustration came first the quick release axles that we all use today, and eventually, a gear changer that allowed a racer to change gears without dismounting the bike.

Tullio Campagnolo grew up poor, but was fortunate to grow up in a home where he had access to files, pliers, anvils, vise grips and hammers, as well as a small blacksmith forge. It was there that he learned the skills that would serve him in prototyping, building and improving bicycle components.

The first quick release appeared in 1930, and Campagnolo filed the first of his 185 patents for a system he called "gearing for cycling." He attended as many races as he could, showing his quick release and gearing system to racers and mechanics alike and listening, improving and promoting some more.

Along the way, Campagnolo saw his components used by such racing greats as Vito Ortelli, Toni Bevilacqua, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Fiorenzo Magni, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon, Miguel Indurain, Marco Pantani, Paolo Bettini and Danilo Di Luca, and the Campagnolo name became synonymous with cycling.

The early beginnings and Campagnolo's passion for cycling and for continuous improvement lead us to where we are 75 year later, with the introduction of the new 11-speed Super Record group.

Some Campagnolo cultists have said that there are some notable omissions in this book, but I still found it very entertaining and educational. The illustrations and photography are top notch as well.

If you love cycling, this book should have a place in your library.

For this review and other cycling news, visit [...]

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Every Campagnolo fan will want this!, January 16, 2009

By 

Larry TheobaldCycleItalia "Larry T." - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion (Hardcover)

I looked forward to the release of this book after I saw a copy at a bicycle trade show. They had two copies and I believe one of them was stolen! I waited for mine and it was money well spent. If you're a fan of the components from Vicenza, you'll want this book. A few errors don't tarnish the read for anyone but the fanatic who expected this to be the "Encyclopedia of Campagnolo" complete with Tullio's fingerprints and DNA. My only real complaint is the book was printed in CHINA! I would have gladly paid twice the price for a book printed in ITALY where they still do some of the nicest printing in the world.