After the humiliating failure of their attempt to move into the market for mountain bike components, Campagnolo retreated back to their area of core competence - road racing components. But it was clear that there were not enough hard-core racing cyclists to sustain their business. It became time to try to attract the softer, plumper, older, richer, ex-racing cyclists who liked the racing look, enjoyed a nostalgia for long-lost youth, and fancied a bit of exercise - but who were never going to climb Alpe d'Huez with a 42 toothed inner chainwheel driving a 24 toothed bottom sprocket. And so the 'racing bike with a triple chainset' was born (God save anyone who called it a 'touring bike').

For the 1995 model year Campagnolo introduced the Campagnolo Racing T, with the 'T' standing for triple. It, mysteriously, managed to be part of the Record groupset, the Chorus groupset and the Athena groupset - that's economies of scale for you!

Just so that you knew it was a 'Racing Triple' the maximum sprocket size that it could handle was 28 teeth (later increased to 29). Even with a triple, those chubby lawyers and bank managers were going to have to do some hard work!

I am aware of 5 possible variants. A listing of them, with probable dates, might be:

• RD-01RA3, from 1995, an 8-speed model with 'Racing T' written underneath 'Campagnolo' on the outer parallelogram plate, an Allen key cable clamp nut and a plain cable clamp washer.
• RD-11RA3, from 1996, another 8-speed model with 'Racing Triple' written underneath 'Campagnolo' on the outer parallelogram plate, a combined Allen/Hex cable clamp bolt and a single proged cable clamp washer.
• RD-09RA3, from 1998, a 9-speed model with 'Racing Triple 9 Speed' written to the right of 'Campagnolo' on the outer parallelogram plate and a two pronged cable clamp washer.
• RD00-RA309, from 2000, another 9-speed model with 'Racing T' written on a large black strip on the outer parallelogram plate with '9 Speed Campagnolo' written underneath.
• RD01-RA309, from 2001, a 9-speed model with Campagnolo's new cutaway b-knuckle, bulbous p-knuckle and adjustable p-pivot tension system.

After 2001, the 'Racing Triple' and 'Racing T' names disappeared and long pulley cage versions of Record and Chorus were introduced.

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I believe that this example is an RD-09RA3, the third iteration of this basic design. I believe this because it has 'Racing Triple 9 Speed' written to the right of the 'Campagnolo' logo on its outer parallelogram plate. It also has 9-speed pulley wheels. Unsurprisingly this model was often called 'Campagnolo Racing Triple 9 Speed'.

A list of relevant details might include:

• The logo on the outer pulley cage plate is the Campagnolo signature, with the words 'Racing Triple 9 Speed' to the right.
• The hanger bolt has no writing on it and a rather fetching concave look.
• The cable clamp bolt is a plain-ornery-Allen-key design.
• The cable clamp washer is steel and has a double 'prong'.
• The pulley wheels are Campagnolo's 9-speed pulley wheel set with a self-centring guide pulley.
• The inner pulley cage plate is a steel pressing with a spoke protector.

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• Derailleur brands: Campagnolo
• Categories: Campagnolo - touring with terror
• Country: Italy
• Date of introduction: 1998
• Date of this example: unknown
• Model no.: RD-09RA3
• Weight: 262g
• Maximum cog: 28 teeth (Campagnolo)
• Total capacity: 37 teeth (Campagnolo)
• Pulley centre to centre: 76mm
• Index compatibility: 9 speed
• Chain width: 3/32
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: sprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: aluminium with a steel inner pulley cage plate