For the 1992 model year Campagnolo finally launched a Record derailleur with a concealed p-pivot bolt - catching up with the look that Shimano had introduced with the 1986 Shimano Santé. The new Record was a broadly satisfactory object, with a fine finish, a certain solidity and reasonable indexing performance.
However, at its introduction it weighed an elephantine 260g, compared to around 190g for the Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 series. Campagnolo put the Record on a diet for the rest of the 1990s introducing a series of incremental improvements, each marginally lighter than the last.
I am aware of 9 possible variants. A listing of them, with probable dates, might be:
- RD-01RE, from early 1992, had a polished, cast, inner pulley cage plate.
- RD-10RE, from later 1992, sported a stippled, pressed, inner pulley cage plate with a simple shape around the tension pulley.
- RD-11RE, from early 1993, featured a stippled, pressed, inner pulley cage plate with a pointed extension at the tension pulley.
- RD-11RE, from later 1993, had a stippled, pressed, inner pulley cage plate with a spoke protector flange. Logic would suggest that this should be RD-12RE, but, confusingly, seems to be called RD-11RE.
- RD-21RE, from 1994, saw the introduction of 8-speed pulley wheels with a self centring guide pulley.
- RD-31RE, from 1995, sported the word 'Record' on the outer parallelogram plate.
- RD-41RE later coded as RD-08RE, from 1996, featured the words 'Record Titanium' on the outer parallelogram plate.
- RD-09RE, from 1997, had the words 'Record Titanium 9 Speed' on the outer parallelogram plate and a steel cable clamp washer with a single 'prong'.
- RD-19RE, from 1998, also had the words 'Record Titanium 9 Speed' on the outer parallelogram plate but had an aluminium cable clamp washer with two 'prongs'.
I believe that this example is an RD21-RE, the fourth iteration of this basic design. I believe this because it only has 'Campagnolo' written on its outer parallelogram plate but also has Campagnolo's 8-speed pulley wheel set with a self-centring guide pulley.
This is an 8 speed derailleur.
A list of relevant details might include:
- The logo on the outer pulley cage plate is just the Campagnolo signature, with no other words.
- The b-pivot bolt and hidden p-pivot bolt are chromed steel.
- The cable clamp bolt is Campagnolo's signature combined Allen key and hex design.
- The cable clamp washer is steel and has a single 'prong'.
- The pulley wheels are Campagnolo's 8-speed pulley wheel set with a self-centering guide pulley.
- The inner pulley cage plate is a stippled aluminium pressing with a spoke protector.
This example has a crack running through the b-knuckle at the b-pivot bolt - a failure seen on a number of other Campagnolo derailleurs of this vintage in this collection.
- Derailleur brands: Campagnolo
- Categories: Campagnolo - the good stuff
- Country: Italy
- Date of introduction: 1994
- Date of this example: unknown
- Model no.: RD21-RE
- Weight: 249g
- Maximum cog: 26 teeth (Campagnolo)
- Total capacity: 26 teeth (Campagnolo)
- Pulley centre to centre: 46mm
- Index compatibility: 8 speed
- Chain width: 3/32
- Logic: top normal
- B pivot: sprung
- P pivot: sprung
- Materials: aluminium