Anatomy of a Photo: Campagnolo Candy Van

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Every night I pray to Merckx that in the morning when I wake up I’ll have a Campagnolo Free Candy Van with a Super Dome.

And every morning, its a fresh disappointment that it didn’t come true.

This photo also serves as further evidence that Cool peaked some time around the summer of 1977.

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123 Replies to “Anatomy of a Photo: Campagnolo Candy Van”

  1. @Chris

    @the Engine, @Harminator, @ChrisO Surely this was the perfect antidote to Abba for a ten year old in Australia in ’76.

    It was my first album and there are still bits of it that’ll lift a hair or two on the back of my neck.

    Nah – us young things were in to the Pistols, The Dammed, The Undertones, the Banshees and of course the mighty SLF. Went to see the latter in 1979 – still one of the finest things I ever saw. Mind you Blondie weren’t bad.

  2. @El Mateo

    What a sweet ride. I suppose every decade can claim coolness on some level but the 70″²s is clearly the peak. Take the the Campy Candy Van for instance. That aint happenning in 1987 or 1965 or 2002 Because that is a 70″²s Chevy Van. 1000″²s of tricked out vans roamed the streets then sporting shag carpet and blaring 8 track music. If you were alive during that time you know what i’m saying. If you were born post 70″²s watch some Scooby Doo to get the Vibe. Now that van probably wasn’t as much fun as your big brother’s Good Times Van (unless you were a bike nerd) but damn it looks good.

    if we’re talking music, its a no brainer. The 70″²s was so talent rich. The list of kick ass bands is long but Led Zep was the shizzle through the decade With 1977 being their biggest, baddest tour.

    Although it was the decade of flairs…

  3. @the Engine You have to remember that I’m quite a bit younger than you, gramps. I think it was 1979 or thereabouts when I got high voltage, I would have been 9.

    The whole punk thing didn’t really make quite such an impact in Hong Kong, certainly not on a 6-7 year old although I do remember my granny being very anti punk when I was in the UK in 1977.

  4. @Chris

    @the Engine You have to remember that I’m quite a bit younger than you, gramps. I think it was 1979 or thereabouts when I got high voltage, I would have been 9.

    The whole punk thing didn’t really make quite such an impact in Hong Kong, certainly not on a 6-7 year old although I do remember my granny being very anti punk when I was in the UK in 1977.

    What…speak up man.

    Why in my day we wore nylon underpants and Drip-Dry shirts – that’s how hard we were.

  5. That extra large USCF decal on the side of the Campy Candy Van would be awesome to have.

  6. @Page The porn star in clogs may be the epitome of casually deliberate but the guy in the back seat looks shady beyond words.

  7. Did the Candy Van have a window on the other side selling Record hubs & Delta brakes?

    “High Voltage” was my second album, right on the heels of “Licensed to Ill.” Having an older brother brings some good things into your life!

  8. @Ron Oddly enough “Licensed to Ill” was my first CD. The lad I shared a study with at school sold everything we and everybody else in the house owned to buy a CD player. Happy days.

  9. @Chris I remember just about every V0Dubya in the UK being missing its front badge around this time.  Personally my favourite was

  10. @ Frank

    You sir have given me a vision of love with that Campy Van. The sikest of siks it’s now in the cemetary! If I saweth that van I would maketh like the bricks and have that shit jacked in a minute, I would gladly do jail time as a serious Campophile to have the goodies that lie there in however that Buick Station wagon is a close second on the hitlist. Should old mate in the pic turneth his back for a moment it would be gone as well. Imagine those 2 vehicles sitting in ones drive way!

  11. A bump on this thread a.  because I love the pic and b.  because I think I may be falling out of love with Campag…it has been a while since my last post and for a while I turned away from the prophet lured by the pool and an escapade in to free diving (awesome sport by the way).  The bike however has never been far away and a return to “peaking in 2 weeks” combined with lots of belly breathing has seen my second set of Campag Centaur levers fail.  I sent one set back after less than 3k kms and the next set has failed at about the same maker.  These things are turning out to be utter shit!  I cycled on old Shimano for 10yrs without a fault until I went all Italian on myself and turned to Campag but is it my imagination or has the quality slipped in the last few years?..open question for discussion..

  12. I’ve got two pairs of Centaur levers that have been thrashed with impunity over several years. Perhaps it’s incorrect installation? What’s failing with them?

  13. Same question as I have Centaur, Chorus and Record with (touch wood) no issues and a combined many 1000 Km.

  14. @Oli On both occasions it has been the internal ratchet.  I read somewhere they now have more plastic in them (Chorus and above apparently is all metal).  In effect on the shift down it drops to the bottom of the cassette.  I have tried all the usual suspects, replaced chain, re-indexed, checked stop screws and replaced gear hanger.  In the end i rounded off a hex screw and took it to the LBS who then straightaway said it was the shifter.  Apparently Centaur pre 2010 was all metal innards (but that info is just coming off a blog.  @Teocali are your shifters 2010 or earlier?

  15. @Deakus

    My oldest is the Centaur around 2010/11 10Sp on the #9 bike so gets the cruddier conditions.  The Chorus/Record/Athena are all newer.

  16. @Teocalli

    I had heard Chorus and upwards are all still metal (less plastic on the insides) whereas Centaur was all metal till 2010.  Either way 2 sets of shifters in 3yrs is starting test my loyalty…I would love to go Chorus but the pennies are not in the piggy bank at the moment.

  17. @Deakus

    I did have one of mine apart a while back and I seem to remember it was metal so maybe it is pre 2010.

  18. @Deakus

    Mine are 2012 and 2013 respectively. I can’t answer to the use of varying internal construction materials though…

  19. @mikethebike

    Yes, in the 1970’s you rode Shimano at your own risk and peril.  Bill Woodul and Bill Humphries built a lot of good will and loyalty for Campy with their attitude and that van.  It was always comforting to know it was following you and you had Campy on you bike.  My favorite note is that the wheel on that van were Campy and that every now and then the two would get a case of Tulio’s private wine.

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