Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoDefining MomentsNostalgia

Anatomy of a Photo: Campagnolo Candy Van

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.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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DrewG says:

Feb 16 2013 at 2:58 am

I'd like to weigh in but I was born in the 90's and I don't drive - I was given a princely sum for my 17th birthday for driving lessons, went out and came back with my first road bike. Seeing that Campagnolo van though I can help but feel as though it'd be a far more effective P Wagon than my current steed.
Sauterelle says:

Feb 16 2013 at 3:50 am

@PeakInTwoYears

@Daccordi Rider

@PeakInTwoYears got a utube for us? I'm prepared to be swayed.

Fuck Santana. He has enough money. Here's Bill Nelson live in 1977:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjiArdooBi4

If you can be unmoved by his re-entry at 6:10 and all the beauty that follows, I don't know what to tell you.

Sorry to get off topic again but I didn't know how to send a message (is that possible here?)

PeakInTwoYears, have you heard of this event?? http://www.nelsonica.com/
markpa says:

Feb 16 2013 at 4:23 am

@PeakInTwoYears

@Sauterelle

HUGE BeBop Deluxe fan here! Bill Nelson was amazing, way ahead of his time.

This makes me happy. The owner of the head shop slash record store who sold me their LPs in the backwoods of Oregon, USA in the mid-70s is the only other person I've ever heard from who has ever heard of them.

His playing on "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" on Live! In the Air Age can still reduce me to tears, sentimental idiot that I am.

So gents, do you dream in colour?
DrewG says:

Feb 16 2013 at 5:33 am

@Pedale.Forchetta

I like/want everything plus this buckle, 1975 circa.

They also made commemorative belt buckles for Tullio Campagnolo's 80th birthday...
scaler911 says:

Feb 16 2013 at 5:45 am

@markpa

@PeakInTwoYears

@Sauterelle

HUGE BeBop Deluxe fan here! Bill Nelson was amazing, way ahead of his time.

This makes me happy. The owner of the head shop slash record store who sold me their LPs in the backwoods of Oregon, USA in the mid-70s is the only other person I've ever heard from who has ever heard of them.

His playing on "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" on Live! In the Air Age can still reduce me to tears, sentimental idiot that I am.

So gents, do you dream in colour?

Not only colour, but 3D. No funny glasses required.
RedRanger says:

Feb 16 2013 at 5:53 am

You guys have it all wrong. When it comes to the 70's it's all about The Band. End of. Speaking of which, I havnt watched The Last Waltz yet this year
the Engine says:

Feb 16 2013 at 6:01 am

@G'rilla

Let's get BACK ON TOPIC.

This photo.

Why is there a spoiler on the front of the van?

Why a bubble? Did riders stand up to look out the top?

Aero deflector for the bikes promoting fuel efficiency. This would be just post Oil Crisis.

Those big bubbles looked great for about a week and then the sun would make them opaque and cracked. We used to have smaller versions as ventilators on the buses where I used to live. One suspects that this particular bubble did nothing for the structural integrity of the van and was likely inflammable to boot. Also without air conditioning the designers of the van were committing the occupants of the van to death by heatstroke whenever the sun shone.

Fortunately Campagnolo were and are rather better at designing cool bits for bikes.
the Engine says:

Feb 16 2013 at 6:07 am

Still get the feeling that I'm on the right side of the prog rock punk split.

FWIW The Dammed were the best but The Undertones and "Teenage Kicks" may be the best two minutes or so of music ever written - especially if one was actually a teenager in 1977.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAtUw6lxcis
the Engine says:

Feb 16 2013 at 6:09 am

Oh and this'll get you through a long dark session on the turbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYOXyy1ToI
unversio says:

Feb 16 2013 at 6:17 am

@G'rilla OFF TOPIC: Team photos from Sky at Tour of Oman