In what we at Cyclocosm hope to make a regular weekend feature (at least during the off-season), out expert team of analysts will take two similarly-named elements Cycling Culture and Popular Culture and send them into a head-to-head deathmatch from which only one will survive.
This week’s combatants are: Campagnolo and Camp Anawana. Let the games begin!
| Category | Bike Culture: Campagnolo |
Pop Culture: Camp Anawana |
Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics: | Italian component manufacturer | Fictional summer camp from “Salute Your Shorts” | Campy; they actually exist |
| Fan Base: | Purists and bike snobs | Nostalgic twenty-somethings | Draw; both groups are equally repulsive |
| Longevity: | 72 years and counting | Two seasons (1991-2) | Campy; no contest |
| Known For: | Beautiful, long-lasting componentry | Catchy theme song | Campy; but closer this time |
| Hated For: | Any parts group below Veloce | Instructional Swim | Anawana; instructional swim only sucks for an hour |
| Resident Badass: | Piero Da Rin | Bobby Budnick | Anawana; I still have nightmares about Budnick |
| Impossible Dream: | Electronic shifting | Slip past Ug and enjoy a night on the town | Draw; both are trivial, at best |
| Greatest Failure: | Euclid MTB Group | Romance between Donkeylips and Dina | Campy; at least their failure was interesting |
| Evil Nemisis: | Shimano | Puberty | Campy; even if their fight was easier, they survived |
| Lasting Contribution to Society: | The quick-release skewer | The “Awful Waffle” hazing ritual | Campy; ask anyone who’s ever had a flat |
So there you have it. The storied company from Vincenza proves its worth once again in an easy 6-2 victory over an imaginary summer camp from a short-lived children’s TV show. Let’s hope the folks over at campy realize that SRAM (and possibly FSA) will offer them better sport in the near future.
I don’t know much about Camp Anawana- but your comments on campy were hilarious. Im a campy snob from way back. I know there’s probably better- but it just ain’t campy! Interested to see how they go for electronic shifting…