Bottecchia SLX 1989

[booze and cake]

It was the morning of 31st May, I was having my morning coffee, nothing on the world wide web had caught my interest, and I had 30 mins to kill before going to work. I already have enough bikes, but I have a weakness for pretty steel bikes, I know this, so the last the place I should have ventured was to the frame section of Ebay, seriously, I have previous.

.....sort by newly listed....lets have a butchers......scroll, sip, scroll, sip, scroll,....AWOOGAH! that looks nice....'click' show me more....

And there it was. It was listed simply as a steel Bottecchia, no date to it, it was described as having scrapes to the paint and a dent in the top tube, not visible in the photos, which were not in very good light. Normally I'd scroll by at the mention of dent.....but the rest of it is lovely.

Its Italian, its got lovely chrome lugs with loads of cut outs that scream 'many hours work', and Italian flourishes all over. There was a buy it now price, it seemed a bargain to me. At the time I looked there was already 45 people 'watching'....I knew what was happening, emails were being fired off to ask for more pics and details of the dent, if I do the same I'm down the list, do I just go for this?

It's located 5500 miles away in California, so I'm going to have hefty postage fees, import duties and VAT, the seller also clearly states, 'no returns'......oh dear God this sounds like one of those letters to Watchdog....this can't be worth it can it....on the plus side it was for sale by a shop, they said all threads were good, it should be packaged OK if its a shop. Also California is known for good weather, good news for bikes, especially old Italian ones with chrome and paint that can usually be dislodged with a stern glance or a bit of wind. Paint I'm not really fussed by, the dent however did worry me. Replacing dented tubes usually also means a new paint job, pushing it more into the realms of 'money pit' that I can't afford.

Argghhh, so what to do?.....he who dares Rodders, I hit buy it now and went to work. And then the wait, quoted delivery time was 3 weeks, oh the torture.......tick followed tick followed tick followed tock, its insufferable.

I have no components to add to this frame, but I'm reluctant to attack Ebay with gusto until I have the frame in my hands and assess it. If its OK I pretty much know what I'm doing with it. Modern 20 Speed Campagnolo, all silver groupset. I'm going to get everything off Ebay apart from new headset and bottom bracket, chain and cables etc, so totally new drive train.

I'm no expert in cycling history, so while I'm waiting I decide to look up what I can find out about these bikes. I know this is from the end of the steel era. As it turns out Greg Lemond rode a Bottecchia to victory in the 1989 Tour de France. Lemond overturned Fignon's lead in the final time trial using the TT version of my frame. That bike is arguably one of the most famous TT-bikes ever, not because of anything particularly amazing about the bike, but because it was the first time TT aero bars were used at the sharp end of competition, and Lemond overturned Fignon's lead to win the race by only 8 seconds, still the closest ever finish to the race I think. As it turns out Lemond used a number of bikes in the 1989 TDF, he used the red and white Bottecchia for the flat stages, and in the mountains he rode a Bottecchia badged carbon lugged TVT. The move to carbon was underway even during this race. Wow that's pretty cool.

I get an email saying 'we have your goods, pay us this duty and tax now and we'll deliver it' I do and wait two days, finally the door bell goes. I nervously unwrap it. Yes there are a few paint scrapes, but the dent......I can't even find it, oh hang on.....that? Seriously? Its half way along the top tube, I can't even find it by feel and only in a certain light can you see it, its tiny, so small I can't even get a photograph of it, hurrah, total worry over nothing

So what do we have....well I am super chuffed, its even nicer than I imagined and I think I've scored an absolute diamond. Here's what came out of the box.

Chrome everywhere, and its in great condition. It has a cool Cinelli spoiler bottom bracket

And what to most builders is just a brake bridge, not the Italians, do it with flair, love it.

OK this project is a go, Ebay is attacked in earnest. While I'm doing that, there is also mystery to solve. The down tube is missing the normal red Bottecchia logo, and another decal above that. I consult the internet and the most Bottecchia info I find is on bikeforums.net so I join there to ask about the decals and about dating the frame. The frame has a Carnielli (the builders) anniversary sticker claiming its from 1989.

But the normal World Champs band decal I see on similar bikes does not include the 1989 win (Lemond also won the Worlds in 1989), just going up to 1986

I know its risky making assumptions from decals, but I thought maybe it was a desirable 1989 frame, but from before Lemond actually won the TDF. Anyway other people seem to think that too, what a result. The down tube is weird as it has a Bottecchia logo, its not a sticker, its cut into the paint, but its white so you can't see it, more explanation on the link below.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1147114-bottecchia-decal-puzzle-possible-89-equipe.html
The suggestion on the missing red decal was it was maybe stripped as seat tube was repainted, but I can't see any evidence of it. As Bottecchia are still operating, I thought I'd send an email to Bottecchia UK to ask. I got a reply, on a Sunday evening. They said records from back then were pretty non existent, but said it looked original and they knew someone he could ask about the decals, and asked could they post pics of the frame on their Facebook page. I agreed and got a reply from a Bottecchia expert who explained the original decals were vinyl cut and raised above the frame, and these had obviously just been peeled off at some point, no one knows why. Bottecchia UK have said they would love a pic of it when its finished to post on their social media, so I'll do that too, no pressure to make it nice then!

I ordered some decals of Ebay and have the correct World Cup Bands one above to add to the down tube.

I went to my local bike shop, the excellent Brixton cycles, who sorted me out a headset and bottom bracket. As it turns out one of the staff knows an elderly gent from track racing at Herne Hill Velodrome who also does vinyl decals. So I'm going to be put in touch with him to try and get some proper vinyl ones cut as the transfer/sticker ones from the internet are not going to work.

I am still waiting for a few bits from Ebay to arrive, and I'll document exactly what I'm going to adorn this beauty with in the next posts, and hopefully get it fully built up over the next week.

 

[Milkfloat]

That’s a beauty, subscribing to this thread!

 

[roadrash]

WOW, stunning, put me down as another watching for updates

 

[roadrash]

would it be terribly uncouth to ask how much you paid for the frame, not counting import tax

 

[booze and cake]

Ha no I don't mind, bearing in mind the exchange rate is absolute garbage for us, the days of it being $2 to the £ are long gone. Despite that I got it for £188 not including import tax and postage. Some will think that a lot for just a frame and fork that's nearly 30 years old, @SkipdiverJohn has just fainted, but I think its a bargain and worth more, not that I'm going to flip it, I'm going to keep it and ride it.

 

[roadrash]

I wouldn't say that is expensive for that frame, bargain in fact, not that it matters what anyone else thinks, an item is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it,

 

[booze and cake]

Absolutely, and its going to be built up and ride like new, and will have infinitely more character than an off the shelf new bike, and be considerably cheaper.

The details on this blow anything but a super expensive top end custom frame out of the water, there's 6 cut-outs on the the head tube lugs alone. Its outrageously elaborate and I love it for it, and it just makes me happy knowing how many hours of care and attention have gone into making it.

 

[Reynard]

Now that's *really* pretty...

I can see why you ponied up for that. Bet it'll put one helluva grin on your face when you ride it @booze and cake

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I already have enough bikes, but I have a weakness for pretty steel bikes, I know this, so the last the place I should have ventured was to the frame section of Ebay.

Recognising your weakness still didn't stop you though did it? View it as a harmless hobby that keeps you out of mischief. I know blokes with a similar weakness for pretty women that have caused them a hundred times more expense and trouble than any bike ever could, so in that context vintage steel bikes are relatively cheap and low-maintenance.

I got it for £188 not including import tax and postage. Some will think that a lot for just a frame and fork that's nearly 30 years old, @SkipdiverJohn has just fainted, but I think its a bargain and worth more, not that I'm going to flip it, I'm going to keep it and ride it.

You're right about the fainting bit, I'd be reaching for the smelling salts @£188 just for a frame. Then I'd be reaching for them again by the time I'd finished adding up the components bill to make it into a working bike.... The thing is though I have to admit it is just a little bit prettier than the two Raleigh Pioneer frames that came as part of a £10 job lot I bought for parts.... It's a bit too racy for my tastes and I doubt I'd like the handling the geometry would give, but it's very very nice and if it were mine I would be making the best possible job of building it up. I'm sure you'll be very proud of the finished item and when you consider how much you could pay for an ugly modern carbon racer that wouldn't even warrant a second glace if it passed you on the road, it probably won't actually seem that extravagant.

 

[BalkanExpress]

Ohh, that is lovely and a good price for a great frame.

Lots of build photos please

 

[booze and cake]

@Reynard its already put a smile on my face and I've not ridden it yet.

@SkipdiverJohn it sure is racy geometry, with a notably steeper head tube than my Merckx, but the same as my Denti of the same era, so I'm used to the handling and like it. The frame has tight clearances with the 25c tyres I'll be running, but aesthetically I find that sexier anyway.

@BalkanExpress and so it begins.....

This is going to be a similar build to my Eddy Merckx https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/e...nic-1985-a-classic-reborn.228912/post-5234040 in that it will have modern 20 speed, sti shifters and modern brakes. I'm going to avoid all carbon and maintain a classic looking steel racing bike. It's going to be all Italian, apart from the pedals, which will be old school Look Delta's like all my other road bikes, as I've only got one pair of shoes.

The shiny Campag bits have been arriving. Converting from down tube shifters to sti's I'm going to need these.

Chorus shifters. I like the cut outs on the lever to match the cuts outs on the lugs

I already had a 10 speed Chorus rear derailleur in my parts bin, but have acquired a Record front mech

A 53-39 Chorus 172.5mm Chainset, I have these on 3 bikes and think they are great, so pretty.

The shiniest used pair of Campagnolo skeleton brakes I could find

I do like a bit of engraving on the bars, and I do like a pretty stem, and to me they don't get prettier than this curvaceous 3TTT stem, matched with 3TTT Super Competizione bars.

Bars are 42cm CTC with a traditional bend.

I'm waiting for a Chorus aero seat post to arrive from Belgium. The 10 speed will allow me to interchange wheels with my other bikes, so occasionally running with black or silver Campag Shamals, but most of the time its going to be running on some more traditional looking 32 spoke Campag Record hubs laced to Ambrosio Excellence rims. The current trend on gearing is wide ranging gears on the rear cassette, but over recent years I've been moving in completely the opposite direction. I just absolutely love close gear ratios, I don't mind the narrow range for the trade off of close gears. Besides I have bikes with easier gearing if I go to any mountains. Luckily for me the wheels were from a time trialist so it came with an as new close ratio Record cassette, itself a mega spendy item, I've never had any cassette higher than a Veloce for cassettes, but as its free, and a close ratio 23-11 I'm going to stick with that and enjoy the luxury. The wheels came with 19mm wide tyres, LOL, does anyone use those anymore?....not me on London's crap roads, that's for sure. They are probably used on nothing but rollers or velodromes now, if at all. I've had good experiences of the Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres in 25c on my Merckx, so will be going with them, and I think the creamy tanwall tyres will look great with the colours of the frame.

I am a believer in having matching contact points, so bar tape, pedals and saddle the same colour. I'm old school in my bar tape tastes, believing you can have any colour you like, as long as its black or white. I'm going against the norm for these bikes, which I normally see with white tape and saddles. Whilst I think that would look good, I already have 2 bikes with white saddles,tape and pedals, and I'm not that clean. I also have a bike with white cables, and to me white is more distracting and draws the attention of the eye more than black, and with a frame this lovely, all eyes should be drawn there, so I think by choosing black contacts points the colours of the frame will pop out more. So all black contact points and cable outers is the order of the day, we shall see how it works out.

So with that decision made, I've gone for a nice black retro saddle, the classic Selle Italia Flite

Some black Look pedals

So that just leaves bar tape. Again I'm rather narrow in my bar tape tastes, or ridiculously obsessive if you prefer....it simply has to be Fizik. I already had some black 3mm Fizik tape.

I have it on my Denti too, but I think it looks a bit thick against the skinny steel frame tubes, and I've never found the Fizik 2mm bar tape on my other bikes uncomfortable, so i decided I needed some of that. I cycled to 2 Evans' and 3 Cycle Surgery's yesterday, none had black Fizik tape in 2mm, so I went to Condor. They had 2mm tape, but what's that, oooooh look they have a new type, shiny black gloss. Hmm full gimp shiny bar tape, really? As both the saddle and the pedals have a gloss finish, I think this is going to look better than the matt black, and the Ambrosio rims also have a nice black gloss finish too, so I'm going with it. It looks like it should be pretty durable and I can change it easily enough if it looks horrible.

And as a finishing flourish I also found some Bottecchia bar end plugs on Ebay

Cue the A-team music and time to start putting it all together and turning it into a

 

[Reynard]

Just read up what you did with the Merckx... Wow.

If this bike is going to look as good as that bike, then Of course, they're both much too big, and therefore safe from little me.

It's a bit like the classic car thing though. You have some peeps who like to keep them all original, and others who will upgrade the running gear to make them better suited to modern conditions - purists will pooh-pooh the more practical classic motorists because things aren't original. But if it makes the difference between using and not using, and also enjoying and not enjoying, then it's no contest, really.

 

[booze and cake]

Thanks @Reynard some of the car obsessives take it to another level. I'm obviously more into bikes and don't keep up with car trends, but I have been following the Youtube videos of the Retropower guys breathing new life into an old classic by building a bespoke Mark 1 Ford Escort for Mclaren legend Gordon Murray. The workmanship and man-hours going into that car is amazing, and I'm sure its going to work out to be the most expensive Mark 1 Escort ever. Its still ongoing, there's been 7 videos so far, but I've found each one fascinating. My first car was a Ford Escort so its also nostalgic.

I had a bit of a mission with the frames internal rear brake cabling through the top tube. The cable outer threads through but was not coming out of the other end and was getting stuck. I tried putting the cable outer through the other direction, but again it was catching on something, there was no blockage, but it was not finding its way out of the other end. I tried just threading through a cable in the hope I could then thread the outer over it, but I was having the same problem with the cable, which seemed to be going past the exit point and hitting the seat post. I tried to tease it out with a straightened out clothes hanger, but no luck.

In the end I got the hoover out......not something I had planned, but I had heard of this method before but never tried it. I got a reel of cotton and put the end through one end of the internal top tube, turned on the hoover and held it against the hole at the other end, slowing feeding through the cotton from the other end as it got sucked through. Eureka! The cotton thread finds its way out of the exit hole and I grab it. I then get a bit of Blutac and entwine it with the end of the cotton and the end of the brake cable, and gently pull that back through the top tube until I have the cable through. I then thread the cable outer over the cable, yippee, minimal swearing, problem solved, job done..... thankfully as if that had not worked I didn't have a clue what to do.

 

[TissoT]

I have one in the shed in a ok condition that i used to ride in the late 80s the frame was bought for Mike Dixons shop in Ormskirk if any one remembers him
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bottecch...543826?hash=item2f1c5128d2:g:S94AAOSwlptaNsQS

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

It's a bit like the classic car thing though. You have some peeps who like to keep them all original, and others who will upgrade the running gear to make them better suited to modern conditions - purists will pooh-pooh the more practical classic motorists because things aren't original. But if it makes the difference between using and not using, and also enjoying and not enjoying, then it's no contest, really.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of discreet modernisation to classic machinery in the name of usability, but the important thing is to do it sympathetically otherwise you could easily end up with something that looks like a dogs dinner. Certain things have no place at all on any classic steel, and that includes anything made of carbon, or finished to look like carbon. Low spoke count or deep section wheels also look totally out of place.