Bottecchia SLX 1989

[booze and cake]

*cough* and @woodbutcher just in case your partner feels I am in any way responsible for your new found obsession, I am denying everything....I have the perfect alibi, I was not even in the country, well not the same one as you, and I don't even own a Bianchi, so it couldn't have been my doing

 

[woodbutcher]

*cough* and @woodbutcher just in case your partner feels I am in any way responsible for your new found obsession, I am denying everything....I have the perfect alibi, I was not even in the country, well not the same one as you, and I don't even own a Bianchi, so it couldn't have been my doing

Absolutely no worries on that score, my partner is a Swedish professional horse rider and she has got no damn room to complain about my bike obsession. We have just returned from Sweden via Germany and a very "ooh la la" horse breeding stud where she purchased a new filly. I don't wish to dwell on what it cost but it would have kept me in Bianchi bikes for the foreseeable future .

 

[booze and cake]

She's into the gee-gee's professionally, we are bargain priced hobbyists in comparison.

 

[DCBassman]

but it would have kept me in Bianchi bikes for the foreseeable future .

ANY Bianchi bikes...

 

[wonderdog]

She's into the gee-gee's professionally, we are bargain priced hobbyists in comparison.

And when a horse breaks, it costs a sh-tload more than a bike. And a Brooks saddle is a bloody sight less expensive than a Hubertus. Plus I've fallen off many more horses than bikes. Bikes don't bite, buck, or jump the house yard fence to pick unripe apples. Woodbutcher, that woman, lovely as I'm sure she is, will be your demise - unless of course she is related to Swedish royalty. There, that's better.

 

[woodbutcher]

And when a horse breaks, it costs a sh-tload more than a bike. And a Brooks saddle is a bloody sight less expensive than a Hubertus. Plus I've fallen off many more horses than bikes. Bikes don't bite, buck, or jump the house yard fence to pick unripe apples. Woodbutcher, that woman, lovely as I'm sure she is, will be your demise - unless of course she is related to Swedish royalty. There, that's better.

Oh boy l am sorely tempted to share your views with Birgitta on the other hand l am not about to take risks with my future health

 

[booze and cake]

Slight update to this. After riding it around for a while it became apparent I needed a longer seatpost. This frame is a 57cm which is at the smaller end of a frame I can ride comfortably, and pretty though the Campagnolo aero post is, it is notoriously stubby and it had no more length to give. So I've ponied up for one that's gives the extra length.

Also added some Elite Cuissi stainless steel bottle cages, so this is now officially finished and now its just riding and enjoying it time. This is its normal day to day set up.

I was keen to see what it looks like with my shiny wheels, answer, pretty shiny

And as per usual I've had my eye on eBay for any good matchy-matchy kit, and last week secured a great jersey I found in Switzerland. Its from 1989, the same year as my frame, and the year Greg Lemond won the TDF on a Bottecchia. In 1989 The TDF commissioned Italian post-modern painter and collagist Mario Schifano to do series of jerseys for the Tour, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Schifano some of his other pics of bikes and further info here: http://www.italianways.com/schifanos-bicycles/ ). This is one of those jerseys, its in amazing condition considering next year it will be 30 years old. I don't think its ever been worn. As Greg won its apt that I managed to find a yellow one, so now I too have my very own yellow jersey and have graduated to uber-tragic MAMIL status

 

[biggs682]

wow that post is out a fair degree

 

[booze and cake]

Yep long legged crane I am, though I don't feel I have particularly long legs, but when I look at pics of my bikes I'm forced to admit otherwise

 

[Dgspark]

Hello from California. I am curious who you bought this Bottecchia from and if you know what part of California it came from. It looks very close to my SLX which was stolen last Spring from my home in Topanga CA

 

[booze and cake]

Hi @Dgspark oh man, sorry to hear about your bike being stolen. I've been victim to a few bike thefts so I feel your pain, especially for such a lovely frame. Obviously I had no intention of buying stolen goods, and I'd be gutted if it turned out to be stolen after investing lots of time and money getting it how I like it, but you can rely on me to be open and honest, and I'll do the right thing if it turns out to be stolen.

I purchased it from ebay, not from an individual, but from a shop in the Huntington Beach area. I'm no expert on these things but I did check their selling history and they have an excellent Ebay record it seems to me. Also note I just purchased it as a frame and fork. As detailed in this thread I purchased all the other parts separately, also from ebay. Nearly all the parts came from the UK, with one or two items coming from mainland Europe. I have ebay records showing I purchased all the parts, so we can only really focus on the frame. I will PM you the exact details of the shop I purchased it from. I can obviously send you screen shots and/or ebay purchase details for the frame and fork too if you require.

Before we get to that though, only going by eye from your pic, but your frame looks a bit smaller than the one I currently have, what size was your frame? And do you have any more photos of your build of the bike? Any of your own photos with the same serial numbers as the ones in my photos in this thread for example? That would definitely confirm we are talking about the same frame. Failing that any close ups showing any scratches in the paint or other distinctive marks? My frame has some quite distinctive paint scratches close up for example. And of course if you have any other info that is relevant please let me know that too, we can then compare. As you will have noted reading the thread, mine had some missing decals that yours had, but I appreciate it is of course possible they were removed, though I would expect a thief to remove all the decals on the frame so it could not be easily identified, not leave most of them there so its still easily identifiable.

Anyway so sorry to hear bike theft is as bad on your side of the Atlantic as it is here. I'm happy to help in any way I can to solve the mystery. I will PM you the shop details now, so just get back in contact and we'll hopefully get to the bottom of it.

 

[Dgspark]

Hey, Sorry i can't figure out how to reply to your message on here. Please understand I am not trying to recover the frame or anything- even if it was the one taken from me. I just am trying to figure out who broke into my home- especially if it is someone I am acquainted with. You maybe correct about the size difference since as i recall mine was a 56- but don't remeber what the BB said. I had pics of the serial numbers at one point but I beleive they are gone with my last laptop. Anyways, here are some pics just in case you can decipher if they are the same frame. The shop you bought from isn't too far from here. I emailed them just to see if they could provide any information. I realize there are a quite few of these out there, but the nick at the shifters is the same on both- plus I also had the same Elite cages.

 

[booze and cake]

Hey no problem about the PM's just do it here if its easier. And I understand wanting to try and piece together what happened, you do feel violated, and you would feel even more so if it turns out to be somebody you know. That would be horrible. Keep me posted as to what the bike shop reply with, as obviously I have not made any contact with them yet.

The frame I have is definitely measured and marked as a 57cm. I agree the nick at the shifters is at the same place and it has the Carnielli sticker on the down tube which is the same. Funnily enough it did not come with the cages, I purchased those from Wiggle in August, I've got an invoice to show that. We do have similar taste, I chose full silver Campagnolo too, though 10 speed not the 8? you had, and was going to do it with white saddle and tape too before deciding on black in the end.

Unfortunately the black and white pic of the bottom bracket just shows the Cinelli logo, the serial numbers are not visible from that angle and are on the underside.

As noted before yours has the round Carnielli sticker on the seat tube and the red Bottecchia logos on the seat tube which are missing on mine, and I've just looked really closely and there is no evidence or shadow of the round Carnielli sticker ever being there, despite there being clear evidence of the missing red Bottecchia script. And its tatty enough paint that I'm sure its not been repainted in years. I also note than on your pic of the crankset your frame seems to have a red sticker on the drive side chain stay, I think its a Campagnolo one? I guess that was non original and added on afterwards, never seen that before and mine has no such sticker, it could have been removed I guess but there is no trace if it. Mine does have a white Bottecchia script on the chainstay on the non-drive side, but I cannot tell from your pics if yours had one there.

My other first impressions are my paintwork looks a lot worse! I have lots of marks on the top tube and around the headtube. I live in a flat with no garden so indoor pic quality now is rubbish now its dark here, but I'll go outside and take some photos tomorrow during daylight and post them here for a closer look.

 

[Dgspark]

Hey no problem about the PM's just do it here if its easier. And I understand wanting to try and piece together what happened, you do feel violated, and you would feel even more so if it turns out to be somebody you know. That would be horrible. Keep me posted as to what the bike shop reply with, as obviously I have not made any contact with them yet.

The frame I have is definitely measured and marked as a 57cm. I agree the nick at the shifters is at the same place and it has the Carnielli sticker on the down tube which is the same. Funnily enough it did not come with the cages, I purchased those from Wiggle in August, I've got an invoice to show that. We do have similar taste, I chose full silver Campagnolo too, though 10 speed not the 8? you had, and was going to do it with white saddle and tape too before deciding on black in the end.

Unfortunately the black and white pic of the bottom bracket just shows the Cinelli logo, the serial numbers are not visible from that angle and are on the underside.

As noted before yours has the round Carnielli sticker on the seat tube and the red Bottecchia logos on the seat tube which are missing on mine, and I've just looked really closely and there is no evidence or shadow of the round Carnielli sticker ever being there, despite there being clear evidence of the missing red Bottecchia script. And its tatty enough paint that I'm sure its not been repainted in years. I also note than on your pic of the crankset your frame seems to have a red sticker on the drive side chain stay, I think its a Campagnolo one? I guess that was non original and added on afterwards, never seen that before and mine has no such sticker, it could have been removed I guess but there is no trace if it. Mine does have a white Bottecchia script on the chainstay on the non-drive side, but I cannot tell from your pics if yours had one there.

My other first impressions are my paintwork looks a lot worse! I have lots of marks on the top tube and around the headtube. I live in a flat with no garden so indoor pic quality now is rubbish now its dark here, but I'll go outside and take some photos tomorrow during daylight and post them here for a closer look.

 

[Dgspark]

Yes, it had a Campy sticker on the drive side chainstay but of course a thief would remove it.Yes mine also had the Bottecchia "The Professional Bike" sticker on the chainstay. My good friend and neighbor built this bike up with the original Chorus Gruppo back in 1990/91. I changed the cranks to Record for the climbing ring, and changed the bar and stem to Cinelli- but of course all of that is likely stripped and sold off bit by bit. Its sad to me and disappointing to my friends who all rode these bikes in the late 80's. I will always have an eye out for that bike we all had invested in. I would like to see some other pics if you could- just so I could make a decision whether or not to follow through on interrogating the seller. I truly appreciate your cooperation, even though I am unlikely to find any resolve.
Damon