OP
OP
booze and cake
probably out cycling
@Dgspark Hi Damon, I totally understand, building up a bike from scratch exactly how you want it is all part of the process and adds to the enjoyment, and makes it much more than the sum of its parts. I'm too scared to lock-up and leave outside unattended, any of my nice bikes, for this reason. I have a rubbish bike for any times I need to let the bike leave my sight outside, which is a sad state of affairs really. But to have someone break into your own property to steal is even worse
Anyway I took a load of pics yesterday, but spent most of the day at the football so was not able sit down and give it the time it deserved. I've tried to take pics from the same angles as the ones you have so you can do direct comparisons. Since building the bike up its been well looked after, does not get left outside ever, and is only ridden in dry weather, so the frame is pretty much exactly the same condition it was when I got it.
As you can see from the first pics on page 1 of this thread, there were missing decals on the seat tube. I got some replacement decals, and as you can see from my current pictures I have added the World Champs decal the seat tube, but as noted in this thread the missing red Bottecchia down tube script is not a decal but was a vinyl cut, and I've not got around to replacing these yet. Otherwise the frame is exactly as it was when I got it.
OK here goes.
I'm no expert on bike history or decals, but when I noticed the last two pics with the 80th anniversary sticker on the down tube, it looked just like yours with what looks like purple marker pen across the top of the decal. I didn't know if they were supposed to look like that, or if that was a distinctive feature. I've never seen another one of these bikes in person to compare.
I've just done some google searching to try and find more pics of that particular 80th anniversary decal, and unfortunately the only mention and pictures I can find about it, are threads I started about this bike, on Retrobike and Bikeforums.net, trying to find answers to the missing decal puzzle. So obviously that's no help. But then I found this bike on Pedalroom, its another 80th Anniversary, 1989 Bottecchia, but definitely a different bike. If you scroll through the pictures for this bike you can see the anniversary sticker has the same purple marking on the decal, so it looks as though that's what that decals looks like and the purple mark is not a distinctive feature. https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/1989-bottecchia-squadraequipe-34705
To my eyes the shape of the paint scratches by the down tube boss looks slightly different in shape on my frame compared to yours, and the location of that scratch on your frame looks like it comes slightly further down, beyond the end of the down tube lug above it, whereas on my frame it does not extend beyond that same lug. Here is your head tube pic again for comparison:
The heart shape cut out on the down tube lug looks a bit more curved at the top on mine, and rounded in the top right corner, whereas you looks a little more pointy, to my eyes at least.
Here's my pic of the rear drop out.
Here is your drop out pic:
Not much difference to see here really as its all chrome and looks in good condition, yours has a little mark to the right of centre on the chainstay, but I can't tell if that is chipped chrome or just dirt.
Here's more pics of the bottom bracket and seat post cluster on my frame. We've already mentioned yours had the red Campagnolo decals on the chainstay that mine did not have. Also yours has the 'Made in Italy' band that I can see no trace of there ever having been on mine.
Its really hard to photograph, but this is the best I can do to show the detail of the missing red Bottecchia logo on the seat tube. You can just see the script and its recessed in lower than the white paint, so needs proper vinyl inlays to fill it, and a sticker won't suffice.
This is also where the round Carnielli logo on the seat tube on your frame is located, and I can't see any trace of it being there, though as you said traces of this could have been removed I suppose.
Mine has good chrome all round, but there's a few more red paint scratches on mine near the seat post cluster, and lots more scratches on the top tube
Here is your seat post cluster and bottom bracket pics again for comparison, the chrome on very top of the seatpost lugs looks a bit ore tarnished on yours:
Your top tube paint is in much better condition, in fact from your side on pic, which admittedly is quite hard to tell from this far back, but I can only see one paint chip on the top tube on yours, about half way along, which is one of the few places mine does not have any chips. And I don't know if it is just my long seatpost playing tricks with my eyes but your frame still looks smaller to me. Also to my eyes your forks have more rake on them. It is possible the forks on mine were bent slightly of course, and I know the paint on Italian bikes is sometimes be a bit flaky, but I assure you I have made no touch ups to the frame, nor have I made any dents of paint scratches since I've had it, what you see here is how it was. And though it has moved from much nicer weather in California, I've not exposed mine to any of the harsh and horrible British weather, and I spread my riding across at least 5 other bikes so its not had much use. See your side on pic again here:
I hope that is enough angles for you, if you have any other specific shots or angles you want me to photograph, let me know and I will take them for you. What do you think? Like I said I'm happy to PM you proof of purchase for the bottle cages and any of the components that adorn the frame, or if you have any other questions, please let me know. Similarly if you find out any more info on your search let me know, good luck.
regards
Dan
Anyway I took a load of pics yesterday, but spent most of the day at the football so was not able sit down and give it the time it deserved. I've tried to take pics from the same angles as the ones you have so you can do direct comparisons. Since building the bike up its been well looked after, does not get left outside ever, and is only ridden in dry weather, so the frame is pretty much exactly the same condition it was when I got it.
As you can see from the first pics on page 1 of this thread, there were missing decals on the seat tube. I got some replacement decals, and as you can see from my current pictures I have added the World Champs decal the seat tube, but as noted in this thread the missing red Bottecchia down tube script is not a decal but was a vinyl cut, and I've not got around to replacing these yet. Otherwise the frame is exactly as it was when I got it.
OK here goes.
I'm no expert on bike history or decals, but when I noticed the last two pics with the 80th anniversary sticker on the down tube, it looked just like yours with what looks like purple marker pen across the top of the decal. I didn't know if they were supposed to look like that, or if that was a distinctive feature. I've never seen another one of these bikes in person to compare.
I've just done some google searching to try and find more pics of that particular 80th anniversary decal, and unfortunately the only mention and pictures I can find about it, are threads I started about this bike, on Retrobike and Bikeforums.net, trying to find answers to the missing decal puzzle. So obviously that's no help. But then I found this bike on Pedalroom, its another 80th Anniversary, 1989 Bottecchia, but definitely a different bike. If you scroll through the pictures for this bike you can see the anniversary sticker has the same purple marking on the decal, so it looks as though that's what that decals looks like and the purple mark is not a distinctive feature. https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/1989-bottecchia-squadraequipe-34705
To my eyes the shape of the paint scratches by the down tube boss looks slightly different in shape on my frame compared to yours, and the location of that scratch on your frame looks like it comes slightly further down, beyond the end of the down tube lug above it, whereas on my frame it does not extend beyond that same lug. Here is your head tube pic again for comparison:
The heart shape cut out on the down tube lug looks a bit more curved at the top on mine, and rounded in the top right corner, whereas you looks a little more pointy, to my eyes at least.
Here's my pic of the rear drop out.
Here is your drop out pic:
Not much difference to see here really as its all chrome and looks in good condition, yours has a little mark to the right of centre on the chainstay, but I can't tell if that is chipped chrome or just dirt.
Here's more pics of the bottom bracket and seat post cluster on my frame. We've already mentioned yours had the red Campagnolo decals on the chainstay that mine did not have. Also yours has the 'Made in Italy' band that I can see no trace of there ever having been on mine.
Its really hard to photograph, but this is the best I can do to show the detail of the missing red Bottecchia logo on the seat tube. You can just see the script and its recessed in lower than the white paint, so needs proper vinyl inlays to fill it, and a sticker won't suffice.
This is also where the round Carnielli logo on the seat tube on your frame is located, and I can't see any trace of it being there, though as you said traces of this could have been removed I suppose.
Mine has good chrome all round, but there's a few more red paint scratches on mine near the seat post cluster, and lots more scratches on the top tube
Here is your seat post cluster and bottom bracket pics again for comparison, the chrome on very top of the seatpost lugs looks a bit ore tarnished on yours:
Your top tube paint is in much better condition, in fact from your side on pic, which admittedly is quite hard to tell from this far back, but I can only see one paint chip on the top tube on yours, about half way along, which is one of the few places mine does not have any chips. And I don't know if it is just my long seatpost playing tricks with my eyes but your frame still looks smaller to me. Also to my eyes your forks have more rake on them. It is possible the forks on mine were bent slightly of course, and I know the paint on Italian bikes is sometimes be a bit flaky, but I assure you I have made no touch ups to the frame, nor have I made any dents of paint scratches since I've had it, what you see here is how it was. And though it has moved from much nicer weather in California, I've not exposed mine to any of the harsh and horrible British weather, and I spread my riding across at least 5 other bikes so its not had much use. See your side on pic again here:
I hope that is enough angles for you, if you have any other specific shots or angles you want me to photograph, let me know and I will take them for you. What do you think? Like I said I'm happy to PM you proof of purchase for the bottle cages and any of the components that adorn the frame, or if you have any other questions, please let me know. Similarly if you find out any more info on your search let me know, good luck.
regards
Dan
