To restore or not to restore: Late 1980's Bottecchia
#27
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nice bike
given the Campagnolo crankset and brakes - which is either Victory or Triomphe - it probably was originally all Campagnolo --- one of the former owners must have replaced to get better indexing
i would toss the Suntour stuff in a box and say "free to whoever pays shipping" in the sales section and find some Campagnolo shifting bits and brake levers. Rims match and they appear to be Campagnolo hubs too , although from an earlier era i think -- also seatpost - probably 26.8 so slightly more difficult to source a nice Campy post, but not impossible at all
The bike is clean for a dump find for sure ! $200 on ebay for some appropriate shifters, derailleurs and levers plus another $60 for tires and you'd have a real classic !
(Or - just get the tires, re-grease all the bearings , polish it up and ride it till your brain melts -- people used to run mismatched parts kits all the time BITD )
given the Campagnolo crankset and brakes - which is either Victory or Triomphe - it probably was originally all Campagnolo --- one of the former owners must have replaced to get better indexing
i would toss the Suntour stuff in a box and say "free to whoever pays shipping" in the sales section and find some Campagnolo shifting bits and brake levers. Rims match and they appear to be Campagnolo hubs too , although from an earlier era i think -- also seatpost - probably 26.8 so slightly more difficult to source a nice Campy post, but not impossible at all
The bike is clean for a dump find for sure ! $200 on ebay for some appropriate shifters, derailleurs and levers plus another $60 for tires and you'd have a real classic !
(Or - just get the tires, re-grease all the bearings , polish it up and ride it till your brain melts -- people used to run mismatched parts kits all the time BITD )
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#29
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i don't know what direction i will take with the bottecchia. listing is not the same as selling.
#30
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...one of those bicycles is not your size. If you are selling the Bottecchia, don't do anything to it. You won't recoup your money. And there's a good chance you might break something, taking it apart.
...one of those bicycles is not your size. If you are selling the Bottecchia, don't do anything to it. You won't recoup your money. And there's a good chance you might break something, taking it apart.
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A link to it was posted here: https://www.bikeforums.net/22615839-post70695.html
now whether it being advertised in an online marketplace, with a price, actually constitutes it being "for sale" or it just being a publicity stunt is, i guess, up for debate.
now whether it being advertised in an online marketplace, with a price, actually constitutes it being "for sale" or it just being a publicity stunt is, i guess, up for debate.
... $750 is ambitious pricing for a project bike, but I really have no clue about the ebay marketplace.
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#32
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A link to it was posted here: https://www.bikeforums.net/22615839-post70695.html
now whether it being advertised in an online marketplace, with a price, actually constitutes it being "for sale" or it just being a publicity stunt is, i guess, up for debate.
now whether it being advertised in an online marketplace, with a price, actually constitutes it being "for sale" or it just being a publicity stunt is, i guess, up for debate.
#33
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#35
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LOL - actually i probably do ! Since my fleet is predominately Campagnolo equipped, a lot of other stuff just sits in bins unused and unloved. Thought seriously about putting a box together for one of the "mystery box challenges" i saw on here
#36
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That is a 1990 ADR Replica with the 1989 Tour De France Team paint Scheme, there were 4 levels to the replicas, the is 2nd to the bottom, the lowest level had a painted fork. Except for possibly the saddle and pedals it has all its original components. Yes, the Suntour Radius shifters and derailleurs are original to the bike, hubs are Gipiemme.
i learn something new every day
#37
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https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...a-catalog.html
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Last edited by Murray Missile; 08-22-22 at 02:05 PM.
#38
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Never assume. Check out the specs page of the 1990 catalog here.....
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...a-catalog.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...a-catalog.html
You guys' are a tresure trove of knowledge ! and for you to remember a 9 year old post is impressive !
Bridgestone used to spec bikes with a mixup of components too, - so much so that one might think it a "Frankenbike" also or a parts bin special if he/she didnt know better. But PEterson had opinions on what he thought should be on there and specce'd accordingly when he could , as the story goes
#39
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Thats a stout price for an Aelle Trtubi bike that literally needs everything gone through --- the FB marketplace pics also show that the wheels arent really up to snuff either. Corrosion at the spoke eyelets point to storage in a possibly damp environment.
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You guys' are a tresure trove of knowledge ! and for you to remember a 9 year old post is impressive !
Bridgestone used to spec bikes with a mixup of components too, - so much so that one might think it a "Frankenbike" also or a parts bin special if he/she didnt know better. But PEterson had opinions on what he thought should be on there and specce'd accordingly when he could , as the story goes
Bridgestone used to spec bikes with a mixup of components too, - so much so that one might think it a "Frankenbike" also or a parts bin special if he/she didnt know better. But PEterson had opinions on what he thought should be on there and specce'd accordingly when he could , as the story goes
You give me WAY too much credit LOL, I did research on the bike when it first appeared in C&V which included a search for Bottecchia catalogs and this is some of what came up.
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#41
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new here, and did not see a bike restoration section, so thought i would throw out my question into the general section.
i have a late 1980's Bottecchia that was a dump find. it has been a wall hanger for the past year. i have never done a teardown and rebuild. not sure the bike is worth that effort for me. this bike seems to be a mid-range model. campy/suntour components mostly. appears all original, overall in pretty good condition.
for those that regularly dabble in rebuilds (or restoration, though in my mind that means returning it to original condition), what kind of time, materials, costs should i expect to face. i'm not new to tearing things apart and doing maintenance, just never on a vintage bike.
please feel free to comment on the bike itself as well.
i have a late 1980's Bottecchia that was a dump find. it has been a wall hanger for the past year. i have never done a teardown and rebuild. not sure the bike is worth that effort for me. this bike seems to be a mid-range model. campy/suntour components mostly. appears all original, overall in pretty good condition.
for those that regularly dabble in rebuilds (or restoration, though in my mind that means returning it to original condition), what kind of time, materials, costs should i expect to face. i'm not new to tearing things apart and doing maintenance, just never on a vintage bike.
please feel free to comment on the bike itself as well.
#42
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#43
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this thread is NOT an advertisement for this bike, and i don't want to see it shut down. it was meant to give a newbie some ideas about the bike and whether it should be restored to some degree. i have had PM inquiries, and did decide to toss it on Facebook MP in the interim. why not? if i am not going to restore it, i would like to give someone else the opportunity to do so. as for "value", that is very individual and subjective. i found this recent Ebay sale that somewhat is applicable. frame only, no components. it tells me something. someone selling one item ultimately only needs one buyer. https://www.ebay.com/itm/28450227172...p2047675.l2557
well, knock yourself out hoss
#45
Full Member
The paint and stickers look nice IMHO (it looks nicer and has better components than the Bertin 'm doing )and if anything worth doing a functional resto. Clean, polish and replace the consumables and ride it.
I haven't done a rebuild overhaul in a long time but the bike I found happens to be in my size and after 35 years as a mechanic I miss fiddling. Id say go for it.
I haven't done a rebuild overhaul in a long time but the bike I found happens to be in my size and after 35 years as a mechanic I miss fiddling. Id say go for it.
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My $.02 is that there’s nothing to “restore” as much as go over it to make it mechanically sound. Bottechia was my racing bike in the 80’s. They also did a bad chrome job on some frames so the down tube would fail at the head lug. I got a replacement after mine broke and rode it until I got old and fat and couldn’t sell it for more than $250 and that was with a higher grade of Columbus tubing. One of the best overall handiing road bikes for me back then. It’s a good bike if it doesn’t have the self destructing chrome job.
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Nice-looking, entry-level Italian race bike.
The only thing I'd be concerned about is the crankset. Campy Victory/Triomphe used a unique bolt circle diameter (116 mm, if memory serves,) for which no aftermarket rings were ever made. So, either try to collect a few replacement rings, or just accept that, once a chainring wears out, you're buying a new crank and bottom bracket.
--Shannon
The only thing I'd be concerned about is the crankset. Campy Victory/Triomphe used a unique bolt circle diameter (116 mm, if memory serves,) for which no aftermarket rings were ever made. So, either try to collect a few replacement rings, or just accept that, once a chainring wears out, you're buying a new crank and bottom bracket.
--Shannon