Rankin

I picked up a 60cm 12 spd Benotto Paris 500 for cheap. I think it's a pretty entry level road bike but can't find any info on it.
I'm assuming it's made of hi-ten tubing, but there are no markings on the frame to say either way. It weighs 25 lbs and the drop outs are nice and beefy.

Does anyone here know more about this bike besides it being made in Mexico?

Thanks!

P!N20

The Benotto experts would need to see some pictures. You can upload them to your album and someone will post them here, or make nine more posts and you can post them yourself.

T-Mar

The subject bicycle is a Benotto model 500, Paris Special. The components appear to be Shimano Exage Motion which, if OEM, places it 1988-1989. The Paris Special typically employed a hi-tensile steel tubeset but I don't have any first hand experience with any samples from from era. The seat post diameter is a good indicator to help determine the actual grade of frame material. The stem of this bicycle appears dangerous high, well above its minimum insertion mark. Regardless, this is an entry level sport model. Original prices on Exage Motion bicycles with hi-tensile frames were typically in the $250-$300 range. Photo assist...

RB1-luvr

I have an RB-2 with those Exage components. They work great.

Rankin

Yes that is the exact bike..... I'm going to try to ride the thing to work today after I check the limit screws and such. I've never met a hi-ten bike under 30 lbs, safe to say it's butted hi-ten?
Didn't know such a thing existed. Wish me luck.

T-Mar

Yes, there were butted, hi-tensile tubesets but they tended to be Japanese. The Europeans tended to just draw their hi-tensile tubes thinner. While this saved weight, due to the lower material strength, it did not provide as strong a frame. It's quite easy to hit around 25 lbs with a thin gauge, high tensile tubeset and judicious component selection, primarily the wheels. Many of the early 1970s, entry level, club racer models were well under 30 lbs. For instance, the venerable Peugeot PA-10 had a claimed 25 lb. weight.

Rankin

So I've put 50 km on the bike, and I'm impressed! For what it is it rolls well and I don't have to worry about locking it up anywhere since I got it for under $100 and the paint has it's share of scuffs and scratches. This will be my commuter road bike, and I look forward to many more km's on my Mexican made Italian road bike

RB1-luvr

It's great you're enjoying your bargain bike so much. I hope you have lots of healthy miles.