schmunk

Hi. I got a Bottecchia frame off eBay today. It only cost me $141. I thought this was a bargain. But i wonder what kind of frame this is. How old is it? What is the model name? Tubing?

I am going to restore it. What kind of restoration would you prefer for this frame?

PICTURES HERE

TY/
Martin

schmunk

Forgot to give you the sellers info on this:

Bottecchia Gipiemme italian Road Frameset - 80's

check out this italian classic

good used condition - no structural damage

beautiful lugwork - all tubes ovalized - completely chromium plated under paint - Gipiemme ends

check out this wonderful frame

weight frame: 2304g
seattube: 58 cm (center - top),
toptube: 56 cm (center-center)
bottom-bracket: 70 mm (italian)
seatpost: 26,6 mm - the one on photo is included
rear-wheel-spacing: 126 mm
fork 794 grams, rake 370 mm

JohnDThompson 

The cable guides on top of the BB shell suggest late 70s - early 80s at the newest. I don't recall seeing Gipiemme dropouts before the early 80s, and ovalized tubing and braze-on FD mounts became fashionable around then as well. So I'd guess late 70s to early 80s. Is there a serial number?

Looks pretty nice to me.

schmunk

Thanks for the answer.

There's also a name on the frame. It says "H Gerber". The only thing i found on this was Herbert Gerber. German cyclist.

Profile: https://www.cyclingwebsite.net/coureu...oureurid=21691

schmunk

I can't find a serial no. I will check when i get the frame.

noglider 

The braze-ons suggest to me that it's from after 1982. I don't even think a braze-on front derailleur existed before then.

What kind of frame is it? A beautiful one! You got an insanely good price. Good luck with it.

Kommisar89

Nice frame. Bottecchia used that general design in the period from around 1978 to 1983 I think. I would guess it's the top of the line model since it has fully chromed rear stays. No idea what they called it then - earlier it was the Professional model and later it was the Squadra in parts of Europe probably including Germany and Sweden. Original components would have been Campagnolo Super Record. Tubing? Probably Columbus SL but maybe SLX. I'm not sure exactly when SLX was released. I think I remember someone saying if you look in the bottom bracket shell at the base of the seat tube you should be able to see the spirals or rifling at the bottom of tube if it's SLX.

As for the restoration...red is always good for an Italian bike but I'm partial to the red and white color scheme with red top tube and down tube and white seat tube and head tube. Forum member T-Mar might have some more insite on dating the frame.

schmunk

ahaaa, you mean like this:

I sure like that too!

Kommisar89

Yep, that is my favorite bike

Tigerprawn

Really nice score!

bikemeister

Darn! I should have grabbed that Bottechia I saw at a garage sale for $20! Needed tires was all. But I'd never heard of the brand before, and, after checking on the forum, I went back the next day and it was gone! Darn!
Nice score!

T-Mar

I believe Campagnolo introduced their front derailleur braze-on in 1982, as previously stated. The decals do not indicate the 1985 World Championship win, so it's no newer than 1985. If there are helical ridges on the inside bottom bracket end of the seat tube, down tube and chainstays then it is SLX and would be 1984 or 1985. Helical ridges only in the bottom of the fork steerer would indicate SL. THe frames kind of large, so it may also be SP or SPX, as opposed to SL or SLX. Having said that, based on my era estimate, I'm a bit suprised the cables were still routed over the bottom bracket.

huerro

It's sexy, but the red head tube sets off the chrome lugs better than the white. But maybe I just have too much of a thing for chrome lugs.

schmunk

I have the frame in my possession now I still don't know what kind of tubing this is. The tubes on the frame are oval, not round. I didn't know this before. There is also part of a sticker left on the frame that might indicate what tubing this is. Here are some pictures:

Kommisar89

Dammit, I hate you guys in Scandinavia. You get all the good Bottecchias

Of course there are probably boat loads of them in Italy too but Italians never post on the forums so they don't make me jealous

I'm curious about oval tubing. It's very hard to tell from that picture but it looks like a late 70's - early 80's frame with the braze-on cable guides on top of the bottom bracket shell. Are you saying the three main tubes are oval? They look round in the pictures.

Chombi

Yes, The Bottechias (mostly framesets) I remember seeing in shops in the 80s here in the US didn't look as good. I even remember that most of the ones I saw had no clear coat covering over thier downtube decals and some were actually peeling off just hanging from the dealer's frameset racks.

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV

Kommisar89

I don't think they ever had clear coat over the decals. But you see a lot of the mid-range Aelle and Cromor framesets from the mid to late 80's here. Not bad bikes but not nearly as nice as the top of the line models. The SL framesets from the late 70's to early 80's only show up in Europe and oddly, there have been a couple of forum members from Sweden with really nice examples and that one guy from Germany. The SLX framesets from the mid to late 80's and TSX from the early 90's are exquisite but probably still suffer from issues with paint and decals at times. Seems to have been an Italian thing.

JohnDThompson 

It looks like a Cinelli BB shell:



Does it have an old-style logo or new-style?

Old logo:



New logo:



IIRC, the changeover happened around 1981-1982.

schmunk

It is not a cinelli bbshell. There is no markings on the bottom besides "57" which is the size. All three tubes are oval. But the toptube is more oval than the others.

I think the oval tubing is beautiful.

schmunk

Here's a guy in Sweden that has some Bottecchias: https://www.cykelhobby.com/bottecchia.htm

schmunk

Progress:
Paint Stripped.
Started to spray on new paint.

craigcraigcraig

i am jealous. great looking bike.

ozneddy

WoW a chrome frame,dont let Kurt see it !

umpire54

I LIKE IT!! and I WANT ONE! HAPPY FOR YOU! <muttering under breath>

schmunk

White parts done.
Now going to hang it in the ceiling of the attic and paint red. Light came in nicely through window. Had to take picture