Narhay

Hi,

I left to pick this Bottecchia frame up this morning on craigslist. It was listed as a Bottecchia Deluxe frame, but I saw the lugs and chrome in the rather poor photo and knew it wasn't that.

I'd like any info on value and identifcation...I thought it might be a professional but the fully chromed forks were different than what I remember. The paint looks touched up in places and the seatpost lug looks like it may have been chromed at one point. The measurement is 24.75" from the middle of the bottom bracket to the top of the seatpost clamp.

FastJake

Although all the chrome makes this look like a high end frame, even low end Bottecchias were fortunate enough to look this attractive.

The stamped rear dropouts make me think this is a lower end frame, but if it's from the 60s then maybe that makes sense. As far as value, if it's nothing special (as is my guess) I would put it around $75. Around here, bare frames go cheap. If you put it on ebay, I have no idea.

Narhay

I weighed the frame and forks and it came out to be 8.6lbs. I am not sure how that stacks up to other types of steel.

wrk101

On the heavy side (but not like a gas pipe Schwinn). Stamped dropouts plus no frame RD braze ons = typically lower end. Seat post size will tell you more.

Attractive frame regardless. I like the patina. Scars show its been used.

Narhay

Too bad, I was hoping I had stumbled upon a gem.

I was going to sandblast and re-paint as it is roughly my size but if it isn't that high end of a frame, I think I will pass on this one.

FastJake

Yeah, that's rather heavy. Probably hi-ten or maybe straight gauge chromoly. The only relevant data point I can offer is a 1989 Eddy Merckx frameset out of Reynolds 653 that weighs 5.5lbs. IIRC Trek's first carbon frame in the early 90s (with an aluminum fork!) was advertised at 3.3lbs, the lightest frame available at the time. But now I'm rambling..

Well, that would be a terrible idea regardless as the paint is only original once and I'm sure you won't be able to find all the original art. Plus you have to deal with all the chrome. The paint doesn't look bad considering it's 40-50 years old. It's a really attractive frame, if you don't want it I'm sure you could easily find a buyer that will appreciate it as-is.

If it's a 56cm I'd built it up into a cool fixed gear. Not many frames have that much chrome.

Narhay

Thanks for the benchmarks on those weights...

The paint is not great but the touchups stand out in person and the decals are tattered. The exact decals are available on ebay and I know there are two schools on original vs. re-painted but everyone has their own opinion on that. I guess we'll just have to wait for the next craigslist deal.

randyjawa 

That is a late sixties or early seventies Bottecchia Model Special. The bicycle would be a mid level Bottecchia and offers a very nice ride quality. I have owned several of these bicycles, the lovely canday red example being the cleanest of the bunch...



Vintage Bicycle Value, for this frame, will depend on two things that might have positive impact - the area you live in and how time of year impacts value. At Christmas time, the value will be at its lowest unless someone wishes to purchase as a gift. Also, if you wish to sell the frame, marketing skills will have a lot to do with the price the bicycle reaches.

Finally, anyone who knows a bit about that Bottecchia model will quickly realize that the fork is a generic issue Japanese component. My guess is the original was damaged (these forks are pretty fragile) and discarded.

Value, ball parked, $50 - $100(if you are lucky). That is only my opinion, though.

T-Mar

+1, it's a Bottecchia Special, which was their upper, entry level model (2nd from the bottom of the line) in the very late 1960s and early 1970s. As stated, it is hi-tensile steel and originally came equipped with a Camapagnolo Valentino shifting system, , Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo or Gnutti quick release hubs laced to steel 27" rims, a steel cottered crankset and center-pull brakes by Universal or Balilla.

The seller was not not too far off by listing it as a Deluxe, which was their bottom of the line model. It used the same frame but did not have any chrome accents, except for the fork crown.

Jonnyrock

The blue frame $50-$100 , great for a fixed gear -

Narhay

Thanks. I had looked through the catalogue and seen the horizontal frame pump holders and pegged it as the speciale with a different fork.
I do enjoy my gears, not much of a Fixie type. I think this one is better off in the hands of someone else...but it is a nice frame with all the chrome which is what caught my eye initially.

brebla

I have one waiting to refurb and it looks like the entire frame is chromed. I haven't stripped the paint yet, but every chip in the finish appears to have chrome behind it. I'm looking forward to stripping the paint to see if if the chrome will look good polished. You might not want to sandblast...

randyjawa 

You will likely find that only the lug work is polished chrome. The rest of the frame, though chrome plated, will not be shiny or aesthetically pleasing at all...

Narhay

The frame has found a new owner tonight who I think wil take care of it and will ride it. Maybe I will see it on the streets of Vancouver.

brebla

Thanks for the photo. I'll see for sure when I strip it.