Kommisar89

Hi All,

I was 12 back in '74 when I bought my first 'quality' bicycle, a Bottechia Special, which I rode until I lost an altercation with a pickup truck while on a ride in '96. I grew quite attached to that bike and would love to have repaired it but the Special wasn't that high up the model line to make it worth the expense. I'm wondering if anyone out there remembers the model lineup from back then. I seem to remember there being a model on the low end, then the Special, a model called the Gara or something similar with a Columbus Tretubi frame and the Professional at the top end. If anyone has any pictures of old Bottechias I'd love to see them. Thanks.

-Derrick

don d.

I do not remember the specific model progression in the Bottechia line, but if you go to https://www.bikelist.org/ and search the archives on Bottechia, you'll find alot of info on these bikes posted on the Classic Rendezvous forum. In addition, www.classicrendezvous.com has a section on Bottechia's in the Italy section. Let us know what you find out.

Tbonne

I have a 1970 (or 1971) Bottechia Giro d'Talia (?). I believe the model below it was the Grand Prix or that Special you referred to. The Giro has tubular rims with double butted spokes, a leather Dolemi ? saddle, Campy Valentino Extra deraillers and Campy Nuovo Tipo hubs. The crank is an aluminum Nervar. Brakes are Universal centerpulls. The tips of the lugs are chromed. There is no hooks under the crossbar for a pump. I have had this bike since the summer of 1972, but it hasn't been ridden much in the last twenty years. Some friends of the time had the model below this. It had steel clinchers but as I recall, pretty much the same other features.

T-Mar

The line-up in the early 1970s was, from top to bottom:

Professional - Columbus tubing, Campagnolo Nuovo Record group with Universal 61 brakes , aluminum tubular rims

Giro d'Italia - Columbus tubing, Campagnolo Nuovo Record derailleurs, Universal 61 brakes, Campagnolo Tipo hubs, un-named cotterless crankset, aluminum tubular rims

Gran Tourismo - un-named steel frame, Campagnolo Gran Tourismo rear derailleur, Camapgnolo Tipo hubs, Universal 61 brakes, cottered crankset, steel clincher rims

Special: hi-tensile steel frame, Campagnolo Valentino derailleurs, Universal 61 brakes, cottered crankset, steel clincher rims

De Luxe:hi-tensile steel frame, Simplex Prestige derailleurs, Universal 61 brakes, cottered crankset, steel clincher rims

Unisex: mixte style hi-tensile steel frame, Simplex Prestige derailleurs, Universal 68 brakes, cottered crankset, steel clincher rims


This line-up pretty much stood firm throughout most of the early 1970s. There may have been some minor varaiation in graphics, details and some components, but for the most part, it was pretty stable.

Try Classics Rendezvous for some pictures.