I found a super cool bike made by Pettenella that I was considering for the L'Eroica Italy ride. But, the seller isn't sure of the year. He thinks sometime between 1984 and 1988. The frame was NOS so identification by the components won't work. I was hoping someone here could help. The only stamp on the bb is the size (55cm).

Also, what do you think a fair price for this bike would be? Pettenella was a pioneer of aero tubing and this bike has it but I don't know much more about it.

The front derailleur cable routing looks like it would have a huge amount of friction.

I'm also not sure I would want to be associated with being a "pioneer of aero-tubing". I think most framebuilders would want to FORGET anything done with the 1980's aero gimmick tubing, LOL.

Thread moved from C&V to C&V Appraisals.

Are you familiar with him? My understanding is that it was just oval tubes but was very successful and desirable to the point that Colnago paid him royalties to use his tube spec.

I was asking price but the main question was what year it was. I am trying to figure out if it meets L'Eroica requirements. Not sure if that matters.

My guess for the frame would be early to mid 80s.

Internal cable routing is against regulations as far as I know.

I think you are right. The brake cables need to be non-aero too. Minor things to change. Vintage bikes are such a funny market I am learning.

I've never heard of this builder, but it sure looks cool with that cromovelato paint scheme.

Looks like 1985. Almost NOS so $800 would be a good price for it.

Holy mackerel this is gorgeous. And my size! (I kid, I kid). Also have never heard of the builder.

The bike is obviously a magnificent example from the tail end of the era l'Eroica was meant to celebrate. Given that it's perhaps one of the earliest examples of an otherwise conventional racing bike being designed for aerodynamic efficiency, it arguably qualifies on the basis of being sui generis.

---From a quick search: "sui generis (Latin for "of its own kind") describes something unique, forming a special class not easily fitting existing legal categories.

Edit: according to the results of another quick search, Pettenella introduced oval tubing to cycling in 1976.

Absolutely do not change anything on that bike.

Regarding the year of construction, various of the bike's components should have date codes, including the back sides of the cranks and the hub lock nuts, I think. Maybe post some photos of the numbers (or symbols) you see on those parts.

Those parts vary from at least the mid 80s to well into the 90s.

FWIW it's a nice looking frame but none of the parts really match each other. The crank looks like early Athena, the shifters are Victory, brake levers early '90s Campi (nice one with the QR but I think plastic/nylon body) the calipers look like Cobalto minus the stone and correct adjusting barrels.

That FW looks pretty small for of them erotic rides isn't it? I don't see eyelets on the rims, maybe it's just the pics, but I'm not a fan of rims without them.

I'm not sure it's something I would pursue, I suspect the seller wants way more than it's actually worth

Other than the rear changer, which surfaced c. 1990, everything I can see dates to the mid/late 80s. Production may have continued into the 90s, but it’s all 80s designs.

I talked myself out of buying it. I am going to work on the Rossin I have instead. The seller is very responsive and I had some great dialog with him. It's a fascinating story and I love bikes with stories.

Here's what I found out: The bike is New Old Stock. That is why the cromovelato is in such good shape. It was brought to Argentina by Ocatavio Dazzan. Dazzan was born in Argentina but raced for Italy in the 1980 Olympics. The frame was a custom built frame by another ex-Olympian, Pettenella. Pettenella won gold in track at the 1964 games. He became a frame builder and knew he had to differentiate himself so he came up with the oval aero frames and patented them. He sold the patent to Colnago and was one of their master frame builders. The oval tubes required a high skill level so only certain frame builders were qualified. Anyway, when Dazzan retired he opened a shop in Argentina. He recently passed away and the bike shop is selling some of the old stuff.

It belongs in a museum. I am looking for something to ride and beat down. With shipping it was going to be around $1800 which still seems incredibly cheap to me

Many thanks for the fascinating backstory. Agreed, that it belongs in a museum. Sorry you've decided against buying it.

If you're still curious what it might really be worth to a discerning collector---the replies in this thread have demonstrated that people here aren't used to evaluating anything so rare---you should post the pictures and details, including those in your most recent post here, in a thread at thecabe.com.

That's where serious bike collectors exchange information on bikes of historical importance. The Pettenella certainly qualifies on that score.

If that were the sort of bike I was in the market for, I'd consider that a bargain. But as they say, you won't miss what you never had! Thanks for sharing the photos and the story.

-Gregory

I would agree 83-85 those were the only years most of the components on the bike were sold the easiest to date component is the aero mounted retro friction shifters these were only made for about a year around this time.

We're plumbing the depths of esoterica here but the shifters pictured are Victory friction, not retro friction. They existed at the catalogue from 1984-1986 and were functionally very similar to Super Record friction which preceded them for years.

Campagnolo did offer a braze on top mount shift lever boss, but the one pictured is not that - it looks like a bolt-on removeable mounting boss which in turn threaded into a brazed-on top tube mount.

None of this helps to date the frame, which I’d _guess_ at 1981-82 without further information. Maybe the frame was unbuilt for a few years, but otherwise I think it’s most likely to have had its original groupset removed for what’s there now. All Super Record, or much less frequently Ofmega Mistral/Modolo Kronos etc., often graced time trial bicycles of this era.