Hi all.

I have a BENOTTO 850 with Columbus Zeta frame. Is this frame steel? I think it's a 1980-ish vintage or somewhere around there. Full Campy SR - everything. Really.

Does anyone know if that frame is steel or **********

Does anyone know about these 850 models? Were they a high-end model? I am guessing they were, given the top-of-line parts.

Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I think ZETA tubing wasn't around in the earlier part of the '80s. The Columbus commonly used then would have been Aelle on the less costly frames, and SL or SP on the better models. Mid '80s was when SLX was popular. I really don't know when ZETA came along. BTW- if it's steel a magnet will stick...

The Super Record group was no longer popular after the mid '80s, so it's a little surprising to find it on a frame made of ZETA.

My '82 Romani (a pic of it in the "Show Your Resto" thread) was built with Zeta tubing and yes, it's steel. There's not much info around about it and some weeks ago I started a thread about it with 0 replies. What I've gathered after corresponding with the factory and people from the business is that it was a "cold drawn, high quality tubing", according to Columbus. It was carbon-manganese like Aelle -which came later- with plaing gauge, 1mm wall thickness (Aelle was 0.8). A frame builder described it as "sturdy, dependable and club-racing quality, but not high tech"
What I know for sure after all these years of use is that it's not the lightest tubing around but you can build a 23.5lb bike with it. Sturdy it is. In '85, I crashed the bike and bent the top and down tubes. These were straightened and the frame brought back to its natural geometry. I've been riding the bike ever since without a single issue.
BTW, it would be nice to have a pic of the tubing decal. I repainted my frame and used a generic Columbus one.

The Benotto 850 used Columbus Zeta tubing from 1984-1986. Prior to that it used Ishiwata 019. I have no records of this model for 1987. Clayface's comments on the tubing composition, guage and type are correct.

The full name is the Benotto 850 Paris-Roubaix. Basically, it was marketed as club/entry level racing bicycle. The original price varied from $400-$450 US, depending on the year.

The 1984 model originally came with SunTour Vx derailleurs, SR crankset, Cherry brakes and Miche hubs laced to Ambrosio Elite rims. Interestingly, the frame was also available with optional, Tange #1 tubing for $50 extra!

The 1985 model used Campagnolo 980 derailleurs, Nervar crankset, Modolo Corsa brakes and the Ambrosio Elite rims.

The 1986 model used Campagnolo 980 derailleurs, SR crankset, Modolo Flash brakes and Miche hubs laced to Nisi tubular rims.

So, the model appears to have been in quite some flux, but the Super Record components you have are obviously replacements and well above the original components. Normally, Super record components would be found on a frame using Columbus SL or SLX tubing.

T-Mar, whered you get this info? I have a '79 Benotto model 800 that I'm looking for info on.

- If I have a benotto with: suntour 5sp. derailleur, SR crankset. Miche hubs. Rims ?? ( maybe ambrosio ) and Modolo corsa brakes , which model / year do I have ... ??(:

i just replied to your zero reply thread 7 years later-at least you got one. I had been hunting for info too. the columbus "site" goes into a lot of detail on all their tubing even zeta



[PDF] [h=3]TUBI SPECIALI PER BICICLETÏE SPEGIALI[/h]www.os2.dhs.org/~john/catalogs/Columbus-tubes.pdf
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costituiscono la serie ZETA. Le serie COLUMBUS' AELLE e ZETA vengcno fornite in tre iunghezze di tubi. difierenti: Composizicne A per teiai fino ai 57 ...

T-Mar sorry for necro-ing this thread but an 850 I just acquired has Shimano 600 Arabesque (non-indexed). Any info on that?
wondering if the owner or LBS in Ontario changed out the campy that should’ve come with it. It does have Zeta tubing, Modolo Flash brakes and levers. Cranks and chainring are 600.

Three years later, but...I bought this bike new back in the 1980s. Unless you have an interest in keeping it 100% original, you won't miss the Campy derailleur. It was finicky to get adjusted correctly and keep shifting accurately. There is a very good reason Shimano began the process of eating Campy's lunch starting around this period.

I’ve just picked up this Benotto and for the life of me can’t find out which model it is. It has all the Paris components but has no bb cut outs and a visible seam in the seat tube and a seamed bb. For some bizarre reason I’m not allowed to post any photos of the bike to get an opinion because I’m new