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Bottecchia Value

978 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Mackers
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Good day all. New guy here. I have come into possession of a Bottecchia bike that belonged to my brother. He was a solid rider for most of his life and this was his baby. Now, as the executor for his estate, I'm trying to ascertain it's value here in Michigan but cannot seem to find a good way to do that.
It's a blue frame in great condition with all Campagno crank, hubs, derailers and Tektro R556 side pull brake calipers coupled to the original Campagno brake levers. My sense is that it's configured as it was at birth except perhaps for the calipers. For what it's worth, the decal on the frame says it's a "Campione Del Mondo 1966" but nothing like a date or serial number stamped in the frame anywhere I could see. I've added a couple pictures to hopefully help your assessment. Thanks very much for any advice or opinion you may have on this. Cheers!

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Very sorry to hear about your brother.

You could check Bicycle Blue Book although if it's indeed from 1966, it's unlikely you will find anything that far back.

Are you looking to get the most money possible for it or are you looking to have it go to a good home so to say?
Thanks man. My brother was a good man and had a great life all in all. I found the BBB site you mentioned earlier but step two in their process is that it presents you with the bike families from the manufacturer you designate. I looked at them but have no idea how to select from the choices offered in order to get to step 3. That said, I’m certain that its not a true 1966 vintage bike by looking at it’s features.

As for the choice between top dollar or good home, that choice was made the moment I promised my brother that I would take care of his affairs after he passed for the benefit of his estate which will eventually pass to his wife. But so far, it’s never been an absolute choice. Cheers!

v/r

Mark B

Freedom. To most is an idea, an abstract thought that pertains to control. That's not freedom. That's independence. Freedom is riding wild over untamed land with no notion any moment exists beyond the one you are living.—Author Unknown
It's impossible to tell anything from a sideways (wrong ways) hanging bike.

Take pictures from the drive side with the bike on the ground.
Count the number of gears on the rear wheel.
Take close up pictures of both derailleurs and the shifters.
"Campione Del Mondo 1966" has nothing to do with the year the bike was built other than it was built after 1966. In 1966 a Bottechia was ridden to a world championship and the decal on this frame is there celebrating that fact.

You need to post the pictures tig suggests but considering the bike has down tube shifters iI would presume it's probably from the mid 80's
Frame/fork look late 70s early 80s to me.
1966 probably refers to someone becoming world champion on a Bottecchia in that year.

A lot of its value will depend on correctly identifying tubing and components (from what I can see Campagnolo Victory or Triomphe from ~1985)

Rear pre-cspc quick release would indicate <1978.

Seat post size can be a good indicator of tube quality/prestige.

I'd keep my expectations low, the Bottecchia name was not always synonymous with quality :)
Thanks all for the feedback! Please stand by....Will get some better pictures up soon.
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OK, here's some more/better pictures. Hope it helps your assessment. The number of gears on the rear gear cluster are 5 with 2 forward on the crank. As for the seat post dimension, it looks like a 27mm OD. The OD of the frame tube that it slides & clamps into is 33mm, leaving a ~ 3mm wall thickness measured at the top of the tube. A correction to my first post where I wrote "all Campagno crank, hubs, derailers and Tektro R556 side pull brake calipers coupled to the original Campagno brake levers". All of that is still true except it turns out the brake levers are Tektro brand as well so, installed correctly as a complete set. Thoughts?

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I can't help you at all on the value. But it's late '60's to early-mid '70's
Google "Campagnolo Valentino Extra" you'll find info.
Those Tektro brakes aren't originally. They're pretty generic but probably work way better than the originals. Unfortunately they probably reduce the value a bit.
Also the wheels aren't original. They're pretty modern low budget wheels.

I think your brother picked up parts here and there and added and replaced as he went along.

Front derailleur is a post cspc Nuovo Record with the standard band which puts it mid 80s.
Crankset is a Victory from the mid 80s
The wheels have been relaced with somewhat modern rims to what I assume are the original hubs, maybe Nuovo Tipo/Gran Sport, very hard to date those without looking inside. The year is stamped in the cones.
Shifter levers are Records from the early 80s.
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