[firstroadride]

I just found this bike and I love it.

I've been trying to find more information about it.

I bought it for $375. Does that sound reasonable?

I commute 10 miles a day and decided to buy something old and work on it and learn about bikes.

I figured maybe I should just take it apart and clean everyhting and put it back together?

Alos, the tires are weird, they are like glued on??!! Can I put regular tires on it without changing the rim? Should I change the rims?

It rides fine. I read that it is an Italina bike. Maybe 1970-ish?

 

[Dave Hickey]

you did great...that is one fine machine

 

[rcnute]

Buy another bike for your commuter--$50 to $100 will get you something serviceable. Make the Bottechia your nice bike.

 

[pdh777]

I beleive that is the the second from the top of the line Bottechia imported during the seventies. I had the same bike in blue - a 73.

All the parts look orginal (mostly Campy) except the seat. That is a great bike.

Used it for touring and racing - definitley touring geometry.

Recommend cleaning and regreasing everything. Yes those are glue ons (Tubulars). They sell tubulars today - any other option will cost you new wheels - plus you have to have your LBS spread the chainstays out to accomodate newer wheels 126mm to 130mm.

BTW $375 is a very good price for that bike.

Good Luck

 

[My Own Private Idaho]

Yes those are glue ons (Tubulars). They sell tubulars today - any other option will cost you new wheels - plus you have to have your LBS spread the chainstays out to accomodate newer wheels 126mm to 130mm.Good Luck

He could just have the wheels rebuilt, and replace the rims with clinchers.

 

[moschika]

He could just have the wheels rebuilt, and replace the rims with clinchers.

would probably be cheaper to find a comparable set of clincher wheels then rebuilding these. add the cost of new rims, plus spokes and labor = $$ even on the cheap. if s/he builds them her/himself, which i doubt since the OP wants to "learn about bikes", wheel building is not the first day of class. though the high flange hubs are cool.

 

[Duke249]

not so fast on the new wheels

Better to rebuild than replace. This frameset should have a 120mm rear spacing and won't accept modern wheelsets without being respaced.

 

[Mapei]

Great bike. Totally cool. As for the wheels, if the rims are worn out you might want to change them out for more straightforward clincher rims. But this would destroy some of the character of the bike. As for replacing the entire wheelset, I have a feeling that the frame's rear spread is a miniscule 120mm, which means no modern, multi-speed rear hub would fit.

 

[gcamp]

Where did you find it? Would love to stumble across a similar bike!!

 

[moschika]

I said "comparable set" not a new set. there are plenty of 5/6 spd freewheel clincher wheelsets out there. I think I have a set just sitting in my shed atm.

 

[boneman]

Nice looking bik

Quite a bargain considering the make, model and condition. I think the crank is a Stronglight, the brake calipers are center-pulls, either Universal 61's or Mafacs but it's hard to tell from the pic. Excellent components regardless. Those were the days before braze ons. I still have a few sets of rear brake cable clamps for the top tube. Neat stuff.

I beleive that is the the second from the top of the line Bottechia imported during the seventies. I had the same bike in blue - a 73.

All the parts look orginal (mostly Campy) except the seat. That is a great bike.

Used it for touring and racing - definitley touring geometry.

Recommend cleaning and regreasing everything. Yes those are glue ons (Tubulars). They sell tubulars today - any other option will cost you new wheels - plus you have to have your LBS spread the chainstays out to accomodate newer wheels 126mm to 130mm.

BTW $375 is a very good price for that bike.

Good Luck

 

[firstroadride]

Legnano?

I can get a really beat up Legnano from the saem person. Seems to be similar parts. Worth $100 for the parts?

Thanks again

 

[Dave Hickey]

It depends on what the components are and what shape they are in...

 

[firstroadride]

I have pictures but they are too big to load....

It looks like some of the hardware is usable though. But I don't know much..

 

[dnalsaam]

I must say that I don't understand the 'love' expressed for this bike. It has the cheapest Campagnolo components that normally only turned up on gas pipe frames. The brake levers are not original. I honestly would not expect this to draw more than $150 on ebay. I believe the crankset to be a Nervar, not a Stronglight.

 

[MerckxMad]

I think it's a beautiful bike, and I also think you got it for a decent price.

I just bought an 1986 Bottecchia with Aelle tubing and spent a couple of weeks rebuilding it. I probably paid too much and spent even more upgrading parts and rebuilding the wheels. I had my local "vintage" shop build me new wheels on the original Miche hubs with polished silver Super Course box rims. I'm fortunate enough to own a number of nice vintage bikes, but for some reason, the Bottecchia is special. Carnielli never really ranked up there with Colnago, Pinarello, and some of the other storied Italian frame manufacturers, but the Bottecchias are sweet rides nonetheless, especially when you've brought one of them back to life yourself.

Don't be afraid to rebuild the bike. Everything on it is serviceable. If you screw up, you can always run to the LBS for help. Just don't repaint it. IMHO, nothing ruins a classic faster than a repaint. Mineral spirits, WD40, rubbing and polishing compounds will work wonders in bringing that white frame back to its former glory. Good luck.

 

[firstroadride]

More help? WHEELS

Hi crew,

Thanks for the help so far. My LBS offered a bike maintenence class and they basically helped me tune the whole bike. I have all new cables and have given it a tune up. My next problem is the wheels. The tires that are on it are shot and the spokes are rusty. They want close to $200 to rebuild the tubulars and over $300 to build me a pair of clinchers. That sounds like an awful lot to me for "no name" rims. It has Fiamme Red Label rimes and campy hubs but they would need to be respoked and rebuilt ($200), etc and I would still be riding tubulars, which most everyone seems to try to talk me out of.

Maybe I should ebay some tubulars? or clinchers? or? I feel like if I'm going to drop $300 on wheels, I shouldn't compromise the character of the bike.

I'll post some pics now that it is cleaned up. It looks good, not perfect but I really don't care...I plan on using it.

Any advice? Thanks a bunch

 

[MerckxMad]

I'd make the switch to clinchers. Watch Ebay and search CL for vintage clinchers. You'll find a nice set of replacement wheels. Don't be so quick to chuck those Campy hubs either. If you find some nice Mavic, Campy, Ambrosio or Wolber clincher rims, you can have them built up on your Campy hubs. You might want to investigate other shops in your area, prefereably one that has been around for awhile that knows how to build a set of wheels. I paid $160 to have a set of clinchers built up on my original hubs with NOS Super Course rims, DT spokes and brass nipples. They put factory-built sets to shame.

 

[DRLski]

man, I wouldn't use that as a commuter bike, way too nice, but hey, to each their own. Sweet deal though for sure.

 

[bicyclerepairman]

Hmmmm....

I must say that I don't understand the 'love' expressed for this bike. It has the cheapest Campagnolo components that normally only turned up on gas pipe frames. The brake levers are not original. I honestly would not expect this to draw more than $150 on ebay. I believe the crankset to be a Nervar, not a Stronglight.

I don't see any Campagnolo components. Not the deraileurs, not the brakes (from here I can't tell whose levers those are), not the seatpost. I can't make out the pedals or the hubs, so I won't go out on a limb there. Good call on the Nervar crankset, though. OTOH, that might be a Stronglight headset.

On another subject, can somebody re-route those brake cables? Please?

Also, I second everything MerckxMad said in post #18. Although stainless is good, too.