Classic 1985, 19” Bottecchia Competizione with Campagnolo Triomphe. LOW MILEAGE!

Description

This is a classic vintage 1985 Bottecchia Competizione with 48cm/19” Columbus tubing frame, Campagnolo Triomphe Gruppo, Mavic rims, aerodynamic seatpost, crown fork, toe-clips, down-tube shifters, etc.
Model and Year:
The bike does not have the model name on it, at least nowhere I could find. I’ve identified it as the 1985 Competizione model based on it matching all of the specifications found in the 1985 Bottecchia catalog. See https://2velo.com/bicycle-catalogs/bottecchia-bicycles-catalogs/1985bottecchiacatalog_03/    the bike is red in the catalog, but the text says it was also available in white. Additionally, the frame stickers for
Bottecchia Campione Italy
only lists race wins up to 1985 while Bottecchia won again in 1986. Furthermore, the Campagnolo “Triomphe” line was introduced in 1984 and renamed “Triomphe S3” by 1987. Therefore, I conclude that all evidence indicates this bike is the 1985 Competizione model.
DETAILS:
FRAME TUBING: Columbus Aelle R, Carbon Manganese alloy steel, cold-drawn, 0.7mm/0.9mm butted, with lugged joints.
SIZE: 48 cm or 19” approximately center-of-hub to top-tube edge.
FRONT FORK: lugged/crown unpainted/chromed.
COMPONENT GRUPPO: Campagnolo Triomphe.
CHAINRINGS: 52 and 42 teeth.
GEAR CLUSTER: 6-speed set with 21, 19, 17, 15, 14, and 13 teeth.
WHEELS: Mavic MA 2 700 C rims, 36 spokes, front and rear, with Campagnolo Triomphe hubs.
ACCESSORIES: original water bottles, two bottle-cages, and frame pump are included.
WEIGHT: Approximately 22 lbs (as weighed with bottle-cages, but without bottles or pump).
VERY LOW MILEAGE: this bike just wasn’t used much. This bike was first purchased brand new by my friend because her boyfriend at the time was really into cycling. She bought the bike and they went on rides together while they dated. [No surprise. . . as you can surely guess what happened next.] Then they broke up after less than a year, she stopped cycling entirely and went back to dressage and tennis instead. The bike then spent the next 30~something years stored at her mother’s house. Yeah, kind of a waste for her, but it’s great for you because the bike didn’t accumulate any mileage since then. If this were a car, it would be like a rare “barn find.”
Because this
is
a bike and not a car, and there’s no odometer, you have to look for specific indications of wear to estimate usage. Examining the large aluminum alloy chainring, I really can’t see any significant wear. The small chainring shows more wear than the large chainring, yet still not much. Check out the close-up photos of six sequential teeth of the large chainring and then six sequential teeth of the small chainring. When measuring for “chain stretch” (it’s the original chain) there just isn’t any. The ruler falls center-to-center on pins from the first mark to the 12” mark. See photos with ruler next to chain. I think even the handlebar tape is the original tape that came with the bike.
CONDITION: the frame is in excellent physical/structural condition, though paint is obviously flaking in several areas. See photos to get a better idea of everything. It needs a good cleaning. Naturally, you should replace all the rubber parts (tires, inner tubes, brake-hoods, pump grommet, and possibly the brake pads) because rubber deteriorates with age. To check the wheels, I measured the rims for lateral trueness using a wheel-stand and digital linear indicator. The averaged results, when zeroing the indicator at the valve stem as a starting point, indicated the front wheel deviated a maximum range of +0.00025” to -0.00010” and the rear wheel deviated a maximum range of +0.00065” to -0.00020”. The saddle shows wear, but you’ll probably want to replace it with your own favorite saddle anyway. All the mechanical components still work, nevertheless brake and shifter cables may need adjustment or replacement, chain needs cleaning, parts need new grease/oil, etc.
RESTORE IT OR NOT? Although many people will want to do a full restoration, and it’s certainly a fantastic project candidate, do consider one reason you might not want to restore it to like-new appearance. Although you could strip off all the old paint, repaint the bike, put on brand new stickers (1980’s style Bottecchia sticker kits are available on ebay), and make it look totally new, my own opinion about restorations changed significantly after watching an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage on Youtube about Jerry Seinfeld and his 1958 Porsche 356 A Speedster. I recommend watching it even if you don’t care about cars. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAcYahc74o8
To be clear, the discussion of “restoration” above only refers to the cosmetic appearance of the bike. Regardless of anything you do about the bike’s appearance, the bike will require maintenance on the aforementioned rubber components, possibly the cables, and any other parts that are critical to the road-worthiness of a bicycle before you ride it.
OPTION of Free Local Pickup. I’m in the 10536 zip-code. Although not listed above under Shipping (because of an ebay bug that sometimes ends up hiding all the other shipping options if I add Local Pickup as a choice in Shipping), Free Local Pickup is indeed available. If you want to do local pickup, please contact me with ebay’s Message system before you make any payment. I’ll then send you an invoice that removes the other shipping options, you pay the invoice amount, and we then make specific arrangements for the pickup. Note: if you choose to do a Local Pickup, I will video-record the transaction (including your name, and a description of what you’re picking up, and the condition of the item). Very expensive items may also require a signature.
SOME SHIPPING DETAILS: the bike will be shipped in a genuine (reused) bike shipping box. FedEx is available though frankly the quoted price range seems high. Maybe the high-end is for Hawaii or somewhere super far away, but even at the low end, it seems like quite a lot to me. Before you ask, I have checked BikeFlights (uses FedEx, but is supposed to be cheaper than using FedEx directly) however BikeFlights only provides basic price quotes unless you have all the necessary shipping information. While those basic quotes do indeed look a bit cheaper than directly using FedEx, BikeFlights estimation/pricing won't do a real calculation without first entering the item value. . . except you have to enter a complete destination address before you can enter the item value, and I won't know the destination address until the bike sells. Therefore, I'm not sure BikeFlights is really any cheaper. For your own reference: The bike box is 53” x 29” x 8” and weighs about 31 lbs with bike and padding. If you want to check BikeFlights using a From address, you can use “Primrose St., Katonah, NY, 10536”]
US SALES ONLY. I simply don’t want to deal with any potential foreign shipping/customs problems.