SOLD ROSSIN PRESTIGE TEAM Frameset

Righty ho: sadly, this is back up for sale. I built it up, and it's fantastic; but the sad truth is that I need a lesser bike for my riding habits. See bottom of thread for more details.




I picked it up a year or two ago with the intention of doing a nice Italian build that would help galvanise me into entering L'Eroica. What caught my eye was that:

a: it's Italian
b: it's built by the excellent Rossin
c: it's made of one of my favourite steels - Tange Prestige - and also has unusual hexagonal profiling, and
d: it has the hallmarks of being an ex team or race bike.



If you are not familliar with Rossin, he was a lead builder for Colnago in until he branched out on his own in 1974. Rossin went on to build bikes for the likes of Roger de Vlaeminck, and by the late 1980's -- the era when I believe this one was made -- Rossin bikes were used by the Belgian Hitachi team led by Claude Criquielion.

Although I've nothing to link this frame to the Hitachi team, I do like the fact that with the springy Prestige tubing; hex profiles and a superbly built bottom bracket, it seems designed to tackle the sort of Spring Classics that Criquielion and Hitachi made their own.

There are a few interweb references to Rossin Prestige frames, and it looks like they were available in the early 1990s. However, I can only find one pic of another frame which has the race-required frame number boss brazed under the top tube.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/attach ... 1276102926

Reading the thread, the owner of that one thinks it's a 1994 model from the time that Rossin made bikes for the Festina Lotus team. I don't buy that. By 1993 when Rossin started for Festina, I think that the professional world had moved on from lugged frames. Here's what they were riding (well, selling: check out the watch) in '93:




I think a late 80's, date is more likely, with the publicly-available versions out in the early 90s. But I'm just going on available references and instinct - let me know if you have more solid info.

Anyhoo -- back to the sale. Dimensions are TT CC 57 cm; ST CC 57 with CT coming in a shade under 59. This matches the 59 stamp on the BB shell.

(The size mark is the only stamp there - the lack of serial number, while not uncommon, is another reason why I think this was a competition frame.)

1" headset, 130mm across the rear dropouts and a 27.2mm seatpost. Italian BB.

Condition is unrestored & in need of new paint. There are many paint imperfections and some chain rash. Nothing serious though. Worst bit is a ding in the chain stay (shown below). It hasn't broken the paint and I'm not sure I would have even bothered sorting it when getting the paint done. But I like a bit of patina me.





















I'm not going to let this beauty go for less than £250 posted. Will ship worldwide at cost.

Once painted and detailed, even non-race Prestiges are going for serious money:

http://cgi.ebay.ch/Rare-Italian-Rossin-Prestige-Road-Frame-/110627390368



http://bricklanebikes.co.uk/bikes2/

(NB Bricklane bikes say the yellow one is Columbus Gilco tubing, but I think that's an error. As far as I can tell Gilco is fluted not hex.)

Thanks for looking

Nice frames Rossin, very well built. There was plenty of talk in the 80s about Rossin frames being sold as new when in fact they were ex-team bikes re-sprayed so I wouldn't be surprised if yours was ex-team. For what it's worth the lack of a serial number doesn't necessarily mean it's ex-team as my Daccordi doesn't have a SN either just the seat tube and top tube measurements under the BB.

And yes BLB are talking b*ll*cks when they say Gilco, it's even got a Tange Prestige sticker on the seat tube!

Mark.

White roads, red wine type bump.

ad culmen

Man thats a nice frame.I live in New Zealand and in about 1993 my cousin purchased a Rossin Prestige.It was light blue on top 1/3 or the frame.It went into a white in the middle third and then blended into a burgandy in the lower 1/3 of the frame.All the lugs were like yours although the frame had slx round tubes and same with the forks.I loved the fork lugs and bb.Meaty!!.We were told by the sales guy that the bike had been used by an 'ex team Italia'road racing team.It was laden with full campag record.Wheels were FIR
rims and campag hubs.All I can say is that I was so jealous of him that when I did save some money,I went and purchased a Colnago Tecnos.If your not sure of them,google them and you will see why I did what I did.In my opinion the Rossins and Colnagos of that late 80s early 90s were in the same league in terms of quality.If I didnt own a Colnago,I would most likely own a Rossin.The sad part of this story is that,my cousin tried selling the Rossin to me over the years,but my relationship with my partner was more important if you know what I mean.His bike got stolen never to be seen again! :cry:
Did you sell the frame in the end?

That is tidy, even have a suitable groupset sat about doing nothing.

Could you measure the headtube height for me?

Also as an aside I don't think such a frame would be eligible for L'Eroica anymore - it is required all bikes have 'external brake wires'.

Thanks for the interest fellas, but as it didn't sell the first time round, I decided to build it up to see how we get on over summer. Then I'll either re list it or get it repainted.

(Plan is to try and produce a 20lb retro rider from this 5 lb frame. Anyone got a Suntour Superbe chainset?)

Shame about the L'Eroica angle - I thought downtube shifters were the dealbeaker. Guess that means I'll have to buy another bike then ......



cheers

enjoy riding it!

John":p9h5jn3y said:

That is tidy, even have a suitable groupset sat about doing nothing.

Could you measure the headtube height for me?

Also as an aside I don't think such a frame would be eligible for L'Eroica anymore - it is required all bikes have 'external brake wires'.

Click to expand...

Every year they make up some more stuff to stop bikes qualifying, its going to get to the point where everyone has to ride penny farthings.

I might just turn up on a 2011 cervelo and try blag it.

I was hoping this one would quietly sleep away in the background, just long enough for me to raise the money and resurect it in a few months time. Let us now how it rides