RBotM - March - Italian Month - Nominations now open!

[andreaviola]

WOOOO....
there are some of the best bikes ever seen in this forum!!

 

[PaulSE]

Just my luck that I entered last month and it turns out this month is Italian month! Bah .....but I've checked the rules and it looks like I can have one more bite of the cherry!
My Benotto 3000 from 1978

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[Jamiedyer]

Looking very smart Paul.
Enter as many times as you wish, the more the merrier I say.
Its only if the bike has won before then it cannot be entered in the general month but can be entered in themed months.

Jamie

 

[neil the wheel]

Re:

This must be the best collection of bikes ever!

 

[Robster914]

Re:

It would be rude not to throw a Colnago into the fray, so please find my Colnago Master Olympic. It's a bit of a 'bitsa' but probably my favourite bike.

it has changed a bit since my original build thread..

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=277877

 

[BigFoz]

Re:

Ok then. Here we go.

My '95 Colnago Superissimo, which I've had from new. Record 9 spd, Zondas. Refinished in 2012 by Shand's .

 

[pigman]

Just my luck that I entered last month and it turns out this month is Italian month! Bah .....but I've checked the rules and it looks like I can have one more bite of the cherry!

I'll happily be corrected or educated, but I always thought Benotto was Mexican.
Personally, if I'm right, I'm happy for you to leave it here, as I don't think we'll ever have a Mexican month. And also, cos to me, its the winning bike so far.

Anyone enlighten me on the Italian/Mexican query?

 

[mdvineng]

http://www.steel-vintage.com/benotto

 

[pigman]

Re:

thanks mdv.
I also found this on my research. Guess there is some confusion out there and I'm not alone ...

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vinta ... notto.html

 

[PaulSE]

I read a lot of what is available on Benotto history when I first bought the bike. It seems that for many years Mister Benotto produced bikes in both his native Italy for European distribution and in Mexico which gave him access to US and south American markets. Up until the early 80s top end bikes like the 3000, 2500 and 2700 track bike were made exclusively in Italy at the same works and on possibly same production lines ( but with Benotto builders) as de Rosa which seems to explain the fact that Benottos and de Rosa's of this period share a lot of characteristics like chainstay treatment and BB detailing.... there are some accounts that Giacinto Benotto had a simple subcontract deal with Ugo de Rosa to have Benotto frame builders working under his roof. Sheldon Brown described these frames as 'exquisite'. Fortunately for comparison purposes the opening sequence of A Sunday in Hell shows a 1976 Benotto 3000 in close up detail whilst being prepped and it's identical in every visible way to this one dated 1978. Benotto did indeed eventually moved all production to Mexico by the early to mid 80s where some differently detailed 3000's and then 5000s were made