A new folly...

[RonK]

Ok, despite building two touring bikes in the last couple of years, I feel an urge to build yet another bike. There is something about researching and sourcing components and bringing them all together that I find really engaging.

I've been thinking about vintage bikes for a while now - or modern retro bikes really, and have had my eye on the Tommasini Techno. But it's hard to find a seller for the Tommasini, and the price of a frame is fairly hefty, so the idea has been on the backburner.

But all this talk about the Noosa Eroica has piqued my interest once again, and I started looking around for used bikes or frames, which lead me to NOS components, which lead me to...NOS frames. Yes, they are out there - first I found a bunch of NOS mid-90's Pinarello Banesto team bikes, at what seemed reasonable prices. And then I found this...


A NOS Chesini la biciprecision Serie 83. Yes, 30 years old but brand new, never built, immaculate, and after a winning bid, mine - all mine...

More pics here...

[Minority]

Now that looks really nice, just don't put deep carbon fibre wheels on it

[GaryF]

What a beautiful classic steel frame.

[ldrcycles]

Looks VERY nice, beautiful colour. Do you think you'll have it ready for the L'Eroica?

[RonK]

Looks VERY nice, beautiful colour. Do you think you'll have it ready for the L'Eroica?

Probably not this year - had I chosen the Banesto team Pinarello I would have built it up with readily available modern components.
This one I want to build with classic components, which will be much harder to source.

[familyguy]

Those MAX forks look really nice, especially fully chromed. Are you sure its 1983? Whats the rear spacing? Will the back take recessed nut brakes (I see the forks can)? Sourcing aero DT shifters will be the most fun thing!!

Jim

[seddo]

Very nice frame lovely pantos - those Pinarello Barnesto frames are they from a Spanish ebayer?

[RonK]

Very nice frame lovely pantos - those Pinarello Barnesto frames are they from a Spanish ebayer?

Yes, guess you found them? They are also very tempting. Build up with Campy Athena and Zonda, you would have a very nice bike for around $2500 - about the cost of a Tommasini Techno frame.

[grantw]

That is sweet.

[brasstinman]

Beautiful! Looking forwarding to following this build.

[RonK]

Hmmmm, I may have struck gold - a follow up email to my seller reveals he has has a bunch of components, including almost complete Record, Super Record, and C Record gruppos, and a selection of rims mostly tubular) and hubs. Now, if I can negotiate an affordable price...

[Mustang]

Hmmmm, I may have struck gold - a follow up email to my seller reveals he has has a bunch of components, including almost complete Record, Super Record, and C Record gruppos, and a selection of rims mostly tubular) and hubs. Now, if I can negotiate an affordable price...

Dont worry if you can afford it!!!!!!!!!!! just a beautiful frame ....deserves it.....

[ldrcycles]

Ok, despite building two touring bikes in the last couple of years, I feel an urge to build yet another bike.

Everytime i read this it makes me laugh out loud, by the middle of July i will have built 9 in 2 months . Glutton for punishment though haha.

[RonK]

Those MAX forks look really nice, especially fully chromed. Are you sure its 1983? Whats the rear spacing? Will the back take recessed nut brakes (I see the forks can)? Sourcing aero DT shifters will be the most fun thing!!

Jim

Missed your post. No, I'm not sure it is 1983, but it's my understanding from some old Chesini brochures on their website that the 83 pantographed on the headtube means it is a Serie 83, built in 83. This could be a complete misunderstanding, but the sellers also believes it is an 1983 model. I'm not sure how late the aero lever mounts were in use.

I'm not sure about the rear brake mountings, the frame has not arrived from Switzerland yet, but I'll be surprised if it can't.

And the levers, well I'm not sure if these are quite the same period, but they will do for starters if they're not.



I've posted a few more pictures of some of the components on offer in my web album.

[RonK]

Ok, despite building two touring bikes in the last couple of years, I feel an urge to build yet another bike.

Everytime i read this it makes me laugh out loud, by the middle of July i will have built 9 in 2 months . Glutton for punishment though haha.

Yours is an impressive output. I have expensive tastes (obviously), so my activities have been governed by the availablity of funds, the amount of room left in my city apartment, and the need to socialise my acquisitions gradually with my BH.

[frailer5]

and the need to socialise my acquisitions gradually with my BH.

Much more difficult than the mere building process, am sure. That frame is a beautiful start.

[RonK]

I have more identifying information - it's a Chesini Mod. 83 Cromovelato (transparent paint over chrome) Brevettato (internal cables). Still not sure what year it is or why it has 83 on the head tube badge instead of Precision, when it looks identical in all other respects. The short rear dropouts though lead me to think it might be later 80's rather than early. Should arrive any day now...

[Uncle Just]

Nice frame and colour Ron, who would have thought you with a steel frame. I'd believe a Teledyne! One thing about the Italians, they did chrome better than most.

Please give more technical stuff as I'm interested. Rear spacing? Italian BB presumably? I note the internal cable routing, I had that on a bike in the 80s and was handy when putting it on the bike rack as it didn't pinch the cable and looked clean. What are the angles and frame size? As for the gruppo I reckon go with late 80s Record if the budget allows and you can source it, simply beautiful. The spiders were superb, never bettered imo.

[RonK]

Nice frame and colour Ron, who would have thought you with a steel frame.

Hehe, why not, I've owned plenty in the past. Actually I'm expecting the completed bike to be a very similar weight to my CF roadie. And this will be a show bike, one I wouldn't expect to ride regularly, so it doesn't matter much anyway.

I'm still trying to date this frame, and if its early eighties it should be built with Super Record ala the 1985 Chesini brochure. If it is late 80's then I guess C Record and Delta brakes will be the go. Either way is going to take time and money to source components.No hurry though, it was always intended to be a long term project.

Here is as much detail as I have at the moment. No angles but as you can see it's extremely compact and I expect they are typically Italian and quite steep.

Frameset features:
- Columbus SL tubing, beautiful aerodynamic fork crown
- internal cable routing for rear brake and front and rear derailleur
- aluminium dust cover for cable routing through the BB
- cut-out, pantographed (“CHESINI”) and fluted BB shell
- gold fluted Chesini pantographs on rear seat stays, brake stay and fork crown
- Chesini logo pantographed on steerer tube, fluted in gold and white
- Chesini drop-outs and aerodynamic braze-on holder for shifting levers with “C”-panto.

Dimensions:
- top tube 56 cm (c-c)
- seat tube 56 cm (c-c)
- rear hub spacing 126 mm
- seatpost 27.2 mm.

So far I've managed to acquire a Chesini pantographed stem, and I have located pantographed shift levers as well.

[spirito]

One word ... Chromovelato !!!!

Very, very nice. Nice score.




Btw, they're not MAX forks. Internal lugged, sloping crown and certainly consistent with the era of 1983.

[spirito]

Here's s pic of the Chesini factory around the time your frame was built. Maybe, perhaps, long shot ... but one of the frames hanging up could be ours !!!

[munga]

happy 1000th post, spirito.
id love a workshop like that!

[RonK]

Here's s pic of the Chesini factory around the time your frame was built. Maybe, perhaps, long shot ... but one of the frames hanging up could be ours !!!

Yes, I have seen that pic during my research. It must have been a state-of-the-art factory back in the 80's, and would compare favourable against pics of modern factories I have seen.
There is another pic of an even older factory in one of the Chesini brochures I've found.

Can't see any blue cromovelato frames anywhere though...

[RonK]

Btw, they're not MAX forks. Internal lugged, sloping crown and certainly consistent with the era of 1983.

Yes, I believe they are Air forks. According to Columbus, MAX was not introduced until 1987.

[spirito]

Can't see any blue cromovelato frames anywhere though...

Prolly because Mario & Alfonso made it, took it out the back door and decided to sit on it for 30 or so years just to be sure they wouldn't get busted