Benotto 3000 restauration project
Some history on Benotto:
The 1960’s to 80’s were the golden years for Benotto bicycles. By the mid 80’s Benotto riders took impressive victories including 11 world championships and countless local, national and international races such as the Giro d’italia. In 1968 Ole Ritter famously broke the hour record while riding a Benotto bicycle. He road a staggering 48.653 km in one hour. It took four years before the great cyclist Eddy Merckx was eventually able to beat that hour distance riding 49.431 kms. (source:Wikipedia)
We bought this frameset from a friended bikeshop owner Thomas de Vos (a.k.a. Vossi.nl).
It was fitted with a dura ace 7200EX headset and bottom bracket. As you can see on the photos it still has the Dura-Ace decal on the seat tube. In combination with the Portacatena dropouts, With some help from Facebook connections we got to date this frameset to early 1978, it has the old style Columbus SL decal which changed in ’78. Keep in mind that De Rosa and Benotto were close friends back in the day.
Benotto 3000 1978
This frame was made during a colaboration between Ugo De Rosa an Mr. Benotto, this one has been made in the De Rosa factory. This is not your everyday Mexican Benotto 2000 that cracks at the bottom bracket as soon as you think about riding it…
- Columbus SL tubing
- Campagnolo portacatena dropouts
- diamond shaped chainstay (like De Rosa)
- damaged seatlug (will be restored)
- 56ct 55cc toptube
future build list:
- new paint, new decals, new chrome, the original badges will be glued back on the fork
- Cinelli panto stem, handlebars and unicanitor n°3 saddle
- full super record first gen groupset with titanium pedals and steel bracket spindle patent 78
- Regina titanio freewheel and perforated oro chain
- Alfredo Binda straps (white)
- blue Benotto bar tape
- REG watterbottle holder
- a matching Sanson Gelati jersey would be nice too…
The frameset is at our local framebuilder Jan weymans right now to fix the seatlug.
Next step is to paint it in Toyota champagne which you see on the sample card below. It is a 99% match with a benotto that hasn’t seen much daylight.
update time!
the frame is back from the frambuilder, he fixed the worn out seatlug and brazed in a reanforcement bushing (appariantly they were to lazy back in the day to do that he told us). No frames that he build leave the place without a bushing in the seatlug if it is that type. and to be honest i’ve seen plenty with broken seatlugs due to the lack of a bushing like that
Now it’s only waiting for chrome and the repro decals to be made (yes we are going full in and have them reproduced, the ones available aren’t high quality and the colors are way off).
oh and in the mean time we have about 5 other benotto 3000 frames awaiting the same faith, paint, chrome and decals!
latest update!
better pictures coming soon, a sneak peak of the new paintjob
Lovely Bike. I still have a 3000 purchased and raced in 1981. Thank you for the confirmation of the De Rosa connection. I can highly recommend Gus Salmon for reproduction graphics. They are dead on with my originals..
Have just purchased a very tired Benotto. Looking at the frame details looks exactly the same as yours. No original equipment on it. Was strange mix of Shimano golden arrow with campag shifters. Has 27.2 mm seat post, italian BB with same cut outs and diamond seatstays without the interior indents. BB has the following markings. 1-0650 and 2-9-60. Not sure the fork is original as isnt marked Benotto. be interested to know your thoughts.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uDKKuduQJgmgHEzw9
I can’t open the link, you can email us at quickrelease@lecycleur.com I’ll take a look then
Hello,
That’s a beautiful frame. I am also considering buying a Benotto 3000. Where did you have this frame sprayed and where did you have the decals made?
Hi I do paintwork myself, for decals i would recommend Gus Salmon and Ian da Costa, can both be found on facebook
Just in case you haven’t seen it I was delighted to hear the De Rosa connection confirmed by Francesco Moser himself when interviewed for the Italian cycling series ‘One to One’
Beautiful beautiful bikes!
Hi, glad to see another Benotto being appreciated. I have a 3000 purchased in Italy in 2010. All original with all super record and original rims(not usable ,cracks) only non original parts were seat post and saddle. Have the correct seat post now but still need the saddle. Beautiful ride. I havent found an original jersey but purchased a period replica Sanson cap and jersey from Prendas in the UK. Good luck