Recently inherited this Bennoto bicycle from my grandfather and can’t seem to find a picture of this exact one anywhere online. Not looking to sell, just interested if anyone can tell me anything about it! Would love to learn some more about a bike my grandfather had for years.
by cemoo18
5 Comments
Benotto is an Italian brand that was established in 1931, and was popular in the US in the 1970-80s, even sponsoring a team here. I think this is an early 80s model or late 70s maybe a model 2000? Most Benottoes where equipped with Campagnolo as standard so it’s possible your grandfather bought the frame set and equipped it with Shimano 600, which would have been the top of the line group set for Shimano then.
It has a Shimano 600 groupset so it’s a nice high quality bike, the components put it around mid 1980s. By 1987 there was a newer set of Shimano 600 which became known as Ultegra, your components are older than this.
Judging by the brake surface on the rims and overall condition it has not been used very much and looks to be in really nice condition. Either it was your grandfathers pride and joy or he bought it and didn’t use much it for some reason.
It should ride very nicely with some new tyres (I suspect tubulars). Compared to a more modern bike the gearing will not make it easy on hills. But if you are young and fit (not an overweight middle aged person) you should be ok.
It was common to buy a bare frame and build it up to taste. Shimano 600 was renamed Ultegra. Dura-Ace was (and still is) their top line of components.
They started in Italy. But the story I heard is Mr. Benotto fell in love with a Mexican woman and moved all but the very high end production to Mexico around 1980. Some Benotto have a heart shaped drainage hole in the bottom bracket shell. A nice detail.
r/vintage_bicycles will enjoy this.