Hello All,
This is my first post to CR so I will give a brief introduc tion before asking my question -
I've probably always ridden bicycles since whenever my parents bought me my first bike sometime in the 60's but it was around 1970 that I got my first department store "gas-pipe" "10-spee d". By 1974, at the ripe old age of 12 I was ready to purchase my very own bike with money I had saved up. It was a beautiful red Raleigh (OK, it was probably a Grand Prix but I was just 12). I went down to Gus Betat & Son in New Orleans (maybe some of you remember them) intending to plunk down my $ 140 but the shrewd salesman knew an easy mark when he saw one. He took me i nto the room with all the really sweet high-end bikes and showed me this Bo ttecchia. It was just a Special but to me it was the most beautiful bike I had ever seen. It was also way too big for me but I didn't know any better. It was $175 but that Bottecchia blue paint job, flashy chrome, and Campy c omponents (well a few anyway) had me mesmorized. I took it home. And I rode it for the next 20 years until I got into an accident with a tow truck that damaged the bike (and me but I healed). I always loved that bike and so last year when I saw a 1972 Bott ecchia Giro d'Italia on eBay in the same metallic blue as my old Special I snagged it. That was my start into vintage bicycles and I've been working o n it and collecting info on it since. I have one other vinatge "light-weigh t", a early to mid 70's Peugeot UO8 that I bought for my wife to ride aroun d 1990 when we were first dating but it's just sitting in the garage for no w until I get around to it.
So now for my question - A couple of times I've seen mention of a road test/review of a 1971 Bottecchia (the Professi onal I assume but not sure) in a cycling magazine from the period. I even s aw it on eBay once but got outbid. I don't really need the original magazin e but I'd like to read the article if anyone has a copy and wouldn't mind s canning or copying it.
Sincerely, Derrick Bourgeois Colorado Sprin gs, CO, USA
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