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TECH NEWS

Battaglin launches Stephen Roche 1987 replica frame

Frame marks 30th anniversary of Roche's victory in the Tour, Giro and World Champs

Where were you in 1987? Some of you younger readers might not have even been born yet. For Stephen Roche it was a momentous year, the Irishman managed the rare triple, winning the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championships. Only Eddy Merckx has managed the same devastating consistency. 

battaglin 19872.jpg

The bike Roche used that year was based around a frame made by Italian company Battaglin, and today the company has just announced it is building a limited edition replica of that very frame to mark 30 years since the stunning achievement. Only 187 frames will be made, by hand naturally, and using the same Columbus SLX tubing. The new frame will be made to the same specification as the original. 

- 18 of the best steel road bikes and frames

battaglin 19873.jpg

“Custom built at Giovanni Battaglin's workshop in Marostica, North East Italy,  the bike was developed by the same ex-rider who had achieved the Giro-Vuelta double six years before. It was probably the most advanced racing machine on the market, featuring the best equipment available at the time,” says Battaglin.

Columbus SLX was state-of-the-art during the 1980s. A double butted tubeset developed for racing bicycles, it had the unique innovation of featuring helical reinforcements at the end of the down tube and seat tube where they join the bottom bracket to increase the overall frame stiffness. 

battaglin 19871.jpg

Battaglin has in recent years shunned modern materials and gone back to its roots, focusing entirely on handmade steel frames. It recognises there’s a growing trend for vintage steel bicycles and with events like L’Eroica and Eroica Britannia, the new 1989 frame is ideally suited for a classic build. 

battaglin 19874.jpg

The frame features a chromed chainstay with classic dropouts, a lugged steel fork with chromed finish and 1in steerer tube, externally routed rear brake cable and an Italian threaded bottom bracket. Now, it's not cheap, the frame and fork will set you back £1,847. More info at http://officinabattaglin.com/1987

Now, what would you build the frame with?

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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8 comments

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ClassicCycles | 7 years ago
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Hi

I have imported a sample of this bike which can be viewed by arrangfement, and can order them directly from the factory.

It is very impressive to see "in the flesh" and has built up into a very nice bike.

Avatar
therevokid | 7 years ago
0 likes

1987 .... just sold off my Holdsworth Pro ..... now, where can I sell the other kidney ?

Avatar
Redvee | 7 years ago
1 like

Even now, tingles down the spine when watching this.

 

https://youtu.be/sQojh-wqL04?t=1m52s

Avatar
ajd | 7 years ago
1 like

Where were you in 1987? Watching Roche win on that georgeous bike.

Memories...

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maviczap replied to ajd | 7 years ago
0 likes

ajd wrote:

Where were you in 1987? Watching Roche win on that georgeous bike.

Memories...

At my folks, glued to C4's coverage.

The immortal lines

" Who's that coming, is it Stephen Roche, it is! It's Stephen Roche!"

Forgive me if I haven't got it 100% correct.

It's the one tour that we could do with a boxed set of DVDs or better still blu ray.

I have it on dvd, but not a good commercial quality production

Avatar
themuffle | 7 years ago
2 likes

I'll wait for the disc brake version. 

Avatar
ped | 7 years ago
1 like

Want.

And excuse the link away from road.cc but … 

 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 7 years ago
1 like

'87, a lovely summer and bitter winter (As always oop north),  started to squeeze in the odd longer ride between college, part-time work and young ladies. I'd bought a bike from Halfords in late '86 with all the paper round money I'd saved up (£114 for a blue Falcon of some description IIRC), unfortunately it was nowhere near enough dosh for a decent Peugeot or Raleigh.

The 753 ANC-Halfords pugs with campag c-record were the bollocks.

Hang on, here's Adrian Timmiss's one he bought back http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/pro-bike-adrian-...

 

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