Product Description
Every now and then, a truly special bike comes around. The type that simply shouldn't exist outside of a museum. You might call it unobtanium. Well, this unused and never purchased Pinarello qualifies! This is a prototype of the Montello model, featuring the full prototype C-Record gruppo! I acquired this bicycle from the owner of a former bicycle shop in New Hampshire. The shop owner attended the New York City International Bike Show in January 1984. This bike was in the Campagnolo booth to unveil their new C-Record gruppo. Said shop owner purchased this bike on the final day of the show. The owner received a call from a Campagnolo executive a few days after the show, stating that the bike was not supposed to have been sold, and they want it back! Of course, the shop owner said “tough luck!” (Update 12/2022; this story has been verified by a top Pinarello collector and former employee).
The bike sat on display in this shop for years, and was never sold (likely due to the exorbitant price they must have been asking!) When I acquired it, the top tube had a decal that said “Mod Super Star” in place of the usual “Mod Montello”. This decal was unfortunately in poor condition, so I removed it. I have not been able to determine the significance of this decal. The bike truly appears unridden, with extremely little wear. It has likely been test ridden over the years, but has no real miles. ALL of the components are original to this exact bicycle with the exception of the cables, housing, chain, and tires (which are all NOS and the same parts that would have come on the bike). There's lots of classic Italian road bikes out there, but this one stands above most.
Details
The component highlight of the bike is clearly the prototype Delta brakes with quick release (some estimate between 12 and 250 of these were made). They were beautifully crafted, but functionally flawed. They did not have adequate stopping power, thus they were subtly redesigned before the gruppo was released to the public in 1986. The bike is adorned by many Pinarello pantographs. The chainring, fork crown, seatstay ends, seatpost, brakes, levers, shifters, and stem are all pantographed with red fill. The original Cinelli leather handlebar covering was hand-stitched, and is a decidedly luxurious fitting. Like all Montello models, the frame does not have a chainstay bridge. A neat but hidden feature is the gold-painted cutouts on either side of the seatstay brake bridge.
A few other unique features of the components include downtube shifters that have pantographing on both the front and back of each lever, and engraved (vs the usual laser etched) logos on the crank arms,
Condition
Unused, and never bought. No real miles, but may have been test ridden. The paint is glossy and in great to excellent shape overall, but has a few paint chips. The most noticeable paint chips include one on the headtube, two on the front-mid of the drive-side top tube, and a couple on the non-drive side. The chrome looks great, except light pitting on the non-drive chainstay. Decals look great overall, though there are a few small worn spots. The headtube decal has a couple scratches, and a few of the "Pinarello" decals have minor marks. The pictures show blemishes accurately, study them carefully.
The drivetrain, brakes, stem, bars, post, and wheels are all pristine and mint. No blemishes to note. The bearings have been freshly repacked with Phil Wood grease (pedals, headset, bb). The saddle has a few minor marks in the leather, and dirty spots on the colorful rear panel. Handlebar leather is supple and clean, though there is a scuff on the lower outside edge of the drive-side. Cables and housing are NOS. Tires are NOS, though the gumwalls show some age. No cracking, just slightly dry. They hold air, but only for a week or so. Tires are NOT glued.
Frame
- Serial number: D819
- Seat tube: 56.5cm (c-c), 58cm (c-t)
- Top tube: 57cm
- Made in Italy
Components
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Frame: Columbus SLX lugged steel
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Wheelset: Campagnolo C-Record prototype hubs, Campagnolo Record Strada tubular rims (36 hole)
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Derailleurs, shifters, headset, seatpost: Campagnolo C-Record Prototype
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Crankset: Campagnolo C-Record Prototype, 52/42t, 170mm, 144mm BCD
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Pedals: Campagnolo C-Record aero prototype, Campagnolo toe clips, straps, strap end caps
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Freewheel: Regina CX/CXS 7-speed, 12-18t
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Chain: Regina CX/CXS
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Tires: Vittoria Corsa CX Servizio Corse tubular
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Saddle: San Marco Supercorsa Profil, white leather
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Stem: Cinelli XA, 115mm
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Handlebar: Cinelli, Cinelli hand stitched leather cover
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Cables and housing: Campagnolo C-Record White
