Need help on info/history of this bike....

jackchoo said:

Hi, I'm posting for an internet-illiterate buddy. He would appreciate any info regarding this bike (attached pic). Its a Pinarello Banesto possibly circa mid 90s.

- there has been some re-makes of this, he wonders is this from the first batch or later (late 90's) ones...
- what type of tubes used?
- apparently Indurain used this to win the Tour de France, was it a Pegoretti designed bike?
- any other interesting info

thank you in advance!!

The components look like they are post 2000 but they might be upgrades. The frame looks like late 90's or early 00's from the welds. Also looks to be aluminum. That's all I can tell you. Your best bet would be to contact Pinarello's website with the serial number. Unfortunately a request will not be very high on anyone's priority list but you will probably eventually get an answer.

It looks like steel to me.

This is from a Cycling News link about a Pinarello 'historical' display from a few years ago:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2004/features/pinarello

Miguel Indurain's 1993 Pinarello Banesto Team Bike
"This was the first TIG-welded steel bike to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, which happened in 1993. We also made the first aluminum TIG-welded bike to win both races in 1995. This was the first year we used Oria tubing. Indurain always had the same size bike - 59x59 - and on this model, we lowered the top tube by two centimeters to make the triangle more compact and more rigid. On the head tube, there was another spacer of two centimeters that brought Indurain's position up higher. That's the way he rode... in his last season, Indurain had an Aheadset stem of 110 degrees to stay in his preferred position. This bike weighs about nine kilograms; it's a very big bike! As well, this bike has 180mm crankarms... you know, Indurain never changed his position in the 15 years he raced on Pinarello bicycles."

+1 on what Kdelong said.

Looks like a late 90s steel frame. Components seem to be later upgrades (obviously for the wheels - Fulcrum did not exist then, but also the Ultegra).

just some clarification.

the bike was upgraded to new components, namely all the brakes, groupset, crank etc. So the Chorus stuff are all new.

It is a steel frame (magnet sticks to it!) alright. Only thing is we find so many pics of Indurain riding this bike but yet, there has been some 'flavours' to it over the years that he rode it. I wonder which one does this frame fit in....my fren has emailed Pinarello months ago but has yet to get any reply...

jackchoo said:

Hi, I'm posting for an internet-illiterate buddy. He would appreciate any info regarding this bike (attached pic). Its a Pinarello Banesto possibly circa mid 90s.

- there has been some re-makes of this, he wonders is this from the first batch or later (late 90's) ones...
- what type of tubes used?
- apparently Indurain used this to win the Tour de France, was it a Pegoretti designed bike?
- any other interesting info

FWIW. Based on the pic you attached, I reckon that frame was made in late-1994 or early-1995 ... and, sold/bought at some point thereafter ...

SIMPLY BECAUSE the four check marks on the fork probably (?) signify Indurain's first four TdF wins (1991-1994).

Of course, the four check marks may have a more mundane-or-esoteric significance & not represent Indurain's first four TdF wins, but I doubt it.

During the early to mid 90's, Pinarello sold a range of steel and aluminum framesets and complete bikes with the white Banesto replica colour scheme to capitalize on Indurain's triumphs. It was good marketing. These Banesto flavour bikes came at several price points, from the high-end full team replicas with Campy Record to entry level with Camp Veloce and Shimano 105.

You have one of these frames. The hard part is to decipher which one you have. From the photo, your friend's bike looks to be aluminum. Can you provide the tubing brand/type? Any decals on the frameset? I have seen Pinarello Banesto replica framesets build with Columbus EL, Columbus Cromor, Oria ML34, Oria ML25, Oria 0.8, Oria 7020 and Dedacciai 18MCDV6HT DynaLite tubing. There are probably others as well. These were the "consumer" models, I'm sure Indurain's custom race bikes may be built with other tubing.

See the attached photo of a steel Pinarello Banesto farmeset built with Columbus Cromor. Note the lugs on the frameset in the photo, your friend's frame is TIG weld aluminum.

Tech72 said:

During the early to mid 90's, Pinarello sold a range of steel and aluminum framesets and complete bikes with the white Banesto replica colour scheme to capitalize on Indurain's triumphs. It was good marketing. These Banesto flavour bikes came at several price points, from the high-end full team replicas with Campy Record to entry level with Camp Veloce and Shimano 105.

You have one of these frames. The hard part is to decipher which one you have. From the photo, your friend's bike looks to be aluminum. Can you provide the tubing brand/type? Any decals on the frameset? I have seen Pinarello Banesto replica framesets build with Columbus EL, Columbus Cromor, Oria ML34, Oria ML25, Oria 0.8, Oria 7020 and Dedacciai 18MCDV6HT DynaLite tubing. There are probably others as well. These were the "consumer" models, I'm sure Indurain's custom race bikes may be built with other tubing.

See the attached photo of a steel Pinarello Banesto farmeset built with Columbus Cromor. Note the lugs on the frameset in the photo, your friend's frame is TIG weld aluminum.

Thanks Tech72.

Wasn't the Indurain version TIG-welded steel (it was touted as the first tig welded steel win TDF and GDI...)?

The decals are all there, exactly the same as the Team Banesto MINUS any decals that indicates its tubing. I find it very peculiar that this frame do not seem to have a tubind decal....also there is a S/N at the BB but its tough to make out below the paint..

Also take note that the seat-tube does not have a seat binder bolt at all. The seat post height is adjusted by means of a nut on the seat post itself....this is rather unique.

Tech72 said:

Note the lugs on the frameset in the photo, your friend's frame is TIG weld aluminum.

Magnetic aluminium? Those Italians are very crafty.

artemidorus said:

Magnetic aluminium? Those Italians are very crafty.

I base my statement on the following observations.

Looking at our friend's Pinarello frameset, it looks like the two cable stops on the top tube are rivetted to the frame, which suggest aluminum construction. The style of cable stops on the Pinarello in the photo are uncommon on steel frames. They are rather oversized for steel. Steel framesets, especially good quality road framesets as our friend's Pinarello appears to be, tend to use smaller (and lighter if steel) cable stops that was TIG welded or brazed in place.

Also, if you look at the rear dropout, they are solid without cut outs. It was common during the 90's to see solid forged aluminum dropouts. But not solid steel dropouts, in any era for that matter. Imagine the weight of a solid steel dropout on a "lightweight" road racing frame....

Also, if you look at the welds, it is more characteristic of aluminum TIG welds than steel. The weld seam is rather clumpy and large for quality steel TIG welding. Again, it is more reminiscent of aluminum TIG welds. Likewise, the tubing appears to be oversized compared to standard steel bicycle tubing of the era. Quality steel frameset (ie. Pinarello) of the era would have much cleaner TIG welds. See the attached photo of a steel TIG weld at the down tube junction on one of Indurain's actual race bikes of the era - smooth, tidy, masterfully finished.

Lastly, our friend mentions that the seatpost height adjustment is by a nut on the post itself. Campy and a few other component manufacturer at the time made unique seatposts that used an expander (like on quill stems) to hold the post in the frame. A number of Euro builders used this type of seatpost instead of the traditional clamp on their aluminum framesets. Pinarello appears to be one.

Again, I was looking at the clues from the photo. That magnet test is a "red herring".

Tech72 said:

That magnet test is a "red herring".

Yet it is the best clue, and it can only force us to conclude that the frame is ferrous. (Unless the OP tested the fork instead of the frame, which I guess is distinctly possible.)

thanks guys! really appreciate it.

I've informed my pal to do the magnet test!

jackchoo said:

thanks guys! really appreciate it.

I've informed my pal to do the magnet test!

You said that you had already done this. "It is a steel frame (magnet sticks to it!) alright." Did you make that bit up?
Tech72, you must certainly have been right. Indeed, it certainly looks like an aluminium frame.

artemidorus said:

You said that you had already done this. "It is a steel frame (magnet sticks to it!) alright." Did you make that bit up?
Tech72, you must certainly have been right. Indeed, it certainly looks like an aluminium frame.

Erm....upon confirmation with him, he never did the test! Sorry for the misleading remark.....

Tech72 said:

I base my statement on the following observations......".

yeah, all good points, and ones I certainly missed, 🙂 although the main tubes don't too large to me

me buddy gonna be really sad if its not steel .....

Here's my 'a lira a dozen' steel ride. Rides sweet IMO.

jackchoo said:

me buddy gonna be really sad if its not steel .....

Here's my 'a lira a dozen' steel ride. Rides sweet IMO.

Sweet ride, I haven't seen a Saronni in years. Yours looks to be made of Columbus SL tubing. I recall they were built by Colnago and marketed as "Saronni" after the '82 World RR Champion Giuseppe Saronni in the 80's. I like the clean lines and clean graphics, very nice. I have an early 90's vintage Eddy Merckx steel bike in my stable and it's one of my fav rides.

confirmed, the pinarello is alu....magnet won't stick to the frame...only to the fork! my fren is devastated and i prolly need to pacify him over coffee later. [img]cyclingforums.comrolleyes.gifOpen ↗[/img]

Any chance these pina's came in Alu as well? I mean for this Banesto model..

My ride is not a Colnago for sure (I really wish it was!). It was branded Saronni but was made by a low end maker Tecnotrat in Cuneo, Italy...(was later called De Benardi or something....but thats gone now).

Hi,

I have a steel framed Pinarello ( ole ) in the Banisto color's, it is kitted out with Campagnola Mirage, the problem that I have is obtaining a bottom bracket. I have been told by a number of cycle shops that they cant match the threads on the bottom bracket, Italian and British are different.

Can you please advise what the bottom bracket threads could be on this model?

It is pretty easy to tell Italian from English. Look at the right hand side thread to see if it is right handed (tightens clockwise) or left handed (tightens anticlockwise). If the thread is right-handed, then you need an Italian thread BB. A quick search on ebay reveals at least 123 italian thread bottom brackets for sale worldwide.