Ardennes Week

   Gone are the cobbles, and the hills become noticeably longer, as the roads are turned over to the climbers in a prestigious trio of events through the Belgian Ardennes and the southern Limburg region of the Netherlands. Sunday is the Amstel Gold Race, followed by La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and Liège-Bastogne-Liège the following Sunday.
   I had this period on the pro cycling calendar in mind when I turned to my next project, as the Rossin SLX bicycle I’ve built is remarkably similar to those ridden by the 1987 Hitachi team. My first cycling hero Claude Criquielion rode for this team, and he was a two-time winner of La Flèche Wallonne. Sue and I visited the brutal, iconic climb of the Mur de Huy, where there is a monument to the late Belgian hero, during our 2017 trip to the Low Countries.

   I was well aware that no Rossin frames painted in the Hitachi yellow and orange scheme (photo above) were ever made available to the general public, but I thought, because the frameset I purchased appeared to be the red and yellow cousin of those team bikes, that it was most likely manufactured the same year. Some deep research has confirmed that this SLX frame is a couple years older.
   The frameset had seen some use over it’s nearly 40 years on the road, but it was still in really nice condition, considering its age, and I did some minor touch-up to the red nicks, which were the most noticeable. Although Campagnolo Ergo shifters weren’t around until 1992, I wanted this bicycle to perform well, so I equipped it with a Chorus 8-speed group, as well as a set of Campy’s Omega wheels.

   I consider this one of the most attractive bicycles I’ve ever built, and it really is a special machine. Marco "Mark" Rossin was the lead frame builder for Ernesto Colnago until 1974, when he was enticed to leave by wealthy businessman Vittorio Ghezzi, head of the Iclas Sports Group. Ghezzi had been angered by the Colnago-sponsored SCIC team luring away one of the rising stars from his development squad, and got revenge by backing Rossin in the start of his own company and using his frames for the team.
   Rossin frames are known for their pantografia (logo engravings) and elaborate paint schemes, and this beauty was imported by the famed Ten Speed Drive company that was once THE source for European bicycles in the U.S. through the ‘70s and ‘80s. Their sticker is still under the down tube:

   I’ve moaned about the price of vintage Campagnolo parts in today’s market, and the rarity of this frame certainly didn’t help to keep the bike within my usual build budget. However, I think this Rossin bicycle is well worth the price, and I guarantee that no one else out on the roads will be riding anything like it!