Benotto: The Impossible Hour - The Impossible Project

Right. I've emailed Ritter classic asking about the components but still no reply. So here's what I gather so far just by looking this picture plus all the facts:

• The year, which is now confirmed, is 1973
  
• Ole Ritter is a weight weenie
  
  

Crankset: SR Track, looks like 175mm, 151BCD, 52T ring
BB: SR Track, Titanium axle
Pedals: SR Track, again Ti axles
Headset: SR Track
Seatpost: SR long/fully fluted, 2 bolts, either world logo/campag script
Saddle: Cinelli Unicanitor #??
Hubs: SR low flange with Ti axles
Rims: tbh I don't know
Tyres: no clue
Stem: Cinelli 1R, because it's lighter than 1A with Ti bolt
Bar: Looks shallow so it's not 66 Campione or 67 Pista. Either Cinelli 64 Giro or 65 Crit. Did some comparisons and I put my money on Giro. Plus they're lighter than 66 and 67, based on Velobase.

All these obviously not confirmed, they're just based on my observation and deduction. Feel free to weigh in!

"was"? You sold it or you rebuild it non-troll? Is that 2-bolt SR seatpost?

Put the right rear wheel on :-). That's an SR Laprade cheap seatpost but it looks OK.

Which one? That I get all my money back or keep the frame and get 50% refund?

the 50% one.

Do you know whats actually bent on the forks? Is it the steerer or the blades, I assume the crown is fine. If the steerer is the problem I think dron is right about investigating getting this replaced, it would be the strongest and safest repair imo.

It's the steerer luckily enough, because if it's the blades there will be no replacement I'm sure. It's the original track fork and undrilled! Yea Mario told me it's very possible to replace it but I just couldn't bear hearing/knowing he will cut the steerer. We'll see, it's still an option.

@dron: on process with PayPal now.

damn, what a cunt, i'm looking forward to how this turns out though

I think this may have been the f+f that I saw in the ebay finds thread. I didnt bid in the end because others warned me off it. Really stinks to find the guy lied to you. I hope repair doesn't prove too expensive. But even if it takes months to get the funds in place for this, I think you'll end up with something amazing.

http://www.lfgss.com/thread6-962.html

Get the frame repaired and send it to me for a repaint!

@mattias: hope it'll worth your wait

@zerostar: yea that's the one! Repairs not too expensive fortunately, plus the seller will cover the cost and a little for my heartache

@james1234: you can respray frame or you're just saying that so you can take the frame? ; )

^You should totally get the frame sprayed in one of James sick 2k fade jobs, not very period correct though haha

Hey Kal, so nice to see this thread! I hope you'll be able to fix the fork somehow.
Still believe in the 2A / 67 combo :-) But that 144BCD crankset is so much nicer than the 151BCD.. it is starting to itch again :)

Does your Benotto has stamps in the BB?

Looking forward to the next steps!

One of the reasons this thread exist is because of your Benotto, also mentioned in the first post.

I do believe in that Combo but Ole didn't. He believed in 1R + Giro combo : )

What stamp do you mean? Let me ask the frame builder because I couldn't remember. The parts above are by no mean a must so I may use 144bcd instead.

I'll side with Ole Ritter on this one...

And if PayPal do side with the buyer, which I'm sure it will, will I get a full refund and require to send the frame back? Because I don't want to send it back. The seller has agreed to give me compensation anyway, though we're still discussing how much. I asked 50% but still waiting for his answer.

Appreciate this post was a few days ago so you may have got further with this. You should raise a dispute anyway - there's a time limit on this after which paypal won't help you anymore.

Something very similar happen to me with a Rourke - it arrived dented. I made a Paypal claim, and got the money back from the seller. Paypal will side with you without a doubt and just credit you back the money.

I actually sent him most of it back once I sold the bike on (an agreement we made by email), but at least once you've got the cash back you have the power back in the agreement.

Yeap, nothing to worry there. I put it on my calendar. Buyer has 45 days I believe till they can't raise a dispute/claim anymore. I asked the seller half which is £150 and he has tried to get compensation from the shipping courier. If he couldn't get it then he has no choice but to use his own money to partial refund me. And if he doesn't want to do that then I'll raise a dispute.

One question though, can we open up a claim but only to ask a partial refund from the seller instead of full refund then have to send the item back? Because obviously I really don't want to return the frame. And one thing I know is that once you raise a dispute PayPal only has one option for the seller and that is to offer full money back to the buyer. Full money back means item has to be returned to the seller isn't it?

I think it's a grey area, and was the subject of ebay scams a few months ago (over iphones). If you open a claim saying 'not as described' you actually don't have to sent the item back.

I did this with the Rourke (not as a scam!) and ended up for a number of weeks with both the frame and the cash - the seller at that point could do nothing, nothing compelled me to send the frame / money back to him and the dispute was closed. He also had to chase a courier company for damage, but I figured that all that really wasn't my problem and left him to it.

Personally I'd just get the lot back from paypal, then send him £150 separately, but it's obviously entirely up to you.

Obviously document it all though!

I never thought of that! That is actually THE solution. Instead of waiting his partial refund we can do the partial refund ourselves once PayPal side to us. I know it's a grey area but better than keep all to ourselves.

What do you mean by document it? If you're saying keep all emails conversation between me and the seller, and receipt from the frame-builder then I've done that.

Either way hopefully it will get sorted soon. This build must happen.

It will pal, it will..

Yeah - make sure it's all written down. Paypal will give you the money, but they'll take it from the seller :) They won't be too happy about this! It worked out ok for me in the end though.

"It will pal, it will..."

Glad to hear it. Ole Ritter was a kinda hero of mine as a kid. Watching "The stars and the water carriers" and notably "The impossible hour", with my dad, is what got me into cycling in the first place; that and going to six-day racing and one-day madison. Really you ought to get in touch with the guy...

I would discuss the refund prior to having the frame/fork repaired. Doing antything to the item you received (I believe) voids your right to a full refund via Pay Pal. If you want to go for the repair, first agree on the refund amount.

it's been discussed, receipt of cost of repair has been sent, seller seems to agree. He has forwarded the receipt to the shipping courier.

The rims might be Mavic OR10's.
I remember reading somewhere (weight weenies?) that they where the lightest rims available back in the day:

http://www.dino.co.uk/random/ebay/rims/rim.JPG
http://blogged.img.jugem.jp/20070324_183479.jpg

The might not be, of course - I'm only guessing.