I’ve been enamored by Battaglin’s ever-evolving modern chromed & lugged steel road bikes for several years, but now the ultra-limited edition 1984 pauses that progression to reflect on how far they’ve come. This new Battaglin 1984 isn’t exactly a new road bike. Instead, this is one last hurrah. A modern handmade Italian lugged steel rim brake road bike to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Giovanni Battaglin’s retirement from professional racing.
Somehow, I feel like this is a great way to look with fresh eyes into a new year…
Ltd. Giovanni Battaglin 1984 modern lugged steel rim brake road bike
This custom Battaglin 1984 is effectively a super limited re-release of their discontinued Portofino. Debuted in 2019, the Portofino was the first modern oversized tubing steel road bike built with real traditional lugs. Only half a year after its introduction Officina Battaglin gave it their signature deep shiny, colored chrome Cromovelato finish. That original custom Portofino has since evolved, first to disc brakes, then to fully integrated cable routing, then to a more performance-oriented R road version, then a gravel-leaning G version – all in seriously limited numbers each year from the custom Italian frame shop. It even spawned a slightly simpler batch production Palladio lugged road bike to cut delivery times to just 4 weeks. But alas, they discontinued rim brakes a few years ago.
Yet…
On the occasion of it being 40 years since the 1981 Giro-Vuelta double Grand Tour winner’s retirement from professional road cycling, his eponymous workshop decided to celebrate by breaking out the torch, and making one dozen more lugged steel rim brake bikes.
Yes, they’ll make just 12 Battaglin 1984 frames.
“The 1984 is a tribute to the unforgettable moments of my racing career. We wanted to create something that reflects the passion and artistry of that era, but with a design that today’s riders will love.”
– Giovanni Battaglin, founder of Officina Battaglin and winner of the 1981 Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.
Tech details
- fully lugged and brazed steel frame, made by hand in Marostica, Italy
- custom-drawn Columbus HSS GB81 steel tubing, made just for Officina Battaglin
- proprietary cast lugs manufactured in Italy
- full carbon, tapered steerer rim brake road fork
- 1.25-1.125″ tapered head tube
- BSA threaded bottom bracket
- conventional road semi-internal routing through the toptube & downtube
- 700x28mm max tire clearance
- traditional road geometry, available in 7 standard or custom sizing
- compatible with mechanical and electronic groupsets
- available in the Cromovelato chrome color of your choice
- Rim-brake only
Battaglin 1984 – Pricing, options & availability
“We designed the 1984 to be a true collector’s item, but also a bike to be ridden and enjoyed. Like all Officina Battaglin’s limited editions, it’s a celebration of my father’s legacy and the timeless beauty of steel craftsmanship.”
– Alex Battaglin, CEO of Officina Battaglin
Meant as an homage to all the steel racing bikes that have led us to modern road bikes, Battaglin makes only 12 of the lugged steel, rim brake Battaglin 1984 framesets, for sale worldwide. They offer it in 7 stock sizes, or for an additional fee custom sizing is possible, “with the geometry personally developed by Giovanni Battaglin himself“. And you also get to pick your preferred Cromovelato color, whether something flashy like Giro pink or more muted like black or silver.
The 1984 frameset sells 4636€, including VAT in Italy (or 3800€ without tax for export). This complete bike build with a Campagnolo Super Record 12-speed mechanical rim brake gruppo, Campy Bora WTO 45 carbon wheels & Deda Superleggera finishing kit sells for 10,967€ (8990€ without VAT).
These beauties are incredibly limited in number. So, if you really need a shiny lugged steel rim brake bike handmade in Italy in the workshop of a multiple Grand Tour winner, maybe you should snap one up quickly.
