Stelbel Strada Aero Road Bike 1987

STELio BELletti was without a doubt one of the most creative and skilled Italian frame builders of the 1970s and 1980s
Belletti was actually one of the first manufacturers who pioneered the process of TiG welding (Tungsten Inert Gas) for bicycle frame building (he learnt it from his father Antenore, a plane fuselage welder). And he was the first frame builder to master this technique to a degree that is still exemplary today.

Here we present you a rare Stelbel Road bike which dates back to ca. 1987. The lugless frame is a true craftsmanship masterpiece, as well as the unique fork with an untypical variation of a fork crown. All cables have been internally routed through the frame, thus creating a smooth and elegant appearance which happens to be highly aerodynamic, too. The frameset even comes without an external seat post clamping, instead, it requires a special seat post which is wedged internally into the seat tube. Said seat post is a unique feature, which we have never seen on another Stelbel before.

The frameset has been built extremely sportive and agile with a crimped seattube and - much like track bikes of this era - barely clears the tires in the front and back.

Our Stelbel still sports a quite typical blue paint which has been refurbished at some point, thus is still in a fairly nice condition.
This classic bicycle is equipped with high-end and lightweight parts, many of which are rare and would have cost an arm and a leg in the late 1980s.

From the Assos wheels with Ofmega hubs, to the OMAS headset and the Titanium bottom bracket or the lightweight freewheel: There are only high-end parts on this bike. Which certainly helps in bringing the weight down to about 8kg.

Stelio Belletti is said to have manufactured roughly 1000 frames. Therefore each Stelbel bicycle is like a piece of art. These bikes reached cult status, especially among Italian collectors. They can rightfully be called iconic.
And this nimble racer will be a nice addition to any collection!