Rauler Special Gold Plated Lightweight 1978

The brand Rauler was founded by the brothers Raul and Reclus Gozzi in the 1970s.
Its name Rauler is a mix of Raul's forename and the first letter of Reclus (Raul e Reclus)
The brothers were at some point contracted by Colnago to build frames under Ernesto’s marque until they parted ways in 1984. In fact they were also responsible for Colnago’s pantography and manufactured the intricate lugs for the Colnago Arabesque models.

But their own bikes as well are really well built pieces of classic Italian craftsmanship.
Our Rauler Special is made of high-end Columbus KL tubing, usually just used for professional bikes due to their lightness.
The frame received a complete gold plating, but to protect the sensitive tubes, the plating was applied directly to the steel without any nickel or chrome layer underneath.

The parts are mainly formed by a top class Campagnolo Super Record groupset including bottom bracket with titanium spindle and Pedals with Titanium axles.
To shed some extra weight, tuning parts like an Omas headset, Aluminium brake cable housing and the uber-lightweight CLB brakes were installed.
The outcome is a bike which weighs only 7.9kg, including the pedals!

Considering that there is still plenty of room for improvement (saddle, chain, tires, hubs), the total weight is plain sensational!
At the same time, the bike is fully functional and could be used for normal rides straight away.

A machine for the collectors, for sure.