Batavus Professional SLX

[Elev12k]

The Batavus Professional SLX came with Columbus SLX tubing for frame and fork. Other characteristics:
- Cinelli spoiler bottom bracket shell
- Cinelli aero crown
- Everest lugs
- Campagnolo drop outs
- Chromed drop outs and drive side chainstay
- 'Batavus' engraved in stay caps
- Two 'B' engravings in brake bridge

The Professional frame were built in Heereveen by Batavus' small frame build shop. It was the natural competitor of Gazelle's Champion Mondial. Not all Professionals were SLX frames. There also were SL, SP, 531C, 531P models. Road and cross.

Batavus was the material supplier to the Dutch national team. Not without succes: silver in Barcelona 1992 (Erik Dekker) and wins with Leontien van Moorsel. The red/white/blue frame is a KNWU-frame (KNWU for Koninklijke Nederlandse Wielren Unie). It came equipped with Sachs New Success. The aubergine/yellow frame is a NOS frame I acquired as part of a lot consisting of Duell, Merckx and Colnago frames. It is the only frame I kept.

 

[grantoury]

Lovely examples

@Guinessisgoodforyou

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Lovely examples

@Guinessisgoodforyou

Yes I was just drooling.

 

[Elev12k]

Here a pic of another Professional SLX. I regularly visited the lbs to see what was traded in. The shopowner often kept interesting stuff seperate for me. On a day he showed me this SLX.

I think it is a refurbished KNWU frame. The steerer is marked 'KNWU'. I sold the later era Campagnolo group. I do still have the frame. It is the same size as the aubergine/yellow one: 59cm, what is perfect for me.

 

[Canuk]

I had one of these in SLX in bottle green a two decades ago, it weighed a ton but it was an extremely smooth and solid ride.