Help with older Serotta info

[jhodgson]

I found this bike on Craigslist for $450 and snapped it up. Campy nuovo record, 3T stem and bars.

I stuck a B-17 on it and have been riding it around town ever since, but I'd love to know more about its history if possible. Attached is a photo of her current state.

The serial is 84534. I think that might mean it's a 1984, but I'm sure there are many more knowledgeable folks on here. There are no decals on the bike except a yellow Serotta S on the head tube.

So, any advice on how to find out more?

[victoryfactory]

That's a Cinelli Bottom Bracket. Not sure if/when Serotta used them?
That's pretty old, though.

Is there an "S" stamped on the rear brake bridge or on the fork crown?
A closeup of the seat lug area would help ID

VF

[jhodgson]

Okay here are some more photos. Kind of blurry because my iPhone can't seem to decide what to focus on, but I think they're clear enough.

I definitely recognized the bottom bracket as being Cinelli :)

[regularguy412]

Just a shot .... NX?

Mike in AR:beer:

[jhodgson]

Just a shot .... NX?

Mike in AR:beer:

Not sure what that means!

[William]

I don't know myself, but have you tried looking at the catalog section of the forum? There are some Serotta catalogs going back to 1985. Don't know if that will help, just wanted to mention it.






William

[oliver1850]

My guess is a 1984 Nova Special, the Club had "Serotta" on the seat stay caps. It could be a custom. Get some accurate ST and TT measurements (C to C) and check them against the 1985 catalog.

It could be a Nova Special X (SLX tubing vs. SL for the NS). Pull the BB and drop a mini mag light down the seat tube. Look up into the seat tube from the BB shell and see if spirals are visible.

[redir]

Looks like a nice bike to me.

[jhodgson]

Hey, great ideas. Guess I should have thought of those.

Thanks, all!

[dave thompson]

I found this bike on Craigslist for $450 and snapped it up. Campy nuovo record, 3T stem and bars.

I stuck a B-17 on it and have been riding it around town ever since, but I'd love to know more about its history if possible. Attached is a photo of her current state.

The serial is 84534. I think that might mean it's a 1984, but I'm sure there are many more knowledgeable folks on here. There are no decals on the bike except a yellow Serotta S on the head tube.

So, any advice on how to find out more?

You're correct that your bike was made during 1984. The rest of the serial number tells nothing about the bike other than it was the 534th one made that year.

Your bike has been repainted and all the relevant identifying decals have not been reapplied. If you look at the 85 and 86 catalogs in the catalog section, you can see what your bike looked like originally. http://forums.thepaceline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=18 If you look carefully at the seat tube clusters you can see that several models have inferences in this area hich may help you a bit in trying to pin down exactly what you have.

iPhone's are terrible for taking close-up or details pictures

[jhodgson]

Dang. There doesn't seem to be a 1984 catalog.

[dave thompson]

Dang. There doesn't seem to be a 1984 catalog.
There were no fundamental differences during those years and changes, if any, were very few and very minor.

[oliver1850]

Like Dave said, stock offerings were pretty basic in those days and didn't change much from year to year until the Colorado tubeset came out.

If your bike isn't a custom, it's almost certainly a Nova Special or X. Check the dimensions. If they match up to standard geo, it's likely an off the shelf Nova. Great frames, I have 3 variants, with a 4th a probable in the next few months.

[regularguy412]

Not sure what that means!

My guess is a 1984 Nova Special, the Club had "Serotta" on the seat stay caps. It could be a custom. Get some accurate ST and TT measurements (C to C) and check them against the 1985 catalog.

It could be a Nova Special X (SLX tubing vs. SL for the NS). Pull the BB and drop a mini mag light down the seat tube. Look up into the seat tube from the BB shell and see if spirals are visible.

What he said. :) Nova Special or Nova (Special) X ,,,,, NX

My buddy has an NHX. The H designation came with the inclusion of the S-bent chainstays (if my memory serves,, though it seldom does )
Mike in AR:beer:

[tmf]

What he said. :) Nova Special or Nova (Special) X ,,,,, NX

My buddy has an NHX. The H designation came with the inclusion of the S-bent chainstays (if my memory serves,, though it seldom does )
Mike in AR:beer:

Does anyone know the history on the S-bent chainstays - what year and which models they were available on? I have an '87 NX with the S-bend stays.

Mine was originally the green/white color, then I had Serotta refinish it in Pearl White with black decals several years ago. It is still one sweet ride!

To the OP - do you plan to keep it as is or hang some newer components on it? Mine was all C Record 7sp, and I recently switched to a little more recent 8sp Record (still using my original wheels with 7sp freewheel - I love the Campy Pave rims!). I find myself taking it out more often since I made the component switch.

[David Kirk]

The S bend c-stay came in 1990ish as I recall.

Dave

[vjp]

I have an '86 Murray with a single bent chain stay and two '88 Huffy with both bent. All team bikes, so I believe that Mr. Kirks '90 would be accurate for production bikes.

[parris]

It looks to be an 84 Nova Special given the lug work. The fork looks to be the same crown that was used on the Club Special. 84 is the year 5 is the month and 34 is the 34th frame built in the month. What size does it measure out to be?

[oliver1850]

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Kirk
The S bend c-stay came in 1990ish as I recall.
Dave

I've been under the impression that the NHX was the first production frame to have the S bend stays. I think you have stated in the past that Will Hallanan came up with the idea, and that's where the "H" in the name came from. We know the NHX was made in 1991, as it's in the catalog that year. 1990 is uncertain as far as I've been able to determine. I've been unable to document an NHX that was sold in 1990 and the 1990 catalog remains elusive.

I have a Colorado II that has single bend stays. I think it's a 1991, as it has internal brake cable routing and the 1991 catalog states "now by popular demand, the 1991 Colorado II includes internal top tube cable routing as standard." That seems to reinforce the idea that the NHX had the S stays in 1991, while the CII retained the single bend stays. (My CII is not a custom, so I assume it's not a 1990 on which someone custom ordered internal cable routing.)

The odd thing about the 1991 catalog is that S bend stays aren't mentioned in the description of the NHX. I own an NHX, it has S bend stays, and 1991 was the last year the NHX was made. It may be the only year they were made, it's hard to be sure until someone comes up with a 1990 catalog, or a receipt for one from 1990. The 1992 catalog doesn't mention them either, but in the cover photo of the Anniversary Colorado, you can see the flat chainstay bridge that was used with the S stays on later frames (CR, CSI, Atlanta). The first catalog mention of "S-bend" and the first clear photos I've been able to find of them are in the 1993 catalog. All road frames except the Legend TG had S bend stays in 1993.

I wish we could get access to Serotta's frame records.