Curious about my old Serotta

[colod]

Back in around 1992 I bought my first serious bike - a used Serotta from a guy on the CU-Boulder cycling team. I rode it for a few years until the down tube cracked. I cannot remember for certain the model, but it was a deep purple faded into bright neon yellow/green. Anyone remember a model like this or better yet, have some photos of one? It wasn't quite as obnoxious as it sounds, I don't think.

[jlwdm]

Try looking at some of the old Serotta catalogs in the Catalogs Section.

Jeff

[oliver1850]

I think I've seen purple/yellow fade, but don't recall it in any of the catalogs that we have collected (still missing several years). Might be custom/team paint also. Here's the 1991 Davis Phinney model in "deep purple". You can see the other colors that were available in various years by downloading the catalogs. I don't recall seeing neon yellow on standard production bikes, but the Coors Light bikes were Neon Yellow and Red for a few years. There's a couple of pics in the 1991 catalog, but the yellow appears to be a straight yellow. May just be the photography. Search the galleries and classifieds for "Coors Light" and you'll probably find one in neon yellow/red.

[oliver1850]

Here's a thread with pics of the neon yellow/red Coors Light:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=83333&highlight=coors+light

[colod]

Thanks. I found this, which may well be it, in the 1993 catalog - a different version of the Coors Light bike. http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=90181&stc=1&d=1327804705 I'd have sworn the yellow was more "neony" and green, but that is very close.

I know I have some old pictures of my actual bike somewhere in a box. Time to do some searching.

[colod]

Went through one old box and didn't find any photos, but oddly enough came across the bill of sale we wrote up when I bought it. So I have the serial number (TC54X00345) but not the pictures.

Price for a Dura Ace equipped Colorado, by the way, on August 9, 1994? $850.

[DRietz]

Here's a bonafide Coors Light team bike - given to my uncle by a pro that crashed it in the Coors Classic.

Turned into a rad chair by Andy Gregg (http://www.bikefurniture.com/index.html).
http://www.bikefurniture.com/pho_chair/stuffedfish.jpg

[slidey]

That thing is the quintessential beer chair...cheers mate! :beer:

Turned into a rad chair by Andy Gregg (http://www.bikefurniture.com/index.html).
http://www.bikefurniture.com/pho_chair/stuffedfish.jpg

[colod]

That is an outstanding chair, and thanks for the picture. That is similar but I do think mine had a more neon greenish yellow with the purple. Might have been custom for the CU cycling team. Back to the attic for old Polaroids again.

[William]

Here's a bonafide Coors Light team bike - given to my uncle by a pro that crashed it in the Coors Classic.

Turned into a rad chair by Andy Gregg (http://www.bikefurniture.com/index.html).
http://www.bikefurniture.com/pho_chair/stuffedfish.jpg


Okay, we need some of these for the Rhode Island Ramble!!!:cool:





William

[oliver1850]

Went through one old box and didn't find any photos, but oddly enough came across the bill of sale we wrote up when I bought it. So I have the serial number (TC54X00345) but not the pictures.

Price for a Dura Ace equipped Colorado, by the way, on August 9, 1994? $850.


Your serial number indicates that it was a 54 cm Colorado LT with the extra long (56.5 cm) TT. The LT was last made in 1992, so it had been at the dealer for a while before the sale. Perhaps that caused it to sell a bit cheaper than normal, but the bike would still be worth $850 today if nice. The LT had Tange tubing as opposed to the Colorado II's Columbus, and the BB shell was lugged at the time the CII's was fillet brazed. It seems not very many were produced compared to CIIs or TGs.

The yellow on the later Coors bikes is not neon, it's more of a golden yellow, and wasn't a fade.

[colod]

Your serial number indicates that it was a 54 cm Colorado LT with the extra long (56.5 cm) TT. The LT was last made in 1992, so it had been at the dealer for a while before the sale. Perhaps that caused it to sell a bit cheaper than normal, but the bike would still be worth $850 today if nice. The LT had Tange tubing as opposed to the Colorado II's Columbus, and the BB shell was lugged at the time the CII's was fillet brazed. It seems not very many were produced compared to CIIs or TGs.

The yellow on the later Coors bikes is not neon, it's more of a golden yellow, and wasn't a fade.

Hmm. Wish I still had it, for sure.
We had it written down as a TG, but that could have been a mistake. I bought it after a year of use, hence the $850 price. Thanks for the info. I don't think it was an actual Coors Light though the colors are similar, and it came from Davis Phinney's old shop, Morgul Bismarck. I'm guessing it may have been custom painted for CU's team, or I am just misremembering. Must find the old photos.

[TPetsch]

Here's a bonafide Coors Light team bike - given to my uncle by a pro that crashed it in the Coors Classic.

Turned into a rad chair by Andy Gregg (http://www.bikefurniture.com/index.html).
http://www.bikefurniture.com/pho_chair/stuffedfish.jpg

Love the Chair, also like how some of the tubes have air in them for extra comfiness/support.

Thanks for sharing! :)

[Pete Mckeon]

who owned it and any additional specs from 20 years ago is not able to be quantified.

if it had a "tag hanger" on the top tube it could alter the owner/riding history. for used race team frames generally had one,

i have a frame/bike from 84 Olympics series but it was never part of the race teams nor ridden in Olympics,

except for no hanger on tt it was built the same by the same folks.:p


Your serial number indicates that it was a 54 cm Colorado LT with the extra long (56.5 cm) TT. The LT was last made in 1992, so it had been at the dealer for a while before the sale. Perhaps that caused it to sell a bit cheaper than normal, but the bike would still be worth $850 today if nice. The LT had Tange tubing as opposed to the Colorado II's Columbus, and the BB shell was lugged at the time the CII's was fillet brazed. It seems not very many were produced compared to CIIs or TGs.

The yellow on the later Coors bikes is not neon, it's more of a golden yellow, and wasn't a fade.

[oliver1850]

Hmm. Wish I still had it, for sure.
We had it written down as a TG, but that could have been a mistake. I bought it after a year of use, hence the $850 price. Thanks for the info. I don't think it was an actual Coors Light though the colors are similar, and it came from Davis Phinney's old shop, Morgul Bismarck. I'm guessing it may have been custom painted for CU's team, or I am just misremembering. Must find the old photos.

There's a beauty of a 54 cm Colorado II on ebay right now, but it doesn't have the paint you had. Not sure if you're feeling nostalgiac for the look or the ride. I would think any of the 1990s Colorados would be pretty similar in feel.

[oliver1850]

who owned it and any additional specs from 20 years ago is not able to be quantified.

if it had a "tag hanger" on the top tube it could alter the owner/riding history. for used race team frames generally had one,

i have a frame/bike from 84 Olympics series but it was never part of the race teams nor ridden in Olympics,

except for no hanger on tt it was built the same by the same folks.:p

I have 2 identically painted CL Serottas. One has a number hanger, the other doesn't. Serotta did a nice job building their replicas consistent with the "real" team bikes.

[colod]

There's a beauty of a 54 cm Colorado II on ebay right now, but it doesn't have the paint you had. Not sure if you're feeling nostalgiac for the look or the ride. I would think any of the 1990s Colorados would be pretty similar in feel.

That is a beauty and is much better looking than the one I had. Can't drop $975 on it though.

While searching ebay for that listing I came across a skinsuit, oddly enough, that has the colors I remember.
http://robertobicicletas.com/ebay/pearlizum-1325382258-33268.jpg

So now I'm thinking that this might have been a custom Morgul Bismark team/shop color scheme, that they may have shared with the CU cycling team at the time.

[oldpotatoe]

Back in around 1992 I bought my first serious bike - a used Serotta from a guy on the CU-Boulder cycling team. I rode it for a few years until the down tube cracked. I cannot remember for certain the model, but it was a deep purple faded into bright neon yellow/green. Anyone remember a model like this or better yet, have some photos of one? It wasn't quite as obnoxious as it sounds, I don't think.

Break at the downtube cable stops? TIG welded?

[colod]

Break at the downtube cable stops? TIG welded?

My recollection is the break was closer to the BB. Maybe 1/3 of the way up. But it's been probably 10 years since I looked at the thing, so who knows.

[colod]

Paid a visit to my folks' house and on a hunch took a look up in the attic of the garage and there was the Serotta frame, covered in dust. Most of what I remembered was wrong. It is a Colorado TG. It was indeed purple and a neon green/yellow like the Morgul jersey.

But it wasn't a fade, and the break wasn't toward the bottom bracket. The paint is purple mainly, with a the fork and most of the seat and chainstays neon. And the break is on the downtube but right up at the top, next to the headtube.
I will try to get some photos for the thousands of fascinated observers up this week. Any suggestions what to do with it?

[cmbicycles]

Well you should for starters post a picture of the frame so we can all admire the classic color scheme. Then send it back to Serotta for warranty. ;)

Seriously though, just clean it up and put it up on the wall for art/nostalgia, if it cracked near the head tube it probably won't work for one of those awesome bike chairs. You can spread the rear triangle, cut off the front triangle and make a shop stool, just add your favorite seatpost and saddle.

[colod]

Well you should for starters post a picture of the frame so we can all admire the classic color scheme. Then send it back to Serotta for warranty. ;)

Seriously though, just clean it up and put it up on the wall for art/nostalgia, if it cracked near the head tube it probably won't work for one of those awesome bike chairs. You can spread the rear triangle, cut off the front triangle and make a shop stool, just add your favorite seatpost and saddle.

All good ideas. Maybe the warranty policy has changed since I tried 15 years ago.:p

[colod]

And now the reveal:

This looks pretty blue, but it's purple. The break is pretty obvious in the second picture. I think most of the rust has occurred in the 15+ years it's been in the attic, but I sure wish I could be repainting this thing and building it out again. :(

[oliver1850]

The tube could be replaced, but it won't be cheap. You're probably better off looking for another TG or a CIII.

[Louis]

Was there any evidence of a head-on crash? The lower portion of the DT at the HT-DT joint is a typical place to get damage if you run directly into something. (like a pick-up truck that's pulled out right in front of you - don't ask me why I know this :butt:) Over time a crack forms then propagates around the DT.

[colod]

Was there any evidence of a head-on crash? The lower portion of the DT at the HT-DT joint is a typical place to get damage if you run directly into something. (like a pick-up truck that's pulled out right in front of you - don't ask me why I know this :butt:) Over time a crack forms then propagates around the DT.

Not that I recall - everything was great for a year or so (other than hammering around DC-area potholed roads) until it started creaking and I discovered this. It had plenty of hard use but no crashes that I know of, other than with a squirrel, which was painful but not the same as a pickup.

[oliver1850]

I think that crack started at the bottom, near the edge of the weld and propagated from there. Lots of tigged MTBs had a gusset to prevent that, perhaps it would have been a good idea on road frames as well.

[colod]

I think that crack started at the bottom, near the edge of the weld and propagated from there. Lots of tigged MTBs had a gusset to prevent that, perhaps it would have been a good idea on road frames as well.

That would be my guess as well. The perfect circle on top seems unlikely to have been the beginning of the break, but more the result of the original break underneath. Oh well. If anyone wants to do something with it...