davis phinney by serotta ???

[dancinkozmo]

can any of you serotta gurus edumacate me on this frameset ???
is it a good deal ??

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/3946476158.html

thanks !!

[regularguy412]

Sure looks a lot like a Nova Special X. Can't see for sure, but the chain stays look straight without the S-bend.

My buddy has a pink and black Serotta NHX and except for the difference in the stays,the paint and the semi-horizontal dropouts, they could be twins. I believe my friend's frame is ca. 1992-1994.

No idea about the Davis Phinney reference.


If any numbers on the bottom bracket can be known, they could be helpful in this quest. Price , IMO, is reasonable,, provided no serious internal rusting.

Mike in AR:beer:

[fogrider]

slx was top of the line back in the day...frames made with it went for top dollar. I don't know much about what Serotta was doing with Davis Phinney back then but if remember correctly the slx was columbus sl tubing with rifling at the ends (like butting) to stiffen it up.

[bigreen505]

I always wanted one of those, but the geometry is very different from standard Serottas with very slack STA and very long top tube.

That said, I'm not quite sure whether the bike in the picture is one or not. The paint and decals are not original, and I thought the Davis Phinney model had bent chain stays, or at least the DS was bent. Serotta called it the Power Curve or something like that.

As a disclaimer, I am in no way a Serotta expert, and I'm dusting off some very old neurons here.

[rccardr]

Another oddball. I also have one. Painted and decals as a Davis Phinney but looks a lot like a Nova. Mine is red and black. Tru Phinneys of that era had the curved stays and longer top tube. Got mine as part of a group deal and when I sent the serial in to Serott they told me it was a Nova. They did not know why their books would list it as a Nova but it was painted as a Phinney. Plus mine has over the BB cable routing and is SPX.

Side note: I had an earlier Phinney, maybe an 87, and it had the curved stays but was SL.

[Fivethumbs]

Check this out:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=107912&highlight=davis

and this:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=37375

[oliver1850]

Looks like an original Phinney to me. A 56 cm had 74 HT/ 74 ST angles vs. the Nova's 73.5/73, and a 2 cm longer TT (57 cm for the Phinney). I believe it would have a straight drive side chainstay and a curved non drive. Seems this was something Davis liked on his personal bike and it carried on to the production frames. You can see it in this pic:

http://frameandwheelservices.blogspot.com/2012/04/sold-610-buyer-usa-1991-serotta-davis.html

Looks nice. Whether worth the money depends on how you like the geometry and/or appreciate the back story on the model. I much prefer the Nova's geo, but would still like to have a Phinney. It has a coolness factor for old dorks.

[vjp]

Yes, a good deal!

can any of you serotta gurus edumacate me on this frameset ???
is it a good deal ??

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/3946476158.html

thanks !!

[cachagua]

Straight drive side chainstay and curved non drive. . .

???

What would the rationale for that have been? Best of both worlds? For comparison purposes?

[oliver1850]

This story may be a myth, but...

The way I remember it, it started because Davis had heal contact with a straight stay on the left side. After riding the asymmetrical arrangement, he was either convinced it had some other benefit, or someone thought it could be marketed as beneficial. It seems the design was run by at least some of his teammates too.

[Fixed]

Cool frame
I always wanted one I used to think I would sprint better if I had one :)
Cheers

[aptivaboy]

It is NOT a Nova. Its definitely a Phinney, probably a 1989, as per the catalog (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=82635). I have the exact same frame but with a black and green paint scheme. Check the catalogs here on the site. Expect it to have a slightly steeper seat tube and a slightly longer top tube than most other Serotta models of the period, as per Davis Phinney's specs. I wouldn't call it a pure crit bike, although some have claimed that. Its certainly a tad steep (74 degree seat tube in my 60cm frame), but no steeper than many other frames of the period. Phinneys went through at least three distinct decal and marking schemes in the few years that they were made. This is roughly the second scheme. The first one had "Davis" in weird graphics on the down tube. The last one looks much like a regular Serotta, and the Serotta decals are far more prominent, with a small "Davis Phinney Designs," or similar on the top tube. This is the scheme that may be reminding folks of a Nova? Certainly towards the end of the model's run there was very little to differentiate them from the standard Serotta models. It should have SLX tubing throughout except for perhaps the down tube and chainstays, which maybe SPX depending upon the size. My 60cm is supposedly SPX thoughout.

The one bent stay came about because a frame was reportedly crashed, bent and then ridden as was. The riders came back and said that the frame was actually stiffer when sprinting, bent stay and all, and requested bent chain stays on future bikes. That's the genesis of the Serotta bent stay, as per some old 7-11/Serotta lore. I was at a Davis Phinney bike show back in '88 or '89 when they first came out and Phinney spoke about this, although its been a few years so take it for what you will. Its actually called the "Davis Sprint Control Rear Triangle," as per the 1989 and 1991 catalogs.

Either way, its definitely as Phinney. I'd say go for it.

Bob

[cachagua]

This may be a myth, but...

The heel-clearance story has never made sense to me. My foot (size 45) comes all the way back to the derailleur on one side, and almost to the QR lever on the other. The chainstays aren't narrow back there, and what drives the width is the dropouts and the hub. (And they're only getting wider!)

As for stiffer -- I must admit, I have a hard time with that too. I want to jig up a few frames and test the idea.

[oliver1850]

I can't tell you offhand which bike it happens on, but I occasionally hit my heel on the stay. Next time it happens, I'll try to see where it hits.

[aptivaboy]

Did you get the Phinney???

Bob

[mikoglaces]

I bought a Davis Phinney advertised on this forum in late May. http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=130531&highlight=davis+phinney I love it. A tad on the heavy side compared to a modern bike, but it's become my primary bike. Recently rode a century on it.