They really did make a great bike!

[msl819]

I picked this up from a semi-local CL ad. I quickly stripped off the parts down to the bare frame. I then built this up with a clean 9 speed Chorus group and some nice Record/H Plus Son TB 14 wheels that Old Potatoe built for me. I finished it off with a nice set of Veloflex Masters. I am sure the wheels add a lot but these old CRLs are just a great riding bike. It is my second and I am sure there are other 90s steel bikes that are in its class but I find it hard to believe there are any "better". I plan to send her off this winter for a refinish. Serotta really did steel right.

[msl819]

Sorry for the phone pic. It's the best I have at the moment

[gomango]

My kind of bike.

Gorgeous! :)

[msl819]

Maybe this image will be better. Apparently not.

[thirdgenbird]

My kind of bike.

Gorgeous! :)

I couldn't agree more. What a looker.

[Keith A]

Nice find :)

[azrider]

I I plan to send her off this winter for a refinish

nah....looks great as is


Serotta really did steel right.

Yes! :hello:


Great find. May you have many enjoyable miles ahead of you

[msl819]

nah....looks great as is


It actually has a few small dents that I would like taken care of.

[odin99]

looks great. and nice choice of parts. ride her hard.

[DrSpoke]

Very nice! I had a Serotta Concours w/Daytona 10 that was my main bike for many years - so set up very similar to yours. I recently sold the frameset but kept the group and it's going on a Cinelli Supercorsa - my first road steel frame. I'm sure I may regret selling the Serotta but I can't wait to ride the Cinelli. I know I've always wanted a CSi and probably would have bought one had I every found one in my size. Looks like a great ride - I'm sure you are going to enjoy it.

[tiretrax]

+1. Serotta made some of the best bikes. I never understood why they were maligned for being owned by Freds and orthodontists. I see plenty of punters on Pinarellos and Colnagos - and, then, there's me on a Pegoretti!

[jmal]

I never understood that either. I bought my Serotta Atlanta with Ultegra for $2,100 in about 1999. At the time there were many other bikes that were more expensive and imo not nearly as nice. I was just out of college and in no way had the income of a dentist. A couple years later I watched many people at the shop I worked at buy carbon Colnagos, Sevens, carbon Treks. All of them much more expensive than my Serotta and most of the people riding them much less serious as riders than I was. Cycling is a fairly expensive hobby no matter how you cut it, and it is also fairly exclusive, so there are always the cool guys that want to disparage others based on some easily identifiable marker. Serotta made some of the best bikes around, and the guys that left to form their own companies still make some of the best bikes going.

[campy man]

Nice find :banana:

Serotta made some really nice bikes until ...

Let me know if you ever get tired of the Serotta panto stem ;)

[msl819]

I love the stem but it is a 26.4. I tried to shim a 26.0 set of bars but never had confidence they wouldn't slip. The bars I have on there now are ok but not as comfy as a set of hwy 1. 26.4 certainly limits the bar choices. I like a nice flat transition from the top to the hoods.

[tumbler]

Very nice find. I need to start scouring CL...

[azrider]

+1. Serotta made some of the best bikes. I never understood why they were maligned for being owned by Freds and orthodontists. I see plenty of punters on Pinarellos and Colnagos - and, then, there's me on a Pegoretti!

I never understood that either. I bought my Serotta Atlanta with Ultegra for $2,100 in about 1999. At the time there were many other bikes that were more expensive and imo not nearly as nice. I was just out of college and in no way had the income of a dentist

BikeSnob certainly helped perpetuate that notion.......

"Of course, what the current owners of Serotta probably don't realize is that when you mess with Ben Serotta you mess with every dentist in America"

[Keith A]

I love the stem but it is a 26.4. I tried to shim a 26.0 set of bars but never had confidence they wouldn't slip. The bars I have on there now are ok but not as comfy as a set of hwy 1. 26.4 certainly limits the bar choices. I like a nice flat transition from the top to the hoods.Nitto makes a two piece 25.4 to 26.0 shim and I wonder if you could use just one of the pieces to shim from 26.0 to 26.4?

http://harriscyclery.net/product/nitto-handlebar-shim-25.4-to-26.0-417.htm

http://harriscyclery.net/merchant/370/images/large/SM1069.jpg

[msl819]

Nitto makes a two piece 25.4 to 26.0 shim and I wonder if you could use just one of the pieces to shim from 26.0 to 26.4?

http://harriscyclery.net/product/nitto-handlebar-shim-25.4-to-26.0-417.htm

http://harriscyclery.net/merchant/370/images/large/SM1069.jpg

I used a shim sent to me from a forumite. It worked but if I put all my weight on it, it would slip. I didn't want to hit the bottom of a hill at 35+ and not have a pothole called out only to have the bars give way. I like a set of Hwy 1s but like my teeth more!

[bfd]

BikeSnob certainly helped perpetuate that notion.......

"Of course, what the current owners of Serotta probably don't realize is that when you mess with Ben Serotta you mess with every dentist in America"

Those Anti-Dentite Bastards! :no::butt::crap::cool:

[terry]

Over 41 years of riding I've been lucky to ride lots of bikes but my fav may have been my CRL, so enamored of it I bought a Legend Ti, and a Meivici. I won't make the same mistake with those- I unfortunately sold the CRL.

[gomango]

I used a shim sent to me from a forumite. It worked but if I put all my weight on it, it would slip. I didn't want to hit the bottom of a hill at 35+ and not have a pothole called out only to have the bars give way. I like a set of Hwy 1s but like my teeth more!

A Nitto Pearl with those Hwy 1s would be my short answer.

Safety and function first!!!

[tiretrax]

BikeSnob certainly helped perpetuate that notion.......

"Of course, what the current owners of Serotta probably don't realize is that when you mess with Ben Serotta you mess with every dentist in America"

Yes, but it pre-dated The Bike Snob. Does he still exist? I thought he went out with Livestrong bracelets.

[bocobiking]

Beautiful bike! What are its dimensions; looks like my size.

[msl819]

60x58.5 - I have a 62L that was always a bit long but loved it so much that when I found one more fitting I grabbed it.

[msl819]

Those Anti-Dentite Bastards! :no::butt::crap::cool:

The anti-denture episode is one TBS as I type!

[Mzilliox]

Nice bicycle, lots of Serotta love here. I love my Rapid Tour

[swg]

Haven't been on here in a while. Glad to see your back on a Serotta. What did you decide to do with the finish?

[Ken Robb]

60x58.5 - I have a 62L that was always a bit long but loved it so much that when I found one more fitting I grabbed it.

Hey Dave Thompson! Here's another one "just our size".

[rodcad]

Very nice find. I need to start scouring CL...

There's a nice 61 or 63cm or something Colorado II on Boulder CL with Shimano 600 for $600. Just saw it today.

[oliver1850]

There's a nice 61 or 63cm or something Colorado II on Boulder CL with Shimano 600 for $600. Just saw it today.

That's in great shape. If I didn't already have 2 I'd be trolling for a facilitator in CO.

[YoKev]

Very nice indeed.

What are you going to do for the refinish? Paint or powder?

[msl819]

Haven't been on here in a while. Glad to see your back on a Serotta. What did you decide to do with the finish?

It was sent off a couple weeks ago to have Eric at Winter Bicycles do a bit of work to the TT and now it is off to Keith Anderson for paint. I haven't made any final decisions but leaning heavily towards light blue with white panels.

[mhespenheide]

Did you perchance see Angry's Marinoni (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=157065)? Love the light blue with white panels on his.

[rwsaunders]

Mike Z has a number of blue and white bikes out there. This has always been a favorite of mine.

[happycampyer]

Not that it's necessary to adhere to the original paint schemes, but the classic Serotta "Indy panels" paint scheme had different width bands:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-tg6VCqg/0/L/i-tg6VCqg-L.jpg

The panel on the seat tube is longer than usual because of how small the frame is--the bands would normally be where the front derailleur braze-on is. The older typeface was skinnier than in later years, too.

[gpendergast]

I haven't made any final decisions but leaning heavily towards light blue with white panels.

Beautiful looking bike! I bet she rides even better!! Hard to go wrong with blue and white. I don't know if you could say another frame would ride any better, just different

[Pastashop]

Mike Z has a number of blue and white bikes out there. This has always been a favorite of mine.


That's a nice bike right there...