My First Serotta

[FetchPro]

Just bought my first Serotta on eBay and I haven't been able to find the specs. I'm not sure exactly what year it is, I believe the previous owner found it in a storage container. I'm curious about the steerer tube diameter, seat tube, which I'm assuming is 27.2 and what it originally came with (It currently has a full Ultegra groupset.) Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks,

ELi

[dustyrider]

Welcome to the club. I don't have first hand experience with the cIII. I think you're going to find a 27.2 seatpost, and I would guess it's 1" steerer but maybe not. When you get it, we'll want to know the Serial number. Folks will most likely point you to the catalogues. If you haven't found them yet: link (http://forums.thepaceline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=18). You should be able to narrow down a year range pretty easily. And anything else spec. wise if it isn't a custom.

As far as the original group, based on the year of the bike pick your favorite flavor and obsess over looking for parts. You could also build it up with a modern group for not a lot of money thanks to online retailers and the kind folks here. You'll have to wait before you can really benefit from our classifieds...but keep this thread bumped and hang in there. So many people on here know so much!


Oh yeah nice bike!

[Black Dog]

Steerer should be 1-1/8" and the seat post is 27.2mm. Very nice steel bike, very nice. Front Deraillure clamp diameter is 35mm.

[dave thompson]

If you can provide clearer pics of the Serotta, it help us in giving a date range. The serial number stamped on the bottom bracket will refine that even further although the serial number doesn't have a date code.

Because Serottas were often sold as framesets customers were free to put on whatever components they desired so dating the frames WRT to what was hung on them is very difficult.

You can find info regarding your new Serotta in the catalog section starting with the 2001 catalog here: http://forums.thepaceline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=18

[FetchPro]

Thank you all for the very helpful information, I will post more pictures if you're interested otherwise I think my membership here has been outstandingly beneficial, you guys are great!

[Ken Robb]

The blurry photo looks like "Colorado III" which would make it one of the last/best all steel Serottas. They used the same tube sets as the CSi which was one of Ben's proudest achievements. CSi was lugged and C III was tig welded.

Both C III and CSi could be ordered as full customs at no upcharge so LOTS of them were custom designs. I owned a stock CSi and a stock Legend ti and both were superb bikes. I once rode a custom Legend that didn't ride as well FOR ME because I wasn't like the original owner. It was still a nice bike but my stock Legend was WONDERFUL. :beer:

Sometimes but not always "Custom" was written before C III or CSi on the top tube. The serial number under the BB of a CSi would signify a custom by having another "C" (for custom) in front of the designation CSi followed by numbers denoting where it stood in the total CSi frames built up to that time. A custom would be like C CSi 455 while a standard build would be like CSi 522.

I don't remember what the code was for a C III but if you find a C then another C and maybe some other letter(s) followed by numbers you probably have a custom.

[FetchPro]

The SN is:

CO 50 047 does that put it around 2005?

[oliver1850]

I'd say the 047 makes it a first year CIII (2001). I'd guess they could have had either 1" or 1 1/8" head tubes. Serotta supplied both the F1 (1"only) and Icon Air Rail (both diameters) in 2001. Pull the stem and measure the steerer diameter. Most all Serottas used 27.2 seatposts.

If you're concerned about making it period correct, give us a rundown of model numbers of the components and rims.

Regardless of the details, it should be a great bike if it fits you.

[FetchPro]

You all have been so patient and helpful, I truly appreciate it! Thanks!

[Ken Robb]

The SN is:

CO 50 047 does that put it around 2005?

I think the lack of another "C" means this is a stock C III, size 50cm, the 47th built. All the C III frames I have seen were 1 1/8" forks. Lots of CSi models were 1" because that was what the lugs allowed. A person who wanted one with 1 1/8" fork had to forgo the one headtube lug. Serotta usually painted that area to look like a lugged joint.

[FetchPro]

I think the lack of another "C" means this is a stock C III, size 50cm, the 47th built. All the C III frames I have seen were 1 1/8" forks. Lots of CSi models were 1" because that was what the lugs allowed. A person who wanted one with 1 1/8" fork had to forgo the one headtube lug. Serotta usually painted that area to look like a lugged joint.

I measured the steerer tube which appears to be 1". It's nice that the serial coding is so transparent, I'm enjoying the exploration of my bikes history. Thank you again!

[rileystylee]

Take off the stem - if there's a shim there it's a1" headtube if not 1 1/8th.
Nice- welcome to the Serotta club:beer:

[Fatty]

Is this one yours Fetch?
Score! And a nice case to boot.http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/nksAAOSwJcZWcDB1/s-l1600.jpg

[Matthew]

I would think that has a 1 1/8th headtube. Most later Serotta's had them I think. Looks like one to me.

[Matthew]

Looks like a Kestrel EMS Pro fork, painted to match. Same fork I had on my 2001 Concours. It was 1 1/8th, aluminum steerer tube. Pretty nice fork in my opinion. Your color is called Azure Blue. Same as my Concours.

[Ken Robb]

When I look at your photo I can't see a single spacer under your stem but that must be an optical illusion-----I hope. :banana:

[Highpowernut]

Enjoy it, ride it as much as you can. Looks like a fine example of steel goodness.
I wish I had half as many as happycamper. But I love the two I have so much I'm buying another . It's an addiction now.

[FetchPro]

Take off the stem - if there's a shim there it's a1" headtube if not 1 1/8th.
Nice- welcome to the Serotta club:beer:

Definitely a shim in there, whoever set it up laid some dinky spacers on it, so it looks strange, but fairly certain it's 1". And thanks!

[FetchPro]

When I look at your photo I can't see a single spacer under your stem but that must be an optical illusion-----I hope. :banana:

It's a 1" steerer with a shimmed 1 1/8 stem that's shimmed, but the spacers are still both 1" so it looks strange. Going to remedy that as soon as I get a proper 1" stem and matching bars. It's not an optical illusion, it just looks super weird.

[FetchPro]

Enjoy it, ride it as much as you can. Looks like a fine example of steel goodness.
I wish I had half as many as happycamper. But I love the two I have so much I'm buying another . It's an addiction now.

I've been looking for one my size that I could afford a long time, it's not my first road bike, but it's definitely my first serious road bike. Many moons ago I had a pretty incredible Colnago Mexico, all period correct, chrome lugs, practically brand new, but as it was, I wanted to ride it and I was fearful of wearing the old campy stuff and locking/leaving/being hit on it, so I sold it. I'm looking forward to a great many miles on this one. Thanks!

[FetchPro]

Is this one yours Fetch?
Score! And a nice case to boot.http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/nksAAOSwJcZWcDB1/s-l1600.jpg

That's the one, I'm pretty excited about it, thanks!