Serotta Nova

[mark_shiveley]

Does anyone have info about an older, 80s maybe as it has brazed on cable guides on the downtube, that has a stickers that say Nova a division of Serotta?
I googled around a bit and didn't find out much.
Thanks

[dave thompson]

The mid-80s Serotta catalogs I have describe the Nova Special and the Nova Special X as models in the Serotta line. I've not heard of a 'Nova, a division of Serotta'.

[mark_shiveley]

Got busy after that post but I am still curious...
On the seat tube 3" from the the top and about 6" down from that is a clear sticker that has a star burst graphic, NOVA in caps, small print :a division of" and then Serotta in the logo lettering all in silver. The band is about an inch tall. The frame has a Serotta "S" decal on the head tube and "Serotta" on the down tube. Has the "Made in USA "flag" sticker just above the BB. It's stamped 84234 on the Cinelli BB and has Campy dropouts F&R. The lug work and overall quality are consistent w/ steel Serottas I've seen. Brake bridge has the engraved/cast "S" logo. Apparently came from East Providence Cycle Co., the sticker matches everything else in age/condition.

[roydyates]

The bike has a pair of "Nova, A Division of Serotta" stickers on the seattube.

Mine is serial number 831129. It's straight Columbus tubing, with Shimano 600 headset, crank, and 6 speed derailers. The Columbus sticker is half scratched off, so it doesn't say which Columbus tubing. The downtube shifters are Suntour. I'm the second owner. The first owner bought it in the mid-80's as his first good bike with lawnmowing money while in high school.

The Nova weighs about the same but is more flexy than a mid 90's Colorado Legend CRL which has Colorado Concept shaped tubes.

I was thinking I would convert the bike into a fixie, but I left it unchanged after the first ride. The downtube shifters were very well tuned and the bike in its original config is a completely charming old school ride.

[dave thompson]

Got busy after that post but I am still curious...
On the seat tube 3" from the the top and about 6" down from that is a clear sticker that has a star burst graphic, NOVA in caps, small print :a division of" and then Serotta in the logo lettering all in silver. The band is about an inch tall. The frame has a Serotta "S" decal on the head tube and "Serotta" on the down tube. Has the "Made in USA "flag" sticker just above the BB. It's stamped 84234 on the Cinelli BB and has Campy dropouts F&R. The lug work and overall quality are consistent w/ steel Serottas I've seen. Brake bridge has the engraved/cast "S" logo. Apparently came from East Providence Cycle Co., the sticker matches everything else in age/condition.
Post some pics of the Nova decal, I've never seen one.

[roydyates]

Two pictures, one of the back of the sticker and one from the side. The "Nova, DIVISION OF Serotta" appears on the both the left and right side of the sticker.

Sorry about the pictures being fairly lousy cropped cellphone snaps, assuming I actually "Managed Attachments" correctly.

[mark_shiveley]

That's the sticker.
Is the color correct or darker?
Probably has the cable guides on top of the BB and runs full brake cable on the top tube?

[roydyates]

The color is more silver or gray than the white that appears. For reference, the bike is a red color with a tinge of copper or orange.

You're completely right that deariler cable guides are metal braze-on bits that go over the BB and the brake cable does run with full housing along the top of the top tube.

My sense of it that Serotta was trying to make good bike that was price competitive with the better quality Japanese bikes of the mid 80's. I was wondering if perhaps these Nova bikes were sold with a groupset rather than Serotta's traditional mode where Serotta sells just the frame and the dealer/buyer choose the groupset.

[dave thompson]

The color is more silver or gray than the white that appears. For reference, the bike is a red color with a tinge of copper or orange.

You're completely right that deariler cable guides are metal braze-on bits that go over the BB and the brake cable does run with full housing along the top of the top tube.

My sense of it that Serotta was trying to make good bike that was price competitive with the better quality Japanese bikes of the mid 80's. I was wondering if perhaps these Nova bikes were sold with a groupset rather than Serotta's traditional mode where Serotta sells just the frame and the dealer/buyer choose the groupset.
Cable guides on top of the bottom bracket and on top of the top tube were the standard until the late 80s.

I've got an 85 Serotta catalog with pictures and I don't see any other decal on the seat tube other than the columbus tubing sticker.

Also, according to the catalog, among the options offered were components.

[mark_shiveley]

I may get flamed for this :D , but the paint is not of the quality you usually see on Serottas. There are "shadows", (actually voids) from the spay job on the top tube cable guides. I'm 99% sure it's not a repaint. Just found it curious...

[roydyates]

I may get flamed for this :D , but the paint is not of the quality you usually see on Serottas. There are "shadows", (actually voids) from the spay job on the top tube cable guides. I'm 99% sure it's not a repaint. Just found it curious...

I think I agree about the paint quality, Mine has some spider web lines on the top tube that seem like something the paint has done independent of the various chips and scratches a painted bike gets over 20-25 years of use.

Also, the paint seems more susceptible to chips than, say, my mid 90's Colorado Lengend CRL.

On the other hand, I really like my Nova's color. Its much nicer than it appears in the Nova sticker photos.

[Ablaut]

I have an '86 Serotta Nova. SL tubing, Shimano dropouts. I'm the second owner, the first repainted and decaled the frame around '93, so don't know anything about original paint and stickers. I never found a S/N on the BB(?), though I never checked the fork.

As far as I understand it, the Nova was Serotta's top of the line "production" bike. Don't know anything beyond that, so I'm really curious.

Here are pics of another '86 Nova - http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/cuda2k/86SerottaNova/

[mark_shiveley]

The Wool Jersey frame details; lug work, fork crown, seat post binder, cable guides, seat stay attachment and rear cable stop are identical.
There are no Columbus decals at all, frame or fork.
Anyone know the significance of the 84234 serial number?