identification help: CSI or Colorado III?

[the seamus]

Hey everyone, I finally added a Serotta to my horde of bikes! I picked up a used CSI off craigslist...or at least that's how it was listed...but I'm wondering if it might actually be a Colorado III? Here's what I know:

-Has the swaged downtube and seattube.
-All lugged construction
-internal rear brake cable routing
-cable stops on headtube
-braze-on front derailleur
-S-bend chainstays
-Smaller dropouts (not long like 80's or 90's Campy ones, but not the newer 3d ones)
-Threaded fork with "S" on crown, along with "Colorado"

It's been recently repainted and the paint is a bit thick on the BB and I can't quite get the ser# off there, or else that'd solve my problem for sure.

[Serotta PETE]

Probably an early 90s CR (pre CSI). Definitely not a CIII> You can take serial # and contact Serotta for year of production.


Hope that helps. It is a fine steel frame.


Pete

[flydhest]

here's my guess. based on the head-ons and the braze on derailleur, I'll say CSi from aroun 99 or 00. I don't believe any CIII were ever lugged. They were introduced when the Atlanta (which was lugged, but less expensive than the CSi) was discontinued and were priced lower in part because it was TIG'd instead of lugged.

However, Pete makes a good guess, and the internal routing suggests older rather than newer. Plus, the fact that it says "Colorado" on it suggests that it is not a CSi.

So, go with Pete's suggestion, but the head-ons are a puzzle to me.

[Serotta PETE]

The "heads on" did not register with me....THAT really leaves me puzzled also!


CIII would not have brazed on front D or internal brake cable in TT.

[pjm]

My '99 CSI does not have the brazed-on mount for the FD. (Could it have been an option?) My guess is that its older although the combination of the internal cable routing and the head-ons just don't add up.

[the seamus]

First, thanks for all your help on this.

I'm wondering, were some of these things (braze-on FD, headtube cable guides and even internal routing) all offered as options at time of purchase?

[flydhest]

I think when they stopped the internal routing, they just plain stopped it. The thought, if I remember correctly, is that it's a pain to do right and not worth the effort.

The braze-on derailleur, I'm fairly certain they were common in 1998 and before. The head-ons, though, leave me a bit perplexed. Does anybody remember when manufacturers went from stops on the DT braze-ons to headons?

The "Colorado" on the fork is also an "older" feature, if I remeber correctly.

Serotta James . . . a little help?

according to this thread:
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=6498

the CRL was produced until 94. Maybe that's what it is?

[pale scotsman]

Don't forget the headtube stops could have been added on down the line.

[the seamus]

I considered that the head tube stops could be added, but it seems unlikely...it's easy to braze-on stops on the headtube, but not so easy to remove the downtube studs from the downtube without (I'm guessing) a heck of a lot of work.

Again, I'm speculating, but I'd guess that the headtube stops were from there from the beginning, whenever that was.

For that matter, it could be an older fork?