1982 Club Classic vs. Club Special

[Kublai]

Hello, I'm brand new here but a long-time Serotta fan. I still have a beautiful 1982 Club Classic that I bought new way back when and have always wondered what is the difference between that bike and a Club Special. Can anyone help me? Thanks!

[Pete Serotta]

Club special was usually a little fancier. Ride wise I could not tell a difference.


Pete

[Kublai]

"Fancier" is an interesting (but mysterious) difference, sounds like it could be purely cosmetic. Lugs? Paint? Tubing? Braze-ons, drill-outs?

Any more specific info would be helpful if available.

Thanks!

[Pete Serotta]

I think you got the "fancier" right on........I will try to get more info on it from BEN,,,PETE

[parris]

I could be completely wrong but I worked for a Serotta shop in the 80's. What I remember is that the difference was just a name change once the Colorado came out as the new top frame. I've got a Club Special that was built in 84 and I thought that the model name changed in 87 or 88 to Club Classic. The level of work was supposedly the same between both frames.

The Nova Special was the basic model for several years and in that frame the lugs, fork crown, seat stay caps, bridges, cable routing was simpler. Again I'm just going off memory and if I'm incorrect I apologize in advance.

A neat way to date a Serotta from the 80's is to look at the serial number. I was told that the break down was year/month and then which frame built in that month. e.g. 41125 would be 1984, November, 25th frame that month.

I hope this helps.

Parris

[Pete Serotta]

What you said if what I got back from Ben. You are correct and I was incorrect for I was using the NOVA vs Club.


thanks PETE

I could be completely wrong but I worked for a Serotta shop in the 80's. What I remember is that the difference was just a name change once the Colorado came out as the new top frame. I've got a Club Special that was built in 84 and I thought that the model name changed in 87 or 88 to Club Classic. The level of work was supposedly the same between both frames.

The Nova Special was the basic model for several years and in that frame the lugs, fork crown, seat stay caps, bridges, cable routing was simpler. Again I'm just going off memory and if I'm incorrect I apologize in advance.

A neat way to date a Serotta from the 80's is to look at the serial number. I was told that the break down was year/month and then which frame built in that month. e.g. 41125 would be 1984, November, 25th frame that month.

I hope this helps.

Parris

[parris]

Sir you're welcome I'm glad I was able to help. It's funny the stuff that stays with us over time. Yet I can't remember for the life of me what I had for lunch...

Parris

[Kublai]

I checked the Serial # and got quite a surprise. Just above the Cinelli logo on the BB housing was stamped my last name. I didn't order a custom bike, but it was sent to me as a replacement for a broken Nova. Am I looking in the right place?

Also, I know my bike was made by mid 1982 because I stopped racing in April 1983 and had used it for part of the previous season. That makes the Club Classic vs. Club Special timeframe a little different than described above.

One thing though, I sent it back to Serotta in 1988 or so for a repaint. Could it be that the bike was a Club Special but got re-logoed as a Club Classic after the paint job????? One unique characteristic I have heard about is the sloping fork crown with the "full deck" tangs.

[parris]

If you had the frame repainted in 88 it could very well have had the decals changed. I had to have work done to mine in the same time frame which included a repaint. Depending on the decal color the choice was Club Special, or Club Classic. Also depending on the era of frame they had a limited supply of correct decals depending on the color of decal chosen.

It sounds like your frame is a Club Special with Club Classic decals at this point.

Parris

[Kublai]

This is fun, thanks for the detective help. I pulled an old photo out from a 1982 race and it appears that the bike is indeed logoed as a Club Special at that point. I'll need to get a magnifier on it, but the last letter is much taller than the others, likely an "L" rather than a "C" which would be smaller.

[oliver1850]

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