Serial #83902 - when was this one built?

[Joe]

Sorry...I believe this has been discussed before, but I'm trying to confirm...do the first two digits indicate the year the frame was built? Thanks in advance.

Joe

[Ken Robb]

I think it might be the first two digits are the year it was built and the rest represent its place in that year's production.

[oliver1850]

I thought that the first digit was year, 8 = 1988, 2nd digit was month, 3 = March.

[Ken Robb]

that could be so but did Serotta ever make 900+ bikes in any one month?

[Keith A]

First of all, try searching the forum with the word "serial" in the title and you will find quite a bit of information. Secondly, for the CSi's the first number was the size and the second number was the number that was built from the beginning. However, I don't know how this applies to older frames...but the search may help you out.

[oliver1850]

that could be so but did Serotta ever make 900+ bikes in any one month?


I've asked about number of frames produced per month or per year a couple of times, but nobody has ever replied. 900 sounds like a lot to me, but I have no idea how many they were capable of producing. Perhaps the running number referered to number of frames produced that year. Perhaps the month is not indicated, only the year and serial number.

[CNY rider]

that could be so but did Serotta ever make 900+ bikes in any one month?

The impression I got on one of the factory tours was that generally 7-10 frames were going out the door each day.
Say 200-300 a month roughly?

[oliver1850]

I'd like to get this older serial number system figured out.

budenz24 posted last month about a Nova Special X with serial number 70814. I'm pretty sure these weren't made in 1970 or 1977, so that leaves the only logical date for this frame as 1987, August, the 14th frame built.

He also has another, serial 91111. The Novas were no longer being made in 1991. Besides that, I'm reasonably sure the new letter code serial number system started in 1990. If 2 digits were consistently used for the month, this one would be the 11th frame built in November, 1989. It could also indicate the 111th frame built in January.

I wonder if possibly there's an inconsistency in the use of 01 vs. 1 (for Jan.) 03 vs. 3 (for March), etc., in denoting the month. Perhaps on Joes's frame the 0 was left out between the 8 and the 3. It's hard to tell much about his frame that would help date it, from the picture.

The other possibility is that only the year is indicated, not the month. That works for all three frames mentioned, with the assumption that Serotta built 4000 frames a year.

If we got enough serial numbers of frames that we know the model of (not repaints with generic decals), this could probably be figured out by process of elimination.

The one thing I'm reasonably certain of at this point is that the year of late 1980s frames is indicated by the first number. Possibly a different system was used earlier in the decade. I've never seen any Serottas of that vintage up close.

[Joe]

I should have said in my original post, I do know my frame was built in the early 80's, I just don't know the specific year. So, in the case of my frame, we're dealing with an early 80's serial number.

[oliver1850]

After looking through old posts, I've come to the conclusion that there were 2 different all number serial number systems used.

In the early 1980s, all the bikes I've seen seem to have 2 digits for the year. I found three Novas, serial numbers 84234, 831129, and 84148. I still don't have any indication if the month was the 3rd/4th digits. On these 3, and Joe's, it could be either way. The lack of any zeros in the 3rd digit makes me think this system is for the whole year. I realized it's a small sample, but the pattern of 83s and 84s but no 85, 86, 87, 88, or 89 numbers showing up has me thinking that the system changed in 1985.

I found Nova Spl Xs serialed 51001, 61048, 90823, and 70140. Nova Spls. 90639 and 90324, and a Colorado 90205. I think all these were built between 1985-1989, and the year is indicated by the first digit only. Whether the month is indicated, is still not clear. The presence of a zero or one in the 2nd digit of every one of these frames would tend to indicate that the month is coded into this system.

[Pete Serotta]

Most of the ones mentioed are over 10 years old. Records are not availabe. I suggest you ask the orignall owner. They have recepts and within the past ten years there were even build sheets.

Additionally thecondition of the tubes are more important than the year. Also look back at the catalogs that Keith A and friends have have placed on forum. That will give you a production time frame

May I suggest that you get the seller to give you the dates.

Sorry to be so black and white but if you were the original buyer the shop probably could assist in a closer date.

Serotta has the same challenges as most other brands both in the Usa and In Europe. In fact it is like that in many industries. If we were able research this ....there would be a charge..and few would like that to happen

Most folks buy used because that is their budget not because the numbers identify something. In fact many repaints by 3rd party have tubing stickers that are not able to be verified.