Curious about my old Serotta

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by Pete Mckeon

who owned it and any additional specs from 20 years ago is not able to be quantified.

if it had a "tag hanger" on the top tube it could alter the owner/riding history. for used race team frames generally had one,

i have a frame/bike from 84 Olympics series but it was never part of the race teams nor ridden in Olympics,

except for no hanger on tt it was built the same by the same folks.

I have 2 identically painted CL Serottas. One has a number hanger, the other doesn't. Serotta did a nice job building their replicas consistent with the "real" team bikes.

[colod]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

There's a beauty of a 54 cm Colorado II on ebay right now, but it doesn't have the paint you had. Not sure if you're feeling nostalgiac for the look or the ride. I would think any of the 1990s Colorados would be pretty similar in feel.

That is a beauty and is much better looking than the one I had. Can't drop $975 on it though.

While searching ebay for that listing I came across a skinsuit, oddly enough, that has the colors I remember.


So now I'm thinking that this might have been a custom Morgul Bismark team/shop color scheme, that they may have shared with the CU cycling team at the time.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by colod

Back in around 1992 I bought my first serious bike - a used Serotta from a guy on the CU-Boulder cycling team. I rode it for a few years until the down tube cracked. I cannot remember for certain the model, but it was a deep purple faded into bright neon yellow/green. Anyone remember a model like this or better yet, have some photos of one? It wasn't quite as obnoxious as it sounds, I don't think.

Break at the downtube cable stops? TIG welded?

[colod]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Break at the downtube cable stops? TIG welded?

My recollection is the break was closer to the BB. Maybe 1/3 of the way up. But it's been probably 10 years since I looked at the thing, so who knows.

[colod]

Paid a visit to my folks' house and on a hunch took a look up in the attic of the garage and there was the Serotta frame, covered in dust. Most of what I remembered was wrong. It is a Colorado TG. It was indeed purple and a neon green/yellow like the Morgul jersey.

But it wasn't a fade, and the break wasn't toward the bottom bracket. The paint is purple mainly, with a the fork and most of the seat and chainstays neon. And the break is on the downtube but right up at the top, next to the headtube.
I will try to get some photos for the thousands of fascinated observers up this week. Any suggestions what to do with it?

[cmbicycles]

Well you should for starters post a picture of the frame so we can all admire the classic color scheme. Then send it back to Serotta for warranty.

Seriously though, just clean it up and put it up on the wall for art/nostalgia, if it cracked near the head tube it probably won't work for one of those awesome bike chairs. You can spread the rear triangle, cut off the front triangle and make a shop stool, just add your favorite seatpost and saddle.

[colod]

Originally Posted by cmbicycles

Well you should for starters post a picture of the frame so we can all admire the classic color scheme. Then send it back to Serotta for warranty.

Seriously though, just clean it up and put it up on the wall for art/nostalgia, if it cracked near the head tube it probably won't work for one of those awesome bike chairs. You can spread the rear triangle, cut off the front triangle and make a shop stool, just add your favorite seatpost and saddle.

All good ideas. Maybe the warranty policy has changed since I tried 15 years ago.

[colod]

And now the reveal:

This looks pretty blue, but it's purple. The break is pretty obvious in the second picture. I think most of the rust has occurred in the 15+ years it's been in the attic, but I sure wish I could be repainting this thing and building it out again.

[oliver1850]

The tube could be replaced, but it won't be cheap. You're probably better off looking for another TG or a CIII.

[Louis]

Was there any evidence of a head-on crash? The lower portion of the DT at the HT-DT joint is a typical place to get damage if you run directly into something. (like a pick-up truck that's pulled out right in front of you - don't ask me why I know this ) Over time a crack forms then propagates around the DT.

[colod]

Originally Posted by Louis

Was there any evidence of a head-on crash? The lower portion of the DT at the HT-DT joint is a typical place to get damage if you run directly into something. (like a pick-up truck that's pulled out right in front of you - don't ask me why I know this ) Over time a crack forms then propagates around the DT.

Not that I recall - everything was great for a year or so (other than hammering around DC-area potholed roads) until it started creaking and I discovered this. It had plenty of hard use but no crashes that I know of, other than with a squirrel, which was painful but not the same as a pickup.

[oliver1850]

I think that crack started at the bottom, near the edge of the weld and propagated from there. Lots of tigged MTBs had a gusset to prevent that, perhaps it would have been a good idea on road frames as well.

[colod]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

I think that crack started at the bottom, near the edge of the weld and propagated from there. Lots of tigged MTBs had a gusset to prevent that, perhaps it would have been a good idea on road frames as well.

That would be my guess as well. The perfect circle on top seems unlikely to have been the beginning of the break, but more the result of the original break underneath. Oh well. If anyone wants to do something with it...