1991 Serotta Colorado II

[NRV]

That's interesting. Guess it partly explains the rarity of neon / fade paint jobs nowadays.

Ever since I saw this Serotta fade for the first time, I was hooked. Told myself if I ever saw one for sale in my size, I'd do my best to get my hands on it.

Got lucky when this one suddenly popped up on eBay last year. Kind of blew out my budget for that month, but so worth it.

I tend to not get overly attached to things, but this particular bike is a different story.

[Dallez]

NRV,

I'm glad this thread got bumped. I happened upon your Serotta in its original guise with campy and open pro wheels back in Feburary or March this year on flickr. It literally was the inspiration for my quest to find the same bike (check out my bartape as evidence).

Like you experienced, once I saw this bike and paint job I was instantly hooked. I did all the research I could browsing old catalog scans and realized that this paint scheme was pretty rare and only available in 1991 I believe as a stock scheme on the Colorado IIs (I've seen some custom Serottas with it). Low and behold one was on ebay at the time and it happened to be in my size. I didn't need this thing at all but I had to have it and I didn't know when the next one would be available. I bought it from the original owner who had it stored for most of the Aughts after riding it in the 90s. The amazing thing is I let it sit on ebay over a week because I initially only wanted the frame instead of the complete bike which came with a complete Mavic 8sp groupset including headset, stem, seatpost, and of course the iconic starfish crank. Eventually I caved and bought it complete. Now, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I kept it pretty much period correct but like you I did throw on a set of Reynolds Attack 32mm carbon wheels. I hate to steal your thunder but just thought I would add a (crappy) pic. Last thing to do is to change out the White Concor for a black one (can't believe how comfortable the saddle is) and get a set of King SS cages.

[Netdewt]

Originally Posted by NRV

Updated with new FLO30 wheels.

Beautiful.

[thirdgenbird]

Originally Posted by Netdewt

Beautiful.

Yep. These wheels look just as good as the last. Props to them using silver spokes.

[NRV]

Thanks, all.

The new wheels are great, though I had a bit of a mishap with the rear wheel, apparently caused by a not-tight-enough QR and a bump in the road I failed to notice. No structural damage, luckily (seemingly). Just scraped some paint off the inside of the chainstay, and the black finish on the brake track is gone (it was bound to wear off eventually anyways). Good thing it happened on the non-drive side. Means I can keep taking glamour shots, like nothing happened.

Originally Posted by Dallez

NRV,

I'm glad this thread got bumped. I happened upon your Serotta in its original guise with campy and open pro wheels back in Feburary or March this year on flickr. It literally was the inspiration for my quest to find the same bike (check out my bartape as evidence).

Like you experienced, once I saw this bike and paint job I was instantly hooked. I did all the research I could browsing old catalog scans and realized that this paint scheme was pretty rare and only available in 1991 I believe as a stock scheme on the Colorado IIs (I've seen some custom Serottas with it). Low and behold one was on ebay at the time and it happened to be in my size. I didn't need this thing at all but I had to have it and I didn't know when the next one would be available. I bought it from the original owner who had it stored for most of the Aughts after riding it in the 90s. The amazing thing is I let it sit on ebay over a week because I initially only wanted the frame instead of the complete bike which came with a complete Mavic 8sp groupset including headset, stem, seatpost, and of course the iconic starfish crank. Eventually I caved and bought it complete. Now, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I kept it pretty much period correct but like you I did throw on a set of Reynolds Attack 32mm carbon wheels. I hate to steal your thunder but just thought I would add a (crappy) pic. Last thing to do is to change out the White Concor for a black one (can't believe how comfortable the saddle is) and get a set of King SS cages.

Awesome. Looks great with the current parts. A black Concor will definitely close it out nicely.

Congrats on the find! Enjoy it, as I have been mine.

[thirdgenbird]

Those have an alloy brake track?

[NRV]

Yes. The FLO 30 are all alloy.

[thirdgenbird]

I missed that. I thought they had recently released a mid depth carbon wheel.

[NRV]

The FLO 60 (60mm) and 90 (90mm) are both alloy rims with carbon fairings.

[Keith A]

Love looking at these bikes...it's a crazy paint scheme, but I like it!

[thirdgenbird]

Originally Posted by NRV

The FLO 60 (60mm) and 90 (90mm) are both alloy rims with carbon fairings.

Yeah, I though they also had released a shallow carbon wheel. Clearly, I was mistaken.

How do they compare to the ultegra wheels?

[NRV]

Oh OK. Maybe they were planning on a carbon version of the 30... maybe they still are? Unsure.

The Ultegras were great. Felt like tanks. Indestructible. Even then, they were surprisingly light. Much lighter than a lot of wheels in their price tier. Comfortable to ride on. Quiet. As a training / daily wheel, it's hard to fault them.

The FLOs are only a few grams lighter but (to an extent) the aero shape makes up for weight. The freehub is a little on the loud side, but it doesn't bother me. They feel very well-built. We'll see how they hold up after a couple of months riding around NYC. The Ultegras definitely set the bar high.

[NRV]

PSA:

If anyone buys FLO wheels, be aware, the stock skewers may not hold tightly enough on certain frames.

After making sure both QRs were as tight as possible, the rear wheel came off the dropouts today... again!

[thirdgenbird]

Get 9000 skewers. Even as a Campag guy, I lust for them.

[Netdewt]

Black Ultegras would look more at home.

I have nice Record skewers, and I messed up my chain stay on 1st ride of a new frame! Just wasn't tight enough. Hopefully no damage from the 2nd occurrence?

I keep thinking I need to grab a long lens and take shots like yours. What are you using, like a 200mm?