To all you vintage Serotta owners out there (yes, I have checked the archives - read all 277 posts that came up when I searched on "Serotta"):
I recently purchased (on Ebay) a used bike which the seller claims is a repainted Serotta. Bevan, manager at West Hill Shop where the owner had it serviced, tells me the owner said it was a 1980 Serotta, restored and repainted by Rainbow Cycles in 1986, with no transfers/decals.
I contacted Serotta by email, and Jame in customer service says it's most likely an original Serotta based on the pics I sent them.
I can find no serial number on the frame (perhaps it's painted over).
You can see a pic at http://www.westhillshop.com/
Here are the details: all Campy NR components (except Cinelli bar and stem, turbo super saddle, TA cage, sachs chain, mathauser pads, mavic rims). Cranks are 1974, rear d is pat 76.
The frame has a short wheelbase and is extremely stiff.
Lugs are simple, but have diamond cutouts in the top points of the seat lug and head lugs. They are very cleanly filed, but not thinned at the points. The quality of the brazing, as best as I can tell through the paint, is excellent. Inside of fork legs at crown have long point triangles with three holes, getting smaller towards the point. Semi-sloping fork crown with two points on the outside of each fork socket. Same shape as the fork crown on Richard Jones Bamman's Serotta on the CR website (http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Serotta/Serotta_RJ-B.htm). Dropouts are 1010 shorts. Down tube and seat tube go inside the bottom bracket, not outside as Serotta sometimes built them. The tips of the forks and stays are recessed - as e-RICHIE said in one post about Serotta, the brass is not fully closing the end of the fork/stay, typical of the French builders.
Here are my questions: What type of lugs are these? Did the lugs come with the cutouts, or were they added later? How big was Serotta's operation in 1980? How many framebuilders working there? Was Ben still building then? What is the likely frame material? True Temper? 531db? Ishiwata ? ;-) Any idea what model it may be? A custom job? Was it likely sold as a complete bike, or a frame? Should I put Serotta transfers on it? If I have it repainted, what color? CR archives indicate some shade of blue is the classic vintage Serotta color... Where would the serial number have been? BB shell, rear dropouts, seat tube?
It's my current favorite rider, and I would love to know more about it. Any help you can offer is appreciated. I have more pics I can send if that would help...
Duncan Granger Just back from a great workout on my Serotta in Lancaster, PA