It is my understanding that the CPSC requirements did not apply to "frame sets"
Peter Gilbert Fletcher, NC
On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 4:12 PM, verktyg <verktyg@aol.com> wrote:
> It appears that a number of bike makers started using some kind of traceable
> serial numbering systems when the US CPSC (Consumer Protection Safety
> Commission) program got started in the late 1970s.
>
> The requirements came mostly from the US importers rather than the Europeans
> (who could have cared less about silly US rules).
>
> By the early 80s, most of those numbering efforts seem to have fallen by the
> way side except for the big European players like Raleigh, Peugeot and
> Motobecane.
>
> My 1983 Colnago Super has a "serial number" - MC.
>
> Also, there are a lot of gray market bikes and frames from that era in the
> US so they probably wouldn't have traceable serial numbers. Then there are
> the thousands of bikes from Europe sold on eBay...
>
> Think of any serial numbers you find as good Lotto tips! ;-)
>
> As Charles Andrews mentioned, Colnago dating is done by features. This post
> from the CR Archives has a good breakdown of those features:
>
> http://search.bikelist.org/
>
> Chas. Colerich
> Oakland, CA USA
>
> Charles Andrews wrote:
>
>> Numbers stamped on colnagos never made any kind of sense to me..but maybe
>> later production was marked by some system. We always date them by physical
>> features, not stamped numbers.
>>
>> Charles Andrews
>> Los Angeles
>
>>> I'm trying to get a rough idea on a Colnago frameset I'm considering
>>> buying.
>>> On the rear dropout, there is a "USA" and "A395" stamped into it. I
>>> can't
>>> seem to find any info online, and thought I'd throw this one out to the
>>> experts! Any info is greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thank you,
>>>
>>> Steven Mills
>>> Portland, Oregon
> _______________________________________________
>
--
Peter Gilbert
355 Cane Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
1-800-234-2725 ext: 321
1-828-209-4472 Direct Line