Classic & Vintage - Sir Rotten the Serotta

This popped up just before I logged onto CL this afternoon, my size and three miles from my house to boot.
Really paid too much for such a rough bike, but it's been a rough couple of weeks and I do like bikes with a lot of patina.

What I know is that it's a Serotta Colorado Coors Lite replica.
Columbus decal says Colorado, and forks say Colorado S.
Dura-Ace crank, FD and brifters. Crank was repainted to cover up a lot of rub wear and is a '91 so I'm thinking the bike may be '91 (Serotta sponsored Coors Lite 91-94)
Serial number's 3310 - anybody here know what that means year-wise?
Neat lugging - especially the BB which is pantoed and looks like a rocket ship!

Lots of paint loss and surface rust around the cable routing holes on the top tube, so that should keep me busy for a while.

Why don't you try www.serotta.com? There was a lot of info there, much more than on the Davidson website (my bike).

nice looking bike too bad I missed it

Is the fork bent, or is that my monitor? You could strip the paint, and have it powdercoated in the color you like, it'll be like new again. Average cost to powdercoat is $120.

fork looks bent to me too

don't look bent to me, but I can't tell you what the bike's supposed to look like.

this was what they looked like. All you have to do is replace the hoods, tape, tires (those invisible ones aren't worth a dang), that saddle, and the scabrous cranks, and you'll have an all original, in excellent shape! Do you have any idea who rode it?

3 (93) 3 (March) 10 (Tenth bike, of the month,year, that model???)

This the serial sequence that I have been given from people who know some other people...

This bike should be in the Serotta records so send them an email and let us know what you find out.

Your fork does look bent...

thirst

Looks like a nice bike but I agree the fork looks bent -However, as long as the headset can still be adjusted ok & there is no buckling on downtube under the headtube lug then you should be ok - just bring the fork/frame to one of your local framebuilders and have them cold-set it back into alignment. Don't bother w/ a regular bike shop -most good shops will farm it out to a framebuilder anyway (since they have the correct alignment block, etc).

So here's what it looks like now. Rides STIFF, even after all it's been through!
Lots to do, but want to ride it for a while before deciding what comes next - needs paint, but you only get original team style paint once. It's a peculiar yellow-green dayglow that seems to be hard to find.
More Sir Rottn photos here (http://chuck.kichline.com/bikes/Serotta/default.htm)

http://chuck.kichline.com/bikes/Serotta/sir-rottn.jpg

fork definitely doesn't look bent in that photo

Fork looks OK. Nice find, Serotta makes a nice bike.

fork definitely doesn't look bent in that photo

It's most definitely been realigned since the first photo.

-Kurt

My Serotta is serial number 90415 and is a 1989 bike.
I got that verified from Serotta. They did have records, at least when
I wrote to them in 2002, they were just difficult to get to.

And I love the ride of mine, just wish it were a tad bigger.

Marty

Saw one of these locally. A '93 as well, gotta love that oversized BB area, serotta is just way ahead of the competition when it comes to steel bikes. Even now they are working with columbus to custom draw shaped spirit tubing. Must be a great riding bike.

It's most definitely been realigned since the first photo.

Amazing what you can do with a big vice, 5' of 1-1/2 PVC pipe, and a flat kitchen table with some measuring tools and blocks.

Serial numbers - I've read:
Their serial numbering system was not meaningful. Each model was numbered consecutively and they didn't go to computers until this decade. Most of the old build cards are in a box somewhere.

Maybe they would have been more interested if it was a CC (custom) instead of an SC (standard).
I figure they've come at it as a competition shop, and what was important was the next batch, not the ones you've finished.

I have the 1991 catalog and can tell you it's not a 1991. There is quite a bit different compared to yours. It has a number peg and brake cable tunnels on the top tube. There is no pump peg. The top decal is Shimano versus Campagnolo.

I think Serotta built Coors Light bikes from '91 to '94/5. '93 they changed the colors to purple and yellow.

Somebody on the Serotta Forum had a known '92 Colorado II with fairly close numbers.
Since Serotta is too busy to juggle serial numbers, looks like a good opportunity for some historian.
(nudge nudge, wink wink)

...

http://chuck.kichline.com/bikes/Serotta/sir-rottn.jpg

...and I thought the highlighter and black Bob Jackson I was riding around three years ago was loud. :eek: :p

that's definitely a standout bicycle. :thumb:

fwiw - that B.J. was confirmed by them to be a 1990 - with almost the identical yellow highlighter colored paint.

That is loud, here's what my 86 Serotta Nova looked like when I got it (it had been repainted as a ParkPre circa 1990)

http://thecuda.com/Serotta/tn_P2181991.JPG