Dominick_G

The guy that want's to sell it wasn't sure exactly what model it was, but he says it's a rare factory race bike that was built for the pros. He got it from his friend (a fellow Polak who works as a mechanic for the bike teams in Colorado. That's all the info I have on the bike, the seller is not a really a bike guy anymore.

It comes with a pair of 7-Eleven bike shorts and riding gloves that say 'Coors' on them. Could it be a Team 7-Eleven bike? Someone who saw it called it a Huffy 7-Eleven.

I searched the web for similar pics but only found one here of Brian Walton on a Huffy-Serotta 7-Eleven bike.

He was asking a lot for it but I am working out a trade for something non bike related, but only if I can find more info on the bike. If it's just a regular Huffy mae to look like a race bike I need to know before I go ahead.

I'm off to work now, will check back this evening.
Thanks in advance...
Dominick




Pic below, if not working I provided a link to main page with more detailed bike pics.








More Pics here:

https://www.hunt101.com/showgallery.p...=24743&cat=500

Surferbruce

just looking at the paint scheme and such he's probably telling you the truth. doesn't really make it more valuable imo. what are the rear dropouts like? it would make a cool fixed gear.

Davet

The paintwork on this bike looks pretty original. If so, it's not a 7/11 bike. It could be another brand of bike, re-badged as a Huffy for a lesser tier race team. As you know the 7/11 Huffys were Serotta-built with Huffy stickers on them. Is there a serial number on the bottom bracket? If so, e-mail it to Serotta (info@serotta.com) and they may be able to identify it for you.

Another person that may be able to help you is Dave Kirk at Kirk Frameworks (https://www.kirkframeworks.com) He worked at Serotta during those days and actually built many of the 7/11 frames.

Hope this helps.

PanPanX

that would make a good commuter/beat up bike too. how much is he selling it for? if you dont have a beat up bike already and t fits good, and the price is good .. you should get it.

avenan

Beater?! Good lord no. That is most likely a Serotta built Huffy. Team Crest, not 7-11. See:
https://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.as...10411.1281.eml for a reference to someone who seems to have had the same frame you're talking about. Mail him, see if you can get some more info.

vincenzosi

Fixed Gear!?

Beater!?!

ACK! Guys, this is a nice bike here!

moxfyre

I heard that some of the Huffy race bikes were actually Dave Moulton frames! (He posts on here sometimes, by the way, maybe he'll recognize it ) Whatever it is it's bound to be pretty sweet. Do you know what the component group is?

vincenzosi

The pics on his site (the closeups) show it is a Campy setup, but damned if I know one from the other...

moxfyre

Oops, didn't notice the link. It's got Record hubs. I would imagine if it's a race bike it's got Record everything. Except that it's only a 6-speed freewheel, which suggests early '80s, and I think the Record group was called something else then. It also has an adaptor claw for the derailer and aero levers.

I'm scratching my head trying to date it I'm guessing that it's early '80s with a newer front wheel (hence the Record hub).

The thing that surprises me is the combination of semi-horizontal dropouts with hanger and

avenan

Move this over to the "Classic & Vintage" forum and you'll get much, much better info I'm sure.

As for date, the paint scheme is HIGHLY similar to the Team Crest Cannondales (which were white, not black) from the late 80's. There was one on Ebay a few months ago.

The front Record hub looks about right for the time period -- there's been a Campy Record line for 40+ years.

DieselDan

That's a Huffy in name only. It looks like a Serrotta built Huffy raced in the mid-80s. Beater it is not, nor is it a canidate for SS or a fixie. Are those decals clear coated over or just sickers applied to the frame?

Dominick_G

Thank you all for the excellent replies, I am also very grateful for the links.
After reading this thread late last night, I was excited to learn the possible origins of this bike.

I've known the seller for a while and trust him, but I just wanted to learn what I could from you guys because he can't tell me anything else about the bike. It's more of a money thing for him right now, but that's cool, the holidays are coming fast.

This bike caught my eye when I first saw it in '96 because it reminded me of the steel frame race bikes I dreamed of owning when I started riding in the early '80's. Yeah I'm getting old so an old bike suits me fine.

I am going to try to move this into the correct forum, and will update when I find more info and will try to answer some of the questions after I have another look at the bike this evening.

Thanks again, you have been a big help.

Dominick

KrisPistofferson

Guns and bikes. A man after my own heart.

kerk

How much does he want for the bike??

Rex

The paint scheme on that bike indicates that it use to belong to a member of the Crest Cycling Team back in either the late 80s or early 90s. Their most notable rider was Rishi Grewal, younger brother of Alexi Grewal who won the Olympic Road Race in 84.

T-Mar

Rex's facts are correct, it's a Team Crest, Huffy frame from the late 1980s or earlier 1990s.

However, I almost certain it is not a Serotta built Huffy. It has none of the distinguishing trademarks of the Serotta/Huffy 7-11 frames, the Serotta Team USA frames or his own Serotta Colorado frames. All the Serotta bicycles had fastback seat stays that fasten to the underside of the seat bolt collar. This frame has traditional seat stays that attach to the side of the lug. The Serotta frames all have S-bend chainstays , while this bike's are straight. The Serotta frames all have a semi-sloping crown with a triangular cutout on the side, while this has a fully sloping crown.

This bicycle has a real mish mash of equipment; Campagnolo Record hubs and friction shifters, low end Campagnolo derailleurs, and Shimano RX100 brakes. The only piece of equipment that looks right for the frame is the Dura Ace headset. The Team Crest bicycles I'm familiar with were all Dura Ace equipped (with Gripshift bar end shifters for 1989).

The fork looks like it may be a replacement. All the Team Crest pictures that I've seen show black forks that match the frame. But it does have the right decals, so maybe it is original. A couple of other things seem suspicious. Pro team bicycles generally have a tab under the top tube, just behind the head tube, for attaching a number plate. This frame doesn't have that. Also, most top end frames from this period used brazed-on front derailleurs, which this one doesn't. This does not necessarily mean it is not a pro frame, as some teams had personal preferences, but it does not fit the pattern for most other pro frames of the era.

Maybe you should try contacting Denver Spoke?

Dominick_G

I'm not sure how to move this to the vintage forum. I apologize if this is a problem.


I spoke to the guy selling the bike yesterday and I wrote down the serial number, then took it for a ride.

It was hard to read with the reflection of the black paint, but it looks like 040 or 048.
T-Mar's post was very thorough and I asked the seller if it was possible that the bike wasn't original. He said that it was exactly how he got it, but that doesn't mean anything. I emailed the serial number and pics to the links given to me in this thread by . I will try to contact Denver Spoke next.

The bad thing is that he wants $800 for the bike and he would like an answer from me soon or it will go on ebay next month. He's been patient but at that price I'm not sure it will sell too fast. There was only one other rider that expressed interest that I know of.

I rode the bike yesterday around this great strectch of road and it was incredible. I was sold on the ride even though it was damn near freezing cold in NY last night. For a short ride at least I didn't even feel the cold

I wrote down everything. Here's a list of components;

This bike has a Dura Ace headset, Cinelli bars, Campy down tube shifters, Campy pedals with strap on toe clips, Shimano 600 cranks with BIOPACE chain-rings, Campy Record hubs on FIAMME(red) wheels, Continental Triathlon tires(170psi max, glued on), Shimano 600 (6 speed)rear cluster, Shimano RX100 brake calipers and RS100 brake levers, Dura-Ace front derailuer (clamped on), Avocet racing-II seat with Shimano 600 seat stem, campy hold down bolt for seat stem, Campy rear derailuer. I think that's it.

The paint is in great condition minus a few marks from storing in a small apt. and the decals are also complete except for the bottom of one Huffy decal which is where the paint is slightly damaged as well but no dents or dings.

I am going to work now
Check back tonight.

Thanks again,
Dominick G.

T-Mar

That's a tough call to make. The frame may well be team issue, but I have serious doubts on the equipment. It's just too varied in brand, level and era to be original. I think somebody just cobbled the bicycle together using existing parts, in order to get rid of the frame. However, in the end, you are buying it primarily for the frame. You just have to decide if a team issue frame is worth $800. It certainly is a unique and handsome frame.

I've also had some addtional afterthoughts. One other concern is that the frame may be in too good shape. Team bicycles are not treated with kid gloves, though they are kept clean, touched-up and in excellent mechanical condition. The bicycles are more or less expendable, expected to be used only for a year. A team like Crest would be travelling all over the country to races. You'd expect a race bicycle to have it's fair share of handling and battle scars. However, the other possibility is that Huffy produced a limited run of team issue frames and/or bicycles for sale to the public. It could be one of those or possibly a spare.

I didn't see any tubing decals on the frame, though the team bicycles may not have had them. The presence of a top line True Temper decal, such as RCX or RC2-PRO would at least indicate a top end frame and increase your confidence in it being a team frame.

I know that this does not provide answers, only further questions. However, it is better to be armed with as much ammunition as possible, to ask the appropriate questions. Given the asking price, I think a call to Denver Spoke would be cheap insurance to establish the pedigree. Good luck!

don d.

The fork on that bike is a Kinesis Aluminum fork. Probably not original, but a popular aftermarket modification at that time to lighten the bike. I had one on my Cannondale race bike. It was also standard to use track pedals, which this bike has, on race bikes, or the quills have been filed off, which was another popular mod.

Real racers are much more concerned with keeping the bike rolling through the season than keeping the bike "stock" for the next retro bike show. They will replace parts with whatever works. They often have more than one set of wheels, so the different hubs, parts, etc... are not unusual. Whoever rode the bike probably threw on a set of serviceable wheels they had around when they got rid of it. Racers also routinely remove the rear dropout screws on the dropouts for a more solid anchor of the wheels at the back of the dropouts. The adjusting screws have been removed on this bike.

I think Serotta was doing his "Colorado" style splayed chainstays at this time on his race bikes, so the absence of those could be an indicator as to whether or not it is Serotta built. It could have been built by just about any framebuilder. Only someone connected to the squad would know for sure.

FWIW, I would never buy a used team bike to ride. These frames are often crashed and realigned numerous times throughout a season.

T-Mar

I have to disagree with this, at least for a top amateur/pro squad like Team Crest. The equipment is supplied by the sponsors. A team at this level has very high visibility and any substitution would make those sponsors VERY unhappy. This current equipment would have been put on after the bicycle left the team. Whomever was the last team member to have his hands on the bicycle probably stripped the good stuff and installed what the had lying around.

don d.

Es Posible'.

Dirtbike

is it me or do the brake/shifters look way uneven in the second pic?

Dominick_G

They are off, but I found out why. Will post after work.

Edited to add info;

Thanks for moving this thread
I was supposed to have the bike today, but the guy says it's worth more and won't honor the deal we made.

I really have no idea if that's true, I just don't have much more to offer with the holidays.

What would you do?

Dominick_G

After doing tons of research I finally found the info I was looking for. The bike that was once pictured here(not sure what happened to the pics) turns out to be a genuine Team Crest Huffy that was built by Ben Serotta. It took me a while to finally get this information, and the most important source came from this site so I thank you all once again for providing me with a valid source.

One of the main problems was authenticating the frame as a genuine team issue, but I also wanted to know who built it, and when. Dating the frame was tricky because the gruppo was mixed by both year and Mfg.. The original gruppo was mostly replaced when I got the bike. There was a question about the chain stays as well, my frame didn't have the typical Serotta S-Bend chain stays.

Through research I found that the team issue Huffy frames didn't always have the S-Bend chain stays, which were a signature of Serotta frames of the time. I found pics of two Team 7-Eleven frames built by Ben Serotta with the same chain stays as my frame. These two frames were dated '87 and '88 and were authenticated by Serotta through thier serial numbers.

I believe it was T-Mar who sent me a message with an email address for someone who actually owned a Team Crest bike similar to mine. Well I emailed him a while ago and got some info from him, but then my PC crashed and I lost everything including his email address. After that I hit the web and emailed all the Team Crest riders who left contact info on thier web pages and I got a very positive response from one of them. After sending him pics of the bike he filled me in on some of the missing details and he said that my bike was exactly like the Serotta built Huffy he rode, sans the correct gruppo. He also dated it around 1987. This was good news to me, and combined with the pics I found of other Serotta Huffy frames without S-bend stays I was pretty sure I had found the info I was looking for.

There was one more source. In a strange twist of fate, about two years after my PC crashed I decided to sell the bike and one of the interested buyers happened to be the same guy that T-Mar sent me info on a while back. He confirmed my bike as being a 1987-'88 vintage Serotta Huffy. He actually owned Alexi Greywal's(sp?) frame at one time and was looking for another. He worked at a bike shop when they retired the frames and he picked up Greywal's team issue frame for just $75. Now that's an awesome find!

pankanchoog

very interesting !!!!