Okay, here's my 1980ish (I think between 1982-4) Serotta I picked up a couple months ago at the Stop and Swap in Maryland. I paid $175, which, while high for me, I suspect is a relative bargin for an old lugged steel Serotta. Columbus tubing (just Columbus, not SL or SLX) Campy drops and ends, Cinelli bottom bracket shell. Largely Campy Victory group, with Michie Primato hubs laced to GL40s, Cinelli bar and stem, Bernard Hinault turbo seat.

I was standing by the door when the seller wheeled this one in late in the show. I looked it over and bought it pretty much on the spot; it made the show for me. Syke can testify as to the bike's condition when I bought it-- covered with grime, with some rust along the top tube (I think the bike had been used on a trainer and then as a commuter). It was in sad shape, but looked reworkable.

The stem was stuck, but it came undone after a couple of applications of PB blaster. The rust was very surfacey, and I got a reasonable, though not exact match on the paint, so I was happy. I did wait awhile to start, as I fired off an email to Serotta asking about the vintage of the bike and the possible availabilty of touch up paint, but Serotta doesn't seem to be much on answering emails, and I'm not much on tilting at windmills, either. The bike had Suntour barcons on it when I found it, and as much as I like them, I prefer Simplex retrofrictions on a bike of this vintage. Happily, I happen to have a couple of pairs lying about, waiting for a bike. Everything cleaned up reasonably well, and the wheels retensioned and retrued without much hassle. New rim strips as well. The headset bearings were 3/16 for some reason known only to Campy, and the bike hadn't been overhauled in a long, long, time.

In addition to the shifters, I changed out the brakes to some Campy Veloce, because Rivendell had them so cheap it was less to buy them than new pads (well, almost).

Note the rear brake bridge, a bit different than the Serottas I've seen on the web. Comments, any one?

The dating is largely a guess, but the bike is pre-SL/SlX (see remains of Columbus sticker), there serial number starts with an 83, and the campy group (such as it is) dates to 1984, or at least the crank does. Minus an answer from Serotta, I'll go with that.

It rides very well, and has been rescued from the trainer/commuter hell it was in. Right now it rests in the room with the Paramount and the 1967 PX10, and will be ridden on nicer days, in a rotation with those two bikes, the Eisentraut and the AD Vent Noit II, I think.