Dating a Rodrigeuz/ Serial numbers
 

I scored this one from a storage closet flipper a few weeks ago and just started looking it over. It's in fair shape, a few dings in the TT. I'd hoped it was going to be a hair smaller, but had already agreed to take it before I found it's a ~63cm. The only stamping I can find is on the BB shell, "W19". I'd guess by the parts ('83 NR RD/shifters) and 123mm rear spacing that it's late 70s-early 80s.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5e2b4c45a5.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b2b3307b15.jpg

Have you checked with the folks who built it? They're still in business.
https://www.rodbikes.com/index.html

Nobody who works there now will know, even the owners — but I do!

Before I started there (1979), no frames from R+E (Rodriguez or Erickson) had serial numbers. I started doing it on the frames I built, just because I wanted to. Each builder made complete frames from start to finish back then.

Notice how that "W" on @Dylansbob 's frame is really an upside down M? That's my punch. I stamped the single-bike frames I made with an M, and the tandems with MB (don't ask me why), followed by a serial number. I started with M01 and got up to maybe M60 and maybe MB60 (a similar number of tandems), before Angel Rodriguez (the owner back then) made me stop. He didn't want serial numbers on them, and he definitely didn't want builder's initials. I think he preferred for people to think he built them. Just guessing; he didn't say why. But for the record, that tandem that Bicycling magazine tested? That they called the most "advanced" tandem they'd ever seen? I built the frame. (Angel's design though.) But I digress!

John Watts started there a little after I did, and he saw I was stamping them, and asked to borrow my M punch, and I let him. We owned our own tools, and I was so poor (about $3/hr wage IIRC) that I couldn't afford the whole alphabet, I only got an M and a B, and even those I had to buy used — new stamps were for rich people! But John was my friend, so I didn't mind lending him my M.

So W19 is the 19th frame John made. I'd guess 1980-'81. He had taken a framebuilding class from Bruce Gordon, and the frame he made in the class came out really nice. It was his "resume" and it worked, got him hired as a FB at R+E. He was naturally talented, and Glenn Erickson (one of the all-time greats IMHO) trained him well at R+E. So by the time he made his 19th frame I'd say he was a solid journeyman framebuilder. We got paid by the hour and there was little to no incentive to hurry, so we bult 'em pretty nice. Way nicer than any factory-made frames, even the ones called "Professional". (Trek? Don't make me laugh.) We didn't fuss over them too much; you won't see obsessively thinned or riffle-filed lugs, but they were pretty straight and very strong. I never once saw a failed Rodriguez due to a gap in the brazing, bad miter, anything like that. Or, well, yes I did, but that was later, after Glenn, John and myself were all gone. Some of the later FBs there were of "variable" quality, and there was some bad work that went out. Until Dennis Bushnell took over the frame shop — that guy's a genius.

Fun fact: there are a few frames out there made by Glenn that have a serial number with my M stamp rotated to sort-of fake an "E", but only a few. When I saw that Glenn was doing that I put my foot down, made him buy his own damn stamp. I mean I liked and respected him endlessly but you can't be wearing out the stamps that your impoverished wage-slave had to buy for hinmself. Plus, using a sideways M as an E is just cheesy and wrong!

After Glenn sold his share of the shop to Angel and moved on is when Angel made the new "no serial numbers" rule, probably about 1983. It wasn't as much fun with Glenn gone, so I moved on in '84.

-Mark B

Great story.

Any chance you remember what spacing it might have been built to? I haven't broken out a string to measure alignment yet, but I noticed that the rear wheel was a tight fit and measured out at 123mm. Maybe middle-of-the-road spacing of the day.

Thank you, Mark! it's the occasional post like this that makes this forum invaluable.

I have two Glenn Erickson bikes in my garage at the moment, both probably from after your tenure there; one a small MTB with the name "killer" on the top tube (this is my daughter's) the other a Softride frame. Both are fillet brazed, but the brazing on the Softride one is really over the top. Too bad it's a Softride frame....

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm also stuck with a Softride frame, and I kinda hate the boing-boing. The frame has sentimental value though, so I think I will convert it to normal. I'll cut the existing top end off it and use a regular toptube, seatstays, and seattube that takes a setapost.

Maybe if it comes out nice, we can talk about doing the same to your Erickson. (I take it from yourr "too bad" that you are not loving the Softridiness of it either.) What with the cost of a good paint job these days, this would only be worth it for a frame you love.

Mark B

Hi All,
hope I’m not late to the party.

I too buy storage lockers as a hobby and have just acquired my second Rodriguez bike.
This one however has the “B018” serial number that Bulgie mentioned in his post.
Can anyone tell me what year it was built?
Any more information is greatly appreciated.
my first Rodriguez had a standard type serial number.

I’m excited to find one of Bulgies earlier builds.
I’ll be looking for values later and I guess there is a separate thread for that.

Thanks to all.

Peace,
Lestrrr

Hmm, I don't remember any that just had a B. And I didn't put a zero in front of the number. My 18th single frame would have been M17, the 17th tandem would have been MB17.

B017 sounds like a later serial number style, which they may have started doing after I left.

Hurry up and get 10 posts so you can show us pics of the new frame. Until then, as the saying goes, "it didn't happen".

Cheers
Mark

Hi Mark,
Thank you for the response and I see now that I misunderstood what you said about your lettering.
Darn, I was hoping I had one of your early ones but o-well.
That also explains why it has the “stellar” decal which denotes a womans frame and didn’t start manufacturing until I think it said late 90’s.
I’ll be glad to post pics of the bike/bikes that I acquire when I’m able to.
I’ve picked up two Rodriguez and two Cannondales.
It’s a lot of fun acquiring these, learning the history of each and then get to talk to the man that built them.

Thanks for your help!
Lestrrr

Pretty sure you can create a personal album and post photos to that before you have 10 posts.

Do that, upload the photos there, then post here to let us know you did so. Someone can then provide a pic assist and post the photos on your behalf until you have enough total posts to do it yourself.