I recently bought a Rossin bike that I think is about 15 years old. Is a date embedded in the serial number? Serial # F 06 0869-024W Thanks.

You'll probably have better luck dating it through photos of the frame and components. Please post some.

photos probably would help (and would be nice anyway)...

Here is all the info I could gather off the components:

Rear hub dropout stamp: 598
BB: 50
Rear casette: Shimano SIS MH VIA MF-2012
Front and rear derailleur: Campagnolo
Handlebars: 66-40 80 Cinelli
Seat post: 26,6 mm
Saddle has a symbol that indicates May '90.
Pedals, crank, hubs are marked "Gipiemme" and have no other markings

I'm not sure if this is considered a vintage bike, but it would definitely be old by most riders' standards. Thanks for any info that might help date the bike. Here are 2 pics:

The component mix suggests a 1980's mid-range model and the seat post size suggests plain gauge tubing. From what I can see in the pics, it has a single set of bottle bosses, no front derailleur hangers and gear cables that route under the bottom bracket. This points mid to late 1980s and corroborates mid-range, but the paint and decals seem to put it very late 1980s or early 1990s. Having pics of drive side, particularly the derailleurs, would be a big help.

Hi, I was doing some research on a Rossin I nearly bought and came across this contact info for a person who is part of the Rossin Deptartment of Gruppo Bici, which is the company that bought Rossin. He got back to me pretty quickly with some good information, maybe he can help you out too:

Andrea Chiarini <andrea@gruppobici.it>

GRUPPO BICI srl

Rossin dept.

via pitagora 15
47023 CESENA

ITALY

I don't see any pictures.

nor I... I'd like to see 'em though

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Use your imagination.

Go here for the pics: https://finmail.blogspot.com/2008/01/rossin-bike.html .

looks to me like a very-late 80s to very early 90s Cromor?

that's only based on my extensive searching for pics of Rossins, and the Rossin
Cromor I had back in the early 90s... interesting to see what other people (and Bici)
have to say about it...

hmm, wait, I didn't look at the larger views... what's the Columbus sticker say? Also, my
Cromor had a braze-on FD-hanger...

After thinking it over (and knowing that T-Mar usually knows what he's talking about) I looked through some other pics and it seems likely the sticker is for Aelle tubing?

OK I'm kind of new at this picture posting thing, so I put the pics in my blog. I had to take them down for a few days, but now they are back with three new pics of things that people had mentioned and a little more on how I found the bike. Thank you everyone for your helpful input. I found info on Aelle tubing on on old post here.
Ride safe and have fun!

Here is the link to the blog: https://finmail.blogspot.com/

wait... it has a rear rack?

that's pretty awesome.

I noticed in the shop that it had a braze-on near the rear hub (I'm not sure exactly what this is called), but none on the rear triangle near the seat tube. I asked the mechanic (I think a fairly resourceful Russian who has salvaged a lot of scrapped bikes) if he could put a rack on. (This was mostly communicated in sign language, so to my delight, the next time I went into the shop, I saw that he had attached a lightweight rack.) I imagine this bike wasn't intended for touring when it was made, but I hope it will serve the purpose. (And I guess I will be joining the ultralight touring fanatics out of necessity -- I hope to get by with one bookbag-size backpack on top of the rack.)

I'm guessing it might've been intended for a fender? But I dunno...

I hope you don't mind, I grabbed a copy of one of the pics for my files...

I thought of that too -- most certainly was intended for a fender. No problem taking a pic. Glad to contribute to the knowledge base. I think I correctly dated the Shimano casette marking MH as August 1988?