Plain Jane, 1983 Serotta Nova Special, Now Completed.

Blackbike

Retro Guru
Here is the back story. 4 years ago I built up a wonderful AlAn, my favorite bike in the stable. One year later in operation and the seat lug cracked, all turned to dust, just a place holder to store parts.

20191230_125117 (1) by nemosengineer, on Flickr

So the hunt for a new frame was on, for three years. I wanted steel, I needed a replacement frame that would talk to me, slap me around, make me feel dirty, and force me to spend money. Then I found all that and more, I found Plain Jane...
She was assembled once and never ridden (no marks on the dropouts), overall condition was perfect. So she set for 40 years lost and lonely.

Plain Jane is a 1983 Serotta Nova Special, off the peg and bottom of the line. The numbers are, 73 X 73 degrees W/ 45mm rake, a classic crit bike. Built with Columbus SL tubes and SLX seat tube, the steer tube is fluted Columbus. The bottom bracket is Cinelli and I believe the fork crown also is. The lugs are cast and believed to be Bocama. Dropouts are the high end Shimano bits from the period.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Other than cracked water slide decals and a nick or two Plain Jane survived storage quite well, we will leave the finish untouched as your only original once.
Jane has a late 1983 S/N 8386X that leads me to believe she was built about the same time as the Murray 1984 LA Olympic team bikes were being built, I am drawing a wishful conclusion that the same hands that built the Olympic frames built Plain Jane, the workmanship is very nice.

As a side note, Ben Serotta after opening up a small retail and repair shop as an off-school activity in the late 1960’s traveled to London, England where he apprenticed in building steel bicycle frames.
There has always been something magic about English steel.

To Be Continued: Plain Jane goes on the rack. Mike
 
Plain Jane goes under the knife...

Faced and chased.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Headtube was verified square and a radius was added to the ID to provide clearance for the radius on the head cups. The paint on the dropouts removed and the surfaces were lapped flat.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Frame was cold set from 126mm to 130, dropouts were realigned, and the frame alignment relative frame centerline was verified on a granite flat table at work using 4 ea. v blocks and a height gage, this frame is straight.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Preview of kit.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

: Mike
 
Done And Done, Plain Jane is finished.
Restomod is such a polarizing term, let's call this a driveline update thats period correct above the toptube...

The mechanicals and brakes are all Dura-Ace 7800 10 speed with the exception of the crank set which is a 7703 triple.

Hubs are Suzue Classica a very nice piece of kit. Rims are Mavic Open Pro, Spokes are butted Wheelsmith tied and soldered.

The cockpit is a Brooks titanium Swallow with the Brooks tool box, seat pin is Campagnolo Super Record. The Bars are 3TTT Superleggero 40cm Giamondi bend, with Campagnolo Record levers, the stem is a 110mm Cinelli XA, mostly period correct with a wink...

So howzit ride... Stiff fast nimble precise, climbs like a monkey on crack.
Why a Triple? San Diego coastal has hills that are truly impressive and I'm 66 years old.
On to the Photos...

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

: Mike
 
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Awesome build! I also own a Serotta Atlanta in “Big Boy Blue”, circa ‘98 in lovely condition. Can I ask, how did you cold set your frame to 130, did you use the alignment tool for it? I need to do that on a Chesini X Uno. On my Scapin, also with 126 RHS, I just shoved the wheel in and hoped it’s good, but the Chesini is a NOS frame, I’d like to do that properly. 😄
 
Awesome build! I also own a Serotta Atlanta in “Big Boy Blue”, circa ‘98 in lovely condition. Can I ask, how did you cold set your frame to 130, did you use the alignment tool for it? I need to do that on a Chesini X Uno. On my Scapin, also with 126 RHS, I just shoved the wheel in and hoped it’s good, but the Chesini is a NOS frame, I’d like to do that properly. 😄

Hi Silk-RideR
To cold set a frame properly you will need a few special tools to do it right. This is the minimum amount of stuff to do a cold set and finish up with a complete frame and fork alinement. Alinement basically means symmetrical on center axis. Keep in mind you can destroy a frame in this process as well as making one almost perfect. Reply If you would like to continue the conversion.




Current bike in work 1983 Colnago, cold set to 130mm with full frame and fork alinement.


:Mike
 
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Hi Silk-RideR
To cold set a frame properly you will need a few special tools to do it right. This is the minimum amount of stuff to do a cold set and finish up with a complete frame and fork alinement. Alinement basically means symmetrical on center axis. Keep in mind you can destroy a frame in this process as well as making one almost perfect. Reply If you would like to continue the conversion.




Current bike in work 1983 Colnago, cold set to 130mm with full frame and fork alinement.


:Mike
Thanks for the reply! I saw your tools on your flickr feed 👀😄
After my painter is finished with the touch-ups, I’ll go to my favoured experienced mechanic and will do the work there. If he doesn’t have the alignment tools, I think I’ll order the Cyclus ones for myself.
Exciting Colnago! Can you comment on the choice of those hubs? You’ve put them on several bikes.
 
Thanks for the reply! I saw your tools on your flickr feed 👀😄
After my painter is finished with the touch-ups, I’ll go to my favoured experienced mechanic and will do the work there. If he doesn’t have the alignment tools, I think I’ll order the Cyclus ones for myself.
Exciting Colnago! Can you comment on the choice of those hubs? You’ve put them on several bikes.
Actually it's the same set of wheels, Suzue Classica hubs (Suzue builds NJS sealed bearing track hubs for Keirin racing in Japan) with Mavic Open Pro rims. The wheelset was built for a 3 Rensho Katana, I paid stupid money for that frame and than someone offered me more stupid money and away it went. Those parts built the AlAn, that turned into the Serotta, that turned into two bikes, the mechanicals went to the Land Shark, the cockpit and wheels went to the Colnago with the factory Giro pink paint and a bunch of Record C with Dura-Ace 7800 10 speed mechs.
Going to a pro is a good idea for a cold set and frame alinement as the "do it your self" thing only works out if you are a serial builder with a group of friends that barter their skills for your skills.

Have A Great Day: Mike
 

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