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
20191230_125117 (1) by nemosengineer, on FlickrSo 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 FlickrOther 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
nice to see the laser touch on the alignment checks 
