P!N20

Missed this - can you post some photos? (Or upload them to your album which someone here can post for you.)

crysty97

i added on the album.....what is this ...nu foto add until 10 posts ? )

crysty97

i have pictures in the album...thx

P!N20

The overall picture isn't overly clear, so it's hard to pinpoint the model/year, but it looks like it has the older fork crown, so I'd say '85 at the latest, which rules out Veneto which came along in '87. I'd expect to see a pump peg for an '87 model too, and it doesn't look like your frame has one.

Does the fork crown have GPT engravings?

Until some clearer pictures come along, I'm probably thinking it's a mid 80's Catena Lusso: https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalo...arello85/3.jpg

crysty97

'PINARELLO' is stamped on the underside of the bottom bracket shell

A added new pictures on the album

P!N20

Thanks. Yeah I reckon it's an ~'85 Catena Lusso, given the Victory/Triomphe stuff is probably original and the serial is close to the 1985 serial number format of XX###.

crysty97

Thanks !

pandaparry

One of my favorite topics 😁. I have 8 pinarellos at home (one Montello SL at shop and a 91 pinarello titan road coming this Sunday). For most I have some clear indication of the year. I always hoped there was more information such as the frame builder (P for Pegoretti...), but the letters seem to be completely random for most frames. Here is the current list. Most is in line with earlier comments, with some strange exceptions.

I'm not always 100% sure but based on decals and catalogues I think most is within 1 year margin.

P478 = late 70s or early 80s (Prestige S)
RR231 = mid 80s (85/86 Montello SLX)
IB436 = mid 80s (86/87 Montello SL)
IO369 = 1987/88 Montello SLX (spumoni colors)
VV410 = 1989 Montello SL (Cromonero)*
IZ941 = early 90s Montello SLX**
198D = early 90s Montello SLX***
88N = 91/92 Gavia TSX
9797 = 93/94 Gavia FRX

*This frame looks exactly similar to 1989 catalogue cromonero model, which is slightly different from 1987. The SN would indicate up to 1985 (LLNNN), but cromonero colors were not used before 1987 as far as I can find in catalogues. It is always possible that frames were stored and painted at later stage or simply repainted.

**not sure why, but I always assumed it was from early 90s. The SN provided in this thread indicate it should be no later than 89. Can't remember why I'm so sure it was from the first years of the 90s, but I think it is. The rear brake bridge is not straight like the 1989 catalogue shows and has Pinarello pantographed.

***This is a race frame, possibly team edition. Only Montello I have seen with the race number plate holder on top tube, so might be different with SN as well.

From the Gavias in the 90s it seems to be different again with a NNL and NNNN on the bikes I have. Rest seems to be well in line with the periods indicated earlier. BTW, Montello SL exists and I have a couple. Maybe a European thing as there seem to be few in the US and we Dutch are cheap 😜 (saw this question in another thread). And Pinarello also made a few titanium frames in the early 90s in Treviso (Titan Road). Also for other thread 😁. Hope the titan road also has a clear SN...

There are many subtle differences in Montellos depending on year and tubes. Can always share pictures if needed in identifying.
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P!N20

Yes! Let’s see some pics!

Great info, and further confirmation that Pinarello serial numbers are abstract at best!

I’m always intrigued whether the SL Montellos had the ‘winged’ BB shell sans chainstay bridge or not.

pandaparry

I will wait till I have my last Montello SL at home and then will try to spot some differences. It all seems to be very minor adjustment over the years, and difference between SL and SLX seems to be the tubing only and cannot be spotted from outside as far as I can tell now. But hopefully I will be able to tell more differences in the next week when all 6 frames are back at home. I also saw pictures of a Montello without the internal routing of the brake cables, but never seen this outside of a catalogue.

BTW. Quite a few Montellos were custom ordered as far as I've read. I'm sure people could request features that were not spotted in the catalogue of a certain year. Now mainly looking out for the custom pina titan road frame that should be coming tomorrow. Very few were made and these were all custom measured in Treviso.
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P!N20

My Montello has cable guides:



I think you’re right re: custom orders, it would go some way to explain all the ‘inconsistencies’ in the models that pop up.

Can’t wait to see the Titan!

pandaparry

Nice bike! The pinarello titan road is in. Has quite different SN (D712). In any case, very little sign this is a real pinarello to untrained eye, as there is no pinarello engraving except SN. The most special (custom) Pinarellos I have all have a SN with either ###D or D###. Not sure whether custom bikes had separate system...

The bike was owned by high level triathlete in NL, who got is custom made in Treviso. There are a few images of similar bikes online, although I found only 4 other Titan Road models after very extensive search. According to previous owner only around 20 were made, of which this is the only one with the 'montello style' cable routing. It was apparently too expensive to build these titanium frames for Pinarello. This one had to be redone as the angle of head tube was initially incorrect. Expensive errors...

Next step is building it up. Came with a kestrel carbon fork, but I currently use a left-over Montello cromonero fork. As it's from 91 I contemplated a c-record group, but think it's better with a mid 90s campa titanium record group. But I already drifted to far from the actual topic...
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Pinarello Titan Road custom frame from 1991

P!N20

^ Yeah, wow. You're right, there's nothing that says 'Pinarello' apart from the decals. I assume the Kestrel fork isn't OG, do you know what kind of fork it would have come with?

I'll be interested to hear how it rides; some of those early titanium frames were supposedly pretty noodly.

Can't believe you've got a Pinarello fork lying around with that much steerer tube!

pandaparry

The original fork seems to be (I have seen this on two pictures) a quite basic Pinarello fork from the early 90s (I had the same on a Stelvio a few years back). See picture below. Nothing special and quite heavy compared to the frame.
I was told by the previous owner that he also 'received' a steel fork with the frame, but replaced (and lost) it after a year as the handling was not as nice and carbon forks become more easily available (and you save a lot of weight).

The other 3 Titan road models I have seen all have a carbon fork. There is actually one Pinarello Titan Road that is nearly identical for sale in Italy now. Colors of decals and even the larger fontsize for TITAN. Only cable routing is different.
One seller on Ebay said that his Titan Road was the first in a limited series and this one had SN E1000. Not so sure about that story though, as (on-topic) serial numbers indicate little (I have a 'boring' D1000 replacement fork).
So pretty confident it is an actual Pinarello and that these were made in Treviso in the early 90s. From two stories, the price back in those days was pretty steep (around 3000 euros frame only in the early 90s).

While the steel fork is quite nice (and fits...), I think I will still go with the carbon fork. It feels quite strange to have such a heavy fork with such a light frame, and it's an easy (and free) way to save a few hundred grams.

SJX426 

Since this thread has wondered ab bit, I would like to throw in a mystery Pin I have.
Initially I thought this was a Tre Crimi, but the chrome bits did not line up. Now I think it is a Veneto, Not sure.
The SN is 178C. Nothing on this bike was original that I can tell. A real rider and abused with mish mash of parts.
As purchased in a parking lot at night for 1/2 the asking price.
Pinarello Vento- as purchased on Flickr

BB:
P1000961, on Flickr

It is in the queue for paint. I did build it up once for my daughter to use. Mounted Superbe Pro. She loved it.
Pinarello Veneto on Flickr

PinarellGuy

I have a Montello with a ZZ serial number and 130 rear spacing. Any ideas on model year?

P!N20

Unfortunately not much can be gleaned from Pinarello serial numbers. Best thing to do would be to post some pictures so we can speculate.

Seeing as you don’t have ten posts yet, you can add photos to your album and a friendly BF member can post them for you.

The double letter format indicates a mid 80’s build.

Manuscripted

Hi
I'm fascinated by this thread, and wonder if anyone can give me an indication as to model (possibly Montello)and year of frame 1R810. Over the past ten years all the Pinarello decals have fragmented and fallen off, however its a Columbus SLX tubed frame in a small size with pump pegs on the top tube, internal cable routing and Campag equipped although this groupset may not be original. I've just seen a ladies frame bike on sale at 2500€! Is mine valuable ? Am I sitting on a pot of gold haha!!

Thanks in anticipation
Nigel

P!N20

That’s the ‘87-‘89 serial number format.

You can confirm it is SLX if there are ridges inside the base of the seat tube.

Another feature of Montellos was the lack of a chainstay bridge, although I think a few other models lost theirs around that time.

Pinarellos are highly regarded, but I wouldn’t retire just yet.

Mad Honk 

I have a frame that is here in the shop marked 1F 31 . Any ideas as to the year and potential model? TIA MH

P!N20

Pinarello serial numbers don’t provide any indication of model, but the 1 at the start is the ‘87-‘89 format. Got any pictures?

Andy_K 

So does that mean I’ve been wrong all along about my Montello with serial number NN902 being from 1987?

P!N20

Yes, no, maybe. Pinarello serial numbers are vague at best and really need to be considered against the frame details. That being said, got any pics?

Andy_K 

I'm not even sure why I was so certain that it was an '87 -- probably based on guesses made on this forum. The frame had been stripped down to the chrome when I bought it. Even the headbadge had been defaced. So, any identification would need to be based on the frame features.

P!N20

I think you are right, the inclusion of a pump peg, chain holder and seat tube bidon mount all suggest it’s from ~‘87. The serial number is probably just a hangover from the previous years.

Chrome looks to be in excellent condition.