Gunnar Cycles USA Message Board

Hi, I just bought a Gunnar Roadie, serial numbers G01152. I understand this means my frame was made in July of 2001, and that it was the 152 Gunnar of the year, correct?

My first question is - I've scoured through posts on here, and on another thread, someone from Gunnar states that the Roadie was introduced in 2002, and prior to that, it was called the "Hot Dog!" or "Tire Biter." I'm wondering how or why my bike, seemingly from 2001, is a Roadie and not one of the other two titles.

Second, what type of steel was this bike made out of? I see references to True Temper OS2 and Reynolds 853, but there doesn't seem to be anything concrete, and there's no tubing sticker on my bike to indicate anything. FWIW, the dropouts are Ritchey.. not sure how pertinent that is.

Finally, I keep reading here about the changes in the geometry between the models of the Roadie. Generally speaking, what kind of changes were made? Is it just the compact geometry, or is one considered more "aggressive," and the other more "relaxed"?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Nothing guys?

Sorry for the delay. My reserve duties had me out for a few days..



Correct, however; 152nd that month.



Frame was built in mid 2001, but we had already phased-in the new 2002 decals. We made the "official" decal change at Interbike in the fall of '01.



All Gunnars use full air-hardening steel alloy tube sets -including stays. We launched Gunnar in 1998 with a full Reynolds 853 tube set. As the line progressed, we worked with True Temper to develop lighter tubes out of this material. Yours is a blend of Reynolds 853 and True Temper OX Platinum. Everything was what we called OS1. We phased in our OS2 (oversize second generation) tube dimensions mid-2003 for the 2004 model year.

Basically OS1 was a 1 1/8 top tube and 1 1/4 downtube (ala Waterford and the OS Paramounts). OS2 went to 1 1/4 top tube, 1 3/8 downtube, thinner walls and different butt profiles.



The core handling geometry has never changed. It's quick, lively and fun. The semi-compact design helps us to pare out some weight, help bring the headtube up to account for the low stack heights of todays headsets, give more flexibilty to accommodate a wider range of fits with various stems, and finally to maintain the standover height of a typical level top tube bike in an equivalent size.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it. So far I love the bike, I love the way it looks (I'm glad it's not the semi-compact geometry, because this usually looks terrible on small bikes like this), and I love the way it rides. I am really excited for winter to finally go away so I can get some real miles in, other than on the roller.

Anyway, I have a second question for you. I notice that you sell Gunnar touch-up paint on the website. My bike came with some touch-up paint, but it doesn't really match. It's white automotive paint, the kind of thing you get from an auto parts store. Is this what you guys sell, or can I get the exact shade of white that this bike is painted? I realize that it won't match perfectly because I'm sure this bike has faded, but anything would like better than this blotchy white auto paint. Thanks again.

Howdy,

You are able to get touch up from us. Just give a call 262 534 4190, figure $10 plus $7.50 shipping.

We use PPG automotive paints. I would expect after a number of years the touch up has kind-of dried up. It isn't likely to be a perfect match. The only time we can do that is when we pour the touch up at the time of painting.

Let me know.

PPG automotive paint is what I have, and unfortunately, it doesn't really match. I'm not too worried about it, because I bought the bike to ride, not to look at, and if it gets to bad, I can had it powder-coated and get some new decals from you guys.

Thanks for all the help.

When did the Roadie go from a traditional top tube to compact?

Also included with the tubing change is the semi-compact design you see now.

Is this the tire biter/hot dog/roadie currently on ebay? If so, do you know about the history, as in what was it used for for it's life in what conditions?

I just bought a Roadie on ebay.It has Ritchey dropouts,but I can't find a serial number.The guy had it stripped,and powder coated.I bead blasted the under side of the bottom bracket,and there's no number.Did I get screwed here?The geometry,the original fork,a Profile Designs SC,all look like a roadie.Would the serial number be anywhere else.Thanks in advance for any info.

The serial number is always on the bottom of the bottom bracket. You can find it next to the non-driveside edge of the bottom bracket shell. It's often hard to see. If you remove the paint and you can't find evidence of a serial number, you should have reason to be suspicious of the history of your frame. Even sandblasting should leave the serial number intact, unless the person sandblasting the bike was intentionally removing the serial number. Gunnar keeps records on every Gunnar sold.

I just added two detailed Q&A entries covering how to locate and interpret the serial number and why it's important.

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Richard Schwinn