Team 7-Eleven Serotta built Huffy Track

eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/283132076726 Team 7-Eleven Huffy Serotta Track Bike Here's the scoop: Huffy sponsored Team 7-Eleven for the 1987 and 1988 seasons. Team 7-Eleven partnered with American frame builder Ben Serotta to build the team bikes. The 1987 and 1988 bikes were constructed using American True Temper Gold Label RC-1 tubing. Many of the bikes built for the Huffy 7-Eleven Team failed as a result of using tubing that was too thin in an attempt to save weight. As a result, Andy Hampsten famously contracted John Slawta of Land Shark Bicycles to build his bike for the 1988 season, the same year in which he became the first American to win the Giro d'Italia. Yay 'Merica Our crack team of hard-nosed research analysts has led us to the conclusion that this particular track bike was built for Andy Hampsten to be used during the 1987 or 1988 track season. The initials A.H. are hand etched under the bottom bracket and there is no formal serial number in which to reference. The bike was found in Bainbridge Island, Washington; which is across the sound from the current home of Hampsten Cycles in Seattle Washington. I believe Andy must have lived in Bainbridge Island at some point as I have seen that listed as his hometown in early coverage of his career. Ben Serotta himself has acknowledged the existence of this particular bike via social media but did not provide any further information. The bike is very unique in its design and construction. The frame geometry is long and low, creating a ride that is very stable and predictable at speed. This is the opposite of typical short and steep and twitchy track geometry. The seat tube measures 55cm center to center with an actual top tube length of 58cm and came to us equipped with a 130mm Dura Ace Stem. This bike was likely designed for longer distance track events and would lend itself very well to the Madison event format, as the bike is very stable with one hand placed on the top of the bars while the other is being used to slingshot one's team mate up to speed. Also great for riding with one hand while holding a Slurpee in the other. I have confirmed this particular design feature on several occasions. The short head tube creates a geometry with an aggressively sloping top tube for a truly pro race fit. The fork crown features extended blade stiffeners with the Serotta signature playing card suits engraved. There is what appears to be a crack in paint across each stiffner on the inside of the fork blades near the crown. The bike came to us equipped modified Dura-Ace 7400 series road components. The Dura-Ace 7600 Track group debuted in 1988, so it seems as if this bike was built in 1987 and the 7400 road hubs were modified in order to honor the team's sponsors obligations. The 7400 road hubs were modified by simple swapping out the quick release hollow axles with solid bolt on axles. The track cog threads on to the hub normally but there are no provisions or threading for a lock ring. The chain line is exactly what you would suspect from a road hub with a track cog threaded in place of the intended 7-speed freewheel. The rear rim has been dished over significantly to accommodate the narrower flanges of the road hub. The front road hub has also been converted to bolt on solid axle. Both wheels have hand tied and soldered spokes. The crank set is a Dura-Ace 7400 road crank with the inner chain ring removed. The seat post, headset, and stem are all Dura-Ace 7400. I have added to correct Cinelli Unicantor "Winged C logo" saddle and Cinelli Pista bars and Dura Ace pedals, all in excellent condition. As a result, according to our research, this bike is currently 100% sponsor correct. This was an absolutely Holy Grail of a find. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to document, ride, and enjoy such a rare and historically significant bike. The reality is; despite the fact that I was able to set the bike up semi-comfortably with a variety of wacky and progressively inappropriate bar and stem combos, there will likely never be a scenario where I will want to own a bike with a top tube that is longer than 54cm. If this bike was somehow 4cm shorter, I would never consider selling it. If you are reading this and you may have a lead on a 52cm, 53cm or 54cm 7-Eleven Track bike I would be very interested in acquiring it. I am also on the hunt for a Waterford built Schwinn Paramount track frame in the same size range. I have a mint Suntour Superb Pro track group that needs a good home. Long story short, I enjoyed everything about hunting down, locating, and owning this bike. I feel very lucky that I was able to enjoy it for as long I have and ride it as much as I did. The only request I make is that if the next owner plans on hanging this bike on the wall, they must first ride it to the nearest 7-Eleven and ingest enough frozen Slurpee brand products to cause a mildy debilitating diabetic coma before attempting to ride back home. ( *Slurpee may be substituted for any oblong roller dog-esque food product dependent upon intestinal fortitude and/or in addition to any state or local laws.)