Seat clamps; serial #

[2whluge]

I have been a bent rider for almost 10 years. I ride a Volae high racer, and we have a Rans Screamer. Last week we bought my wife a BikeE in great shape, dirt cheap.

Two questions: first, I think this has the old rubber/plastic seat mounts (round, no metal). She isn't going to mash the pedals or otherwise put lots of stress on the seat (she only weighs 135). Should I bother replacing the mounts?

Second, I think this is a 2001 or 2002 RX. How do I tell for sure? Can I tell from the serial #?

We did our maiden voyage of 15 miles, and by the time we got home, she was a pro. The pedal placement is almost the same as the Screamer, so she is very comfortable.

[lazyike]

The early seat camps are round plastic parts with no metal. The new design is a round plastic part with a metal ring that looks like a key ring that goes around the outside of the plastic. If hers do not have the metal ring I recommend you order some as the old style will probably break eventually. If they break while she is riding it she may go off the back as the seat had a tendancy to flip backwards. You can still order some at bicycleman.com. As for the serial number you should be able to find some info somewhere on the net. If the bike has the old seat clamps it is probably from the 90s. Hope this helps.