Claud Butler 'Carabo' how old is this model?

Question

Claud Butler 'Carabo' how old is this model?

Answer 1

I think the Carabo has been about for around 10 years but that doesn't mean all Carabo's are 10 yrs old. Sorry, I don't know when they stopped making them.  They were still available new in 2000.  Is that any help?

Answer 2

Well, I am almost certain that these bikes were all made in Taiwan, so there is a pretty accurate way of determining age.

Turn the bike upside down. Under the crank you'll find the bike production number. The first and sometimes the second in this series are letters. The next number is the last digit of the year. If the number is an 8, 9, or 0 chances are it is a '98, '99, or '00 model. If it is 1 through 7 it is probably a 2001 through 2007 model. I don't think that Butler cycles had a model name prior to this.

By determining the grade of parts and their vintage there can be a better idea for "overlapping" numbers, such as 1998 vs. 2008.