IMHO, at some level it simply doesn't matter how technically perfect a bike is. I wouldn't arge that the latest Serotta isn't quite possibly "better" (lighter, stiffer, better handling or whatever) than what came before. I'm sure there are engineering reasons for the features on the Hottotrot. I think they come at a good time, since pureTi bikes, and even pure aluminum bikes, are becoming yesterday's news. Gotta have some Carbon-ium in there somewhere. For me, bike selection is a much less rational affair that finding the "fastest" bike and buying it. I need to feel good about the bike. I would rather have a $1200 team replica Orbea than a $3500 Seven, even if either bike were handed to me. Why? There are a lot of reasons. I like bikes that have some association w/ racing. I like bikes w/ cool paint jobs. I like bikes that nobody in my neighborhood has. Even though Sevens are among the most expensive bikes anywhere, and even though they may be technically excellent, I'm not interested in having the offical bike of the weekend warrior lawyer crowd. I see a LOT of Sevens under aging, monied, "century" riders in the DC area, complete w/ Minkow wedge saddles, MTB SPDs, and twenty 1-cm alloy spacers under the 8cm stem. Sorry, but I'm not ready to join that club. In DC, before Seven it was Litespeed, before that it was Merlin, and if you go back far enough it was Serotta. Now that they have the most expensive bike anywhere, Serottas will be back in force. Tom Dalton Grant McLean <Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca> wrote:Maybe I'm a cynic, but I find it off-putting that the Serrota's ad copy has language about "only make changes when they give benefits... we never make something new just because we think it will sell...">Tom Dalton
M-a-y-b-e???
I had an interesting conversation with Mr. Serotta at interbike a few years ago, (they don't attend the show anymore). Ben has always believed that their steel bikes are a baseline for everything they build, and I commented that I thought many current companies don't even remember what a steel bike rides like!
I had just bought a Legend Ti earlier that year, replacing a CRL lugged steel, their top bike in '93 when I bought it. I thought their Ti bike, with their own Carbon F1 fork was a much better bike. I also had a quick spin on that super-uber Hot-to-trott Ottrott this summer, it's awesome, if expensive. The reason why those tubes are carbon is that it solves a specific problem of ti frames, torsional stiffness.
Hey, don't get me wrong, I love steel and lugs, but I also believe when Serotta builds something, it really works. All other theories aside, ride one you'll see.
Grant, 2 serotta Mclean
Toronto.Ca
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