Serotta MeiVici Riders - Talk to Me About Buying One Used...

[Clean39T]

Elefantino PSA'd this, and I'm smitten. I love the lugged carbon and finish and...well, everything. But I've of course never ridden one. I've had some detailed conversations with the owner by email and he's very knowledgeable, so its obviously not a scam. We've arrived at a good price and process for getting it to me. He's the original owner, an ex-CAT1 roadie, and had it built as a fast fondo bike through Bespoke in SF. We're close to the same weight, so if it was tuned for him, it should be good for me. This would be a more upright fit than my Moots, but I think the reach going off a 58cm TT (vs. 58.5 on the Moots) would be good fondo fit for me with a normal setback post and 120-ish stem. I'm about to put a new fork on the Moots and that'll give me a chance to test the position tomorrow by using more spacers and approximating the HT length to see how that feels. It'd be 25-27mm tires on there. I'd probably spring for Ultegra R8000 for it to give me the wide gears and black colorway...mated to the WI T11/C2 wheels I just got from Matt...

Anyway, I've read the glowing reviews and I guess I'm just looking for that little bit of extra opinionation to push me over the edge and confirm the purchase with him when he gets back from a weekend in wine country.

What thinks the group?

..

[FlashUNC]

He got all the proprietary parts like the weird cable guides and brake nuts?

[happycampyer]

I have owned and ridden a lot of bikes, and still own a fair number, and my MeiVici is still one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. I have previously described the process I went through before I had one made for me. With a quick search I came up with this, this and this page. If Serotta were still in business, I would happily pay to have another one made for electronic shifting.

The good news is, if you buy it and don't like it, other than the cost of building it up and tearing it down, you don't stand to lose much since the discount for used MeiVicis is pretty baked into the market.

I know the original owner of the bike that SoCalSteve bought. The owner actually worked at a shop that was a Serotta dealer, and spec'ed the bike to be super stiff (he had a 595 Ultra that he was trying to emulate). That frame didn't just have a 10.5 downtube, it was all 10.5 tubing. It was stiffer than the 595 Ultra.

Buying used bikes is a bit of a crap shoot, but you never know how a bike will ride until you try it. You may love it, you may hate it, and you may be indifferent.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by happycampyer

I have owned and ridden a lot of bikes, and still own a fair number, and my MeiVici is still one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. I have previously described the process I went through before I had one made for me. With a quick search I came up with this, this and this page. If Serotta were still in business, I would happily pay to have another one made for electronic shifting.

The good news is, if you buy it and don't like it, other than the cost of building it up and tearing it down, you don't stand to lose much since the discount for used MeiVicis is pretty baked into the market.

I know the original owner of the bike that SoCalSteve bought. The owner actually worked at a shop that was a Serotta dealer, and spec'ed the bike to be super stiff (he had a 595 Ultra that he was trying to emulate). That frame didn't just have a 10.5 downtube, it was all 10.5 tubing. It was stiffer than the 595 Ultra.

Buying used bikes is a bit of a crap shoot, but you never know how a bike will ride until you try it. You may love it, you may hate it, and you may be indifferent.

I like your enabling ways..

The good news here is I do know the original owner and what they asked for; and at least their weight and riding style...so it's not a total shot in the dark.

And as for the fit, here's the 60cm Domane I rode on vacation earlier in the year:



I didn't like the ISO-Speed decoupler, but the fit was pretty comfortable for the riding I did down there. It had a 22cm HT, plus 25mm top cap it looks like, and a 58cm virtual TT. I put a 120mm stem on it. The main difference would be the extra 3cm of HT on the Serotta. I guess I'll find out tomorrow with the Moots mock-up how that feels.

I can't see needing more than 25s on C2s or C2+s - I'm not looking for a gravel bike here, or a wet-weather commuter with fenders.

Hmm. More thinking.

[pdmtong]

Back "in the day" the place in SF to buy Serotta (and Seven) was City Cycle.

Since a half block from my MIL and the building my wife grew up in easy to go there and drool. When the owner died unexpectedly of a heart attack while riding the his wife tried to sustain it, eventually sold it. The heartbeat of the shop (fitter, mechanic, other guy) left to create Bespoke. Sadly, City Cycle is now a neighborhood box store featuring Trek. back then there was another shop called "Bike Nut" a half block away in the opposite direction. This was a shop with a case of AX/lightness stuff in it. $1,000 RD etc. Kuh - ray - zee!

You could always call Ari at Bespoke...(he probably fitted the owner) to get his take on the frame.

Personally, unless this frame is super cheap and you can see a clear resale path, I cannot see chasing it. If you want modern carbon, save some extra coins and get a custom Sarto made for you.

[woodworker]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

Back "in the day" the place in SF to buy Serotta (and Seven) was City Cycle.

Since a half block from my MIL and the building my wife grew up in easy to go there and drool. When the owner died unexpectedly of a heart attack while riding the his wife tried to sustain it, eventually sold it. The heartbeat of the shop (fitter, mechanic, other guy) left to create Bespoke. Sadly, City Cycle is now a neighborhood box store featuring Trek. back then there was another shop called "Bike Nut" a half block away in the opposite direction. This was a shop with a case of AX/lightness stuff in it. $1,000 RD etc. Kuh - ray - zee!

You could always call Ari at Bespoke...(he probably fitted the owner) to get his take on the frame.

Personally, unless this frame is super cheap and you can see a clear resale path, I cannot see chasing it. If you want modern carbon, save some extra coins and get a custom Sarto made for you.

RIP Clay Mankin, and the store that he ran back in the day. I used to love looking at the beautiful steel Scapin bikes that he had, and I ultimately bought one of those and later a Seven. Guys like Clay don't come around very often.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by woodworker

RIP Clay Mankin, and the store that he ran back in the day. I used to love looking at the beautiful steel Scapin bikes that he had, and I ultimately bought one of those and later a Seven. Guys like Clay don't come around very often.

I went to Milan for the Italian bike show with Clay and 11 others and a nicer guy you'll never meet..a real shame..RIP..both he and his shop.

[bobswire]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I went to Milan for the Italian bike show with Clay and 11 others and a nicer guy you'll never meet..a real shame..RIP..both he and his shop.

Agree, I used to stop in at least once a week on my weekly rides over to the GG Bridge to get my eye candy fix.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by woodworker

RIP Clay Mankin, and the store that he ran back in the day. I used to love looking at the beautiful steel Scapin bikes that he had, and I ultimately bought one of those and later a Seven. Guys like Clay don't come around very often.

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I went to Milan for the Italian bike show with Clay and 11 others and a nicer guy you'll never meet..a real shame..RIP..both he and his shop.

Originally Posted by bobswire

Agree, I used to stop in at least once a week on my weekly rides over to the GG Bridge to get my eye candy fix.

I felt the same way about Clay. He lived in Berkeley, about a block from one of my best friends. The style of that shop was the fore bearer of what many shops have now become. He was a fit guy yet had a heart attack while riding. Just so sad. His wife tried to keep it going, but with a young son it became just too much.

[John H.]

I wouldn't pay much for one.
They are nice bikes, but they have limited clearance and were way over-priced when new.
There are so many other carbon bike options that are more modern, have clearance, and are lighter.
How do you fit on stock bikes?

[nmrt]

i am way smaller than you (ride a size 54). but when the chance came through a local craigslist ad for a meivici, i ran to the guy selling it for a test ride. after all the glowing reviews, i reasoned, even a test ride is redundant. i should just buy it, i thought. nevertheless, since he only lived two miles from me, i test rode the bike for about 15 - 20 min. i came away....underwhelmed. i did not buy the bike.

what happened? was the ride of the bike bad? no! it was nice. but it was not clearly, in my opinion, deserving of all the rave reviews it got. i liked my bike better (i ride a seven axiom slx, btw). as a matter of fact, i liked the ride of a off the shelf carbon bike better than the meivici. what bike is that? the bmc team machine slr01. it rides as smooth as my ti bike and felt snappier, stiff, and comfortable at the same time, if you could imagine that.

so...maybe you'll like the meivici. and maybe you wont. but you wont know until to get it.

[SoCalSteve]

I owned one that was passed around a lot. There was obviously a reason for this.

The construction and materials were beyond amazing, nothing finer. Seriously.

The issue is that each one was custom made. The one I owned that kept getting sold and resold and resold and resold had a 10.5 downtube. It was a really harsh ride. Especially for carbon. Was not fun to ride. It was built originally for a racer.

So, unless you see the build sheet, proceed with caution.

Good luck!

[Clean39T]

First four replies are making me think I should seek therapy in the "Have you impulse-buy tendencies" thread...

I just love them lugs and the finish.

But probably wiser to hold my shekels and get a custom built all-rounder like I was planning...

[RobJ]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

First four replies are making me think I should seek therapy in the "Have you impulse-buy tendencies" thread...

I just love them lugs and the finish.

But probably wiser to hold my shekels and get a custom built all-rounder like I was planning...

Just go for it. You clearly like the style and have somewhat justified it and the geo seems to be on. You'll spend a lot more on a custom all-rounder that may not feed the senses like this one does. Worst case you spend a few resources trying to resell it and maybe a few bucks. If the purchase isn't taking food from your family or other critical purchases then why not. Life is short. Maybe I need to join your therapy group .

I haven't thrown a leg over a MeiVici but as SoCalSteve mentions each are different and maybe this one is a dead fit for you. But you won't know unless you try. Good luck either way.

[Clean39T]

FWIW, the geometry is pretty close to a Domane or Roubaix 58cm.