All those Serotta fit cycles on eBay

[smontanaro]

Serotta Fit Cycles turn up all the time on eBay. There always seem to be a couple for sale. What do people think? Is this just a reflection of Serotta's demise, or were they obsolete before Serotta went out of business? Do former Serotta dealers still use them? Just curious.

[dustyrider]

I’ve always seen them kicking around and certainly before Serotta shut down.

Figured it was one of those things folks buy, dial their ride numbers in and pass along.

I’d have one if there was a large open indoor space on my property because it’s the kind of fun I can see myself geeking out with every now and again. I would only want one because I assume it is capable of mimicking a wide range of bikes already in production and probably drown in used bikes shortly thereafter if it can...

[Peter P.]

I've considered buying one but could never find one in my size. :rolleyes:

[Bruce K]

They were pretty much an essential tool for dealers and beyond as there were few ways fitters could do a dynamic fit at the time.

Now there are motion capture systems and other fit tools that have moved things forward.

They can be useful but are no longer the “Gold standard”

BK

[smontanaro]

I assume it is capable of mimicking a wide range of bikes already in production and probably drown in used bikes shortly thereafter if it can...

I didn't need a fit bike to coax me into drowning in used bikes, but I can understand how that might accelerate the process. :)

[Dude]

The ones you'd see floating around were usually when a dealer stops carrying Serotta and doesn't use/want/need size cycle anymore.

[Kontact]

The shop I worked at didn't use it. We did fits on people's bikes and extracted frame numbers from the completed fit. Doing a fit to a machine and then imposing that back onto a real bike does not work as well as fitting the bike itself. The customer got to ride their fit on their old bike until their Serotta was ready, and then we'd do a fit check and adjust for differences in brake hood shape, etc.

I never saw anyone come in for a custom frame that didn't already have a decent road bike to fit.

[sales guy]

I started using one back in the early 90's. They help for customs mainly. Anything fit wise on a current bike, they are pointless. Especially now with removable face plates and threadless stems. Back in the day of course when that wasn't available, a size cycle helped.

People are selling them cause they just don't use them. If you are a shop who isn't into or known for custom bikes, then they just gather dust. For us, they make total sense. Can't have every single size frame in stock and then with the custom geometry options, a size cycle of some kind makes sense.

[weisan]

I nearly bought one several years ago at the closing sale of a local bike shop in Austin (Freewheeling). They were asking for $500. I countered $350. They refused. I thought I would come back in a day or two to see if they change their mind. In the end, someone else bought it.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VQaCgNKu9fs/Sc2c-toNz4I/AAAAAAAAAuU/UZsMNqAmTHk/s400/serotta.jpg

[Adam]

I still use our size cycle on a daily basis. I find being able to help a client find good contact points without hindrance is critical to our process. Fit info from this tool can be then applied to an existing bike, help select and tailor a stock bike, and along with an excel spreadsheet that I input the data, I can create drafts for custom bikes to be fabricated by any builder. We of course use it in conjunction with Dartfish Motion Capture and SpinScan pedal stroke analysis. Can get more info than you can shake a stick at!

[54ny77]

Mike, is that you? Great to see you into cycling now!

http://acidcow.com/pics/20141009/mike_tyson_movies_21.jpg

:D

We of course use it in conjunction with Dartfish Mothin Capture and SpinScan pedal stroke analysis.

[oldpotatoe]

Serotta Fit Cycles turn up all the time on eBay. There always seem to be a couple for sale. What do people think? Is this just a reflection of Serotta's demise, or were they obsolete before Serotta went out of business? Do former Serotta dealers still use them? Just curious.

Used one in Vecchios for a long time, nice rig. Updated to a Waterford one which was a little more adjustable(able to change crank length)...sold the serotta one in about an hour to a shop in Denver.

[benb]

It seems like everyone around here (by that I mean shops who are high end enough to have had a Serotta size-cycle) have moved onto computerized/motorized systems that cost 10-100x what the Serotta one cost, which enables them to charge $500 for a fit or whatever and lets them push buttons instead of having to turn wrenches, and saves them from having to measure stuff.

I don't think it made any difference at all in the quality of the fit, these fancier computer tools are good for the fitter who knows what they are doing but for the hacks I think it lets them think even less about what they are doing and what they are seeing.

I kind of wonder if some of these fancy fit systems are sold at a discount to the shops in the hopes that it causes the shops to order more custom bikes?

[sales guy]

It seems like everyone around here (by that I mean shops who are high end enough to have had a Serotta size-cycle) have moved onto computerized/motorized systems that cost 10-100x what the Serotta one cost, which enables them to charge $500 for a fit or whatever and lets them push buttons instead of having to turn wrenches, and saves them from having to measure stuff.

I don't think it made any difference at all in the quality of the fit, these fancier computer tools are good for the fitter who knows what they are doing but for the hacks I think it lets them think even less about what they are doing and what they are seeing.

I kind of wonder if some of these fancy fit systems are sold at a discount to the shops in the hopes that it causes the shops to order more custom bikes?

To your last comment, no, they aren't. The Guru DFU is $35k! That includes all the software, updates, back office stuff and of course training. But it's an insane amount of money.

The SICI one, which is the new computerized Serotta Size Cycle is 10 to 20K depending on the options you sign up for. It does not offer all the same things at the DFU but it's pretty nice. One of the funny things is Guru Sports who owns the DFU has the patents on a motorized fitting system. The SICI one is not motorized do to this so it still has hand cranks for adjusting.

[eBAUMANN]

I nearly bought one several years ago at the closing sale of a local bike shop in Austin (Freewheeling). They were asking for $500. I countered $350. They refused. I thought I would come back in a day or two to see if they change their mind. In the end, someone else bought it.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VQaCgNKu9fs/Sc2c-toNz4I/AAAAAAAAAuU/UZsMNqAmTHk/s400/serotta.jpg

ill sell you one for $350...;)

[Adam]

Mike, is that you? Great to see you into cycling now!

http://acidcow.com/pics/20141009/mike_tyson_movies_21.jpg

:D

Fixed it!

[zap]

To your last comment, no, they aren't. The Guru DFU is $35k! That includes all the software, updates, back office stuff and of course training. But it's an insane amount of money.

The SICI one, which is the new computerized Serotta Size Cycle is 10 to 20K depending on the options you sign up for. It does not offer all the same things at the DFU but it's pretty nice. One of the funny things is Guru Sports who owns the DFU has the patents on a motorized fitting system. The SICI one is not motorized do to this so it still has hand cranks for adjusting.

Geez, roi?

[bikinchris]

They were pretty much an essential tool for dealers and beyond as there were few ways fitters could do a dynamic fit at the time.

Now there are motion capture systems and other fit tools that have moved things forward.

They can be useful but are no longer the “Gold standard”

BK

I would think the gold standard of bike fitting had a lot more to do with the fitter than the equipment used to fit.

Oh, and my size cycle was about $2,000 which was right before Serotta started to only lease the size cycles.

[pjbaz]

ill sell you one for $350...;)

What don't you own? I'm constantly looking at your items for sale and thinking "how I can swing adding stuff when I want to reduce my own stash?"