New Ottrott ST

[Michael Katz]

Picked up my Ottrott ST this evening. Rode it a couple of miles for the final fitting so too early to really report on the ride but initial impressions are that Kelly and my LBS really nailed both the fit and the front end responsiveness I wanted. The frame is polished Ti with Copper Harlequin tint of carbon tubes, fork and seat stays w/o decals. The Copper Harlequin tint transitions from purple to copper/gold depending on the light and angle of viewing. Very exotic, and in my opinion stunning, and is easily the most distinctive cosmetics of any bike I have owned. I chose the Copper Harlequin tint sight unseen. I couldn't find pictures of the Copper Harlequin tint actually applied to a bike anywhere and went on a blind faith recommendation from Kelly. I am not disappointed. Pictures to follow.

[victork]

I can't wait to see pictures.

[Dekonick]

Grats!

[Michael Katz]

Pictures have been posted to the Image Gallery trying to capture the shifting hues and colors of Copper Harlequin tint on the carbon fiber.

[Serotta PETE]

Great luck with the bike...a friend on mine (Phil) also got his last night......I am getting that itch for a new bike...... maybe I will borrow Phil's for a month on two. Pete

[victoryfactory]

Michael;
What a great design. The lack of decals really does put the focus on the tubes.
If you gave Serotta a couple of regular carbon fiber bottle cages I wonder
if they would tint them to match your tubes? Hmmm.

VF, who totally agrees with your choice of the Terry Fly, mine are the old
style which have "buzz off" embroidered on the back, way cool.

[Michael Katz]

Have finally had a chance to do a couple of rides on the Ottrott. A 35 mile relaxed recovery ride yesterday and a 60 mile torture fest today with gut wrenching climbs, adrenalin stoked descents and unrelenting pacelines. My verdict is that the bike does evrything I wanted it to do, exactly the way I wanted it. It has a nimble and quick front end and is extremely responsive in handling but with loads of stabilty and a total absence of twitchiness. It is incredibly efficient through the bottom bracket and drivetrain but yet absorbs road shock and smooths out rough roads superbly The fit is precisely the way I wanted it and I could not conceive of a more comfortable fit. I am delighted with this bike without a speck of reservation or thought of "what if". The center of the bullseye of what I wanted out of this bike has been hit.

I could continue to wax poetic, but in reality my subjective concepts of handling, ride and fit are not necessarily anyone elses. What I think is more relevent is how Serotta and my LBS were able to hit my "mark" so damn well, particularly when one considers that a fitter at a shop and Kelly probably have a frame of reference very much different than mine when trying to determine what a customer really means when throwing around descriptive terms about handling, ride and other desired characteristics. The key, of course, in any custom process is communication. What I think often gets overlooked, however, if you can't create a common point of reference between the customer, LBS and designer, there is a significant inherent risk that the words used don't convey the same meaning to all the players in the process.

What I did this time around, that I have not done before, was that I gave my LBS and Kelly the full specs and even a CAD drawing of my existing bikes. So that when I said that I wanted my new bike to do A, B, C and D the same or different than this bike or that, they had a measurable objective point of reference to be able understand in quantifiable terms what otherwise would have been just subjective expressions of my desires. This added a whole different dimension to the interactive process. Between the initial fitting and subsequent discussions we probably spent at least 4 hours dialing in a common understanding of what I really wanted but boy did it work! I am extremely gratified and pleased with the time, effort and willingness to listen and accept design reference points from other sources shown by my LBS and particularly Kelly.

[soulspinner]

Love to hear a compare and contrast with your Spectrum.

[Michael Katz]

A couple of posts have asked for a comparison of the 2. Once the "new bike euphoria" has settled down, I'll be in a better position to fairly do so.

[va rider]

From one Philadelphian to another, congrats! There are few feelings as good riding that new bike. Enjoy and maybe I will see you on the road, you won't be hard to miss!