"It's The Tubing, Dammit!"

[Jeff N.]

Just curious. I have a Selle Italia Flite saddle with the Serotta logos embroidered on it as well as "Ride One...You'll See", and "It's The Tubing, Dammit!". Where do these slogans come from? Is the "Tubing" one something that Ben was overheard saying to someone who was querying about why/how Serotta's have such a sweet ride? Or are they merely catch phrases made up in the board room? Jeff N.

[boissy]

Just curious. I have a Selle Italia Flite saddle with the Serotta logos embroidered on it as well as "Ride One...You'll See", and "It's The Tubing, Dammit!". Where do these slogans come from? Is the "Tubing" one something that Ben was overheard saying to someone who was querying about why/how Serotta's have such a sweet ride? Or are they merely catch phrases made up in the board room? Jeff N.


I heard Ben speak in Austin a few years back and his story says it came from a bike shop in the North East where he was doing a clinic explaining the ride characteristics of a Serotta and one of the shop guy's yells out "it's the tubing dammit!!!

[Dude]

The version i heard, similar to Boissy's is that Ben was doing a dealer event at a shop in boston and Ben gives his spiel about why the bikes are so nice and ride so well. He gives a long detailed explanation. At the end of it, one of the shop employees raises his hand and asks, in so many words, what - again - makes the bike ride so well. Ben yells back in bemused frusturation "Its the tubing, damnit!" Everyone laughs, and the slogan is born.

"Ride one...you'll see." I don't know exactly where it came from but it is pretty self explanatory.

[Steelhead]

I heard Ben speak in Austin a few years back and his story says it came from a bike shop in the North East where he was doing a clinic explaining the ride characteristics of a Serotta and one of the shop guy's yells out "it's the tubing dammit!!!


Bicycle Sport Shop ?? My fave !

[Ti Designs]

In the days when Merlin was tucked away in Olive square in Somerville MA, they made THE titanium bike. By the time the Merlin Extralight came out there were others making Ti frames, but Merlin was still seen as the very top. Then a Serotta Legend Ti showed up. We got a 54L (they had stock standard or long geometries back then) with serial #001. It spent most of it's first day getting passed around the shop as a bare frame. No ripples at the tubing bends, flaired tubes and dropouts that didn't look like they were cut from a chunk of raw Ti by a 5 year old. Then it got built up and all of the sudden Merlin wasn't the king any more. "Ride one, you'll see" was about all the sales pitch anyone needed.