Why so few Serottas & Sevens? (at triathlons)

[shumanmo]

Some folks here may be interested in a discussion going on at the Slowtwitch forum (a triathlon web site) about the relative merits of custom frames from Serotta and stock triathlon bikes.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=230671;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC ;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed

[Zard]

A lot of triathletes don't come from a biking background and simply follow what is being marketed. I'm always amazed at the number of triathletes that struggle to even change a flat tire. That's not to diminish their athletic abilities because most of these folks are fitter and faster than your average rider.

Anyway,the fact is that Serotta and other similar builders don't really market heavily to the triathlon group.

As to the discussion that only a tri bike builder can build a tri bike...well that's just a bunch of hooey. The majority of tri bikes seen at triathlons are stock alumunium rigs such as Cervelo, Giant, Quintana Roo, etc. Frankly, they are a great value and get you racing for as little as $1,500 for a nice, functional bike but they leave a lot to be desired over a long course.

My favorite observation of these bikes comes around the end of the bike leg, especially in the half and full ironman distance whenever someone next to me hits a bump or pot hole. Every single one of these guys or gals winces and groans. Not sure if its the material, the sizing or the fit. But I certainly don't have that problem on my rig. Thanks Ben. :)

[Andreu]

but the guys and gals who do these events generally ride a specific type of bike and have a fairly specific position. I would contend that going custom on this is obviously possible but there are plenty of other bike manufacturers (particulalry here) who cater for this form of torture... I mean.. race. E.g. guys in the U.k who road race and TT alot would have two different bikes with different specs for each event.
A

[jerk]

triathlon and time-trials are the one place in cycling where you can actually buy speed. as drafting is illegal, aerodynamics are everything. a steep angled tri bike allows the rider to rotate around the bottom bracket, thereby allowing a lower handlebar position while maintaining a somewhat open hip angle. there are no rapid starts and stops and jumps or drastic increases or decreases in pace in a triathlon or time trial, aerodynamics take precedence over everything else but you do need a bicycle which is designed to be ridden in the aero position. of course serotta can make a time trial frame or a steep angled tri bike, but guess what kids all other things being equal, a cervelo p3 is a faster bike. certain studies have also indicated that a steep seat angle helps ease transition into the run...in any case the more aero you are the faster you go or the less energy you'll need to exert leaving you fresher for the run.
lance would have won the tour on any road bike as long as the fit was reasonable. fabian cancellera would have finished last in the prologue if he was riding a road bike.

jerk

[shumanmo]

The reason I find this thread interesting is because it by the fourth page of this thread it veers into a discussion of custom fit verses triathlon design. Among others, Paul Levine, who I gather is the man to go to for a Serotta fit on the east coast, pushes the custom fit side of the argument and Dan Empfield, founder of Quintana Roo and host of the site. argues that good fit won't help if the bike isn't desinged specifically for triathlons - and that Ben Serotta doesn't know squat about triathlons. Empfield refuses to give any specifics about exactly what it is that Serotta misses, so I think he looks pretty dogmatic in the thread and I give the argument to Levine. But in one of his earlier responses, Empfield gives a link to one of his papers on that site that spells out some pretty detailed theories of what a triathlon bike should look like. At any rate, it's interesting stuff.

[shaq-d]

unfortunately what could have been a great thread on slowtwitch has turned into an unfruitful cervelo love-fest by the guy who owns the forum against those professionals who work in the field doing custom fit serottas and what-not. the simple fact is u can ask serotta, and anyone who can weld two sticks together, to make a bike exactly like the cervelo, and it will be just as good/indistinguishable. and this goes for any other geometry out there. what's all this hocus-pocus about not being as good as so-and-so because so-and-so has allt his knowledge? i don't buy it. given the same experience and framebuilding skills, a guy can build a porsche 911 as good as the porsche guys themselves. same with bikes.

as for why there are so few serottas... well, it's a matter of cost isn't it? a tri guy has to allocate his budget to three sports; a bike guy doesn't.

sd

[deechee]

haha that's a funny one. I think triathletes just spend three times as much. I always feel like I have the cheapest bike around...

[shumanmo]

as for why there are so few serottas... well, it's a matter of cost isn't it? a tri guy has to allocate his budget to three sports; a bike guy doesn't.

*********

Almost all my triathlon money goes into the bike. Once you get running shoes and a swim suit, you're done in two of the sports.

Except for club membership so you can practice your swim . . . and swimming lessons . . . and a heart rate monitor. . .and a wet suit . . . and a bike trainer for the off season . . . and running clothes for all seasons . . and the cost of hiring a coach. . . and entry fees for races, with hotels if it's in another city.

As Gilda said . . . never mind!

[max_powers]

I got me a nice new 9 spd solid race bike, Slopin, 1 1/8 carbon, and a new pair of Sidi Genious out the door for $1000.

And I'm faster than I was on my (sold here) Serotta lengend Ti. After 25 years of racing and training.

I continue to laugh at the Serotta Snobs blowing smoke into each other. Probably why I see few Serotta in the pack here in SoCal. Been there done that, don't need it.

Just like when I ask here Why Serotta has no Integrated Headset?? The answer I get is a link to a diatribe on the subject from King Headsets, Duh of course he would dismiss them, he has everything to lose.

Simplify

[JohnS]

I'm happy for you!