Nathanrtaylor
06-18-2009, 09:37 AM
My company sent me to the Austin/Round Rock, Texas area for the better part of this week, and I rented a Serotta HSG carbon from Bicycle Sport Shop in central Austin. After 80 or so miles (no computer mounted) I think I can write a decent review of the bike.
A bit about the setup:
58 cm Serotta HSG carbon frame
Dura Ace 7800 groupset
Zipp Team Issue Wheelset
First off, it's a beautiful bike in person. The decals look a bit cheap, but that's only because they are decals instead of paint. If I were to order one, I would have it set up with minimal decals to show off more of the carbon weave.
It's also light. Not sure about exact weight, but at least a couple of pounds lighter than my CDA.
Bicycle Sport Shop had it set up when I arrived and it needed virtually no tweaking to fit. I highly recommend them if you need a rental in the Austin area.
Ride review:
Temps right around 100 degrees, high humidity, and consistent 15 mph winds out of the South every day - but that wasn't the bike's fault. I will not be complaining about the heat when I get back to Nashville.
The first thing that I noticed was that the bike was stiffer than my CDA. Noticeably stiffer. It felt like it contributed to a few more mph in stoplight sprints. Still, on bad pavement, it didn't feel like it would beat you up. Even longer rides didn't seem like they would be a problem, though I kept my rides this week to under two hours because I wasn't used to the heat.
It turns fast. Really fast. But isn't twitchy. It feels like a car with equal front/rear weight distribution... if that makes sense. A lot of my riding was in fairly busy urban areas, and the bike let me jump potholes, turn through intersections at high speed, and stop quickly with ease. I guess it would make a good bike for crits, but I've never ridden a crit.
Last night I rode out to the edge of the "Hill Country" around Austin and finally got a chance to see how it climbed. It does. Easy power transfer. No feeling of waste. One rider on a Specialized Tarmac that I chatted with while riding the other day asked if the bottom bracket was a bit "gentle" - as in flexy, I guess - Uh. No. No flex that I could feel.
It's also super stable on descents.
Bottom line. It definitely has that Serotta feel, but it's tuned differently than the other Serottas I've ridden (an Ottrott and a CDA). Odd analogy here, but if my CDA is a V-twin sport touring motorcycle, the HSG is an inline four race bike. It feels best when it's going fast, and doesn't beat you up while getting there.
I don't quite think I'm ready to start saving for one, since there is a lot of overlap with my current bike in function, but it definitely seems to be worth the price.
A bit about the setup:
58 cm Serotta HSG carbon frame
Dura Ace 7800 groupset
Zipp Team Issue Wheelset
First off, it's a beautiful bike in person. The decals look a bit cheap, but that's only because they are decals instead of paint. If I were to order one, I would have it set up with minimal decals to show off more of the carbon weave.
It's also light. Not sure about exact weight, but at least a couple of pounds lighter than my CDA.
Bicycle Sport Shop had it set up when I arrived and it needed virtually no tweaking to fit. I highly recommend them if you need a rental in the Austin area.
Ride review:
Temps right around 100 degrees, high humidity, and consistent 15 mph winds out of the South every day - but that wasn't the bike's fault. I will not be complaining about the heat when I get back to Nashville.
The first thing that I noticed was that the bike was stiffer than my CDA. Noticeably stiffer. It felt like it contributed to a few more mph in stoplight sprints. Still, on bad pavement, it didn't feel like it would beat you up. Even longer rides didn't seem like they would be a problem, though I kept my rides this week to under two hours because I wasn't used to the heat.
It turns fast. Really fast. But isn't twitchy. It feels like a car with equal front/rear weight distribution... if that makes sense. A lot of my riding was in fairly busy urban areas, and the bike let me jump potholes, turn through intersections at high speed, and stop quickly with ease. I guess it would make a good bike for crits, but I've never ridden a crit.
Last night I rode out to the edge of the "Hill Country" around Austin and finally got a chance to see how it climbed. It does. Easy power transfer. No feeling of waste. One rider on a Specialized Tarmac that I chatted with while riding the other day asked if the bottom bracket was a bit "gentle" - as in flexy, I guess - Uh. No. No flex that I could feel.
It's also super stable on descents.
Bottom line. It definitely has that Serotta feel, but it's tuned differently than the other Serottas I've ridden (an Ottrott and a CDA). Odd analogy here, but if my CDA is a V-twin sport touring motorcycle, the HSG is an inline four race bike. It feels best when it's going fast, and doesn't beat you up while getting there.
I don't quite think I'm ready to start saving for one, since there is a lot of overlap with my current bike in function, but it definitely seems to be worth the price.