Serotta market

[malcolm]

Expanding on Williams post with the Harley article.

Where I live doesn't really have much of a serotta presence. One dealer does sell them, but if they have any in the shop it is usually only one and you would have to go there looking for it. They also sell trek, cdale and I think one or two others.

As I mentioned in Williams post I came to serotta because may years ago when I was ridding whatever mismatched POS I could cobble together I lusted after 'nagos and various italian bikes until I saw a serotta in person and knew I wanted one. That image stayed with me until I finally could afford one.

I now know several older guys, older than me (60s) that ride a good bit and can afford whatever they want and spend a fair bit on income on bikes. They almost all ride carbon fiber treks and specialized. They ride these bikes for two reasons one they are what they see the pros riding and they are what the local shops sell. In my market serotta looses out two dimensionally no presence in racing and no presence it the local shops. The latter I'm sure is because this certainly isn't a cycling mecca but it is growing. Here they are losing the guys that most folks think make up their market.

[bobswire]

Serotta is more word of mouth and have a loyal following than based on what pro teams are doing/riding (who'd probably do better if they were riding Serotta's).
Besides Serotta's are custom based thus fill a role in the custom build niche.
If they want to compete with Trek/Specialized and expand their brand then they'll have to move operations to China/SouthEastAsia*. Please don't!!!




*see Cannondale

[rugbysecondrow]

I think money has little to do with it as there is a ton of money wrapped up in bikes on the roads, but it has to do with presense. If I go to the local shop's', I can get a Trek, Dale, Giant etc (not knocking them) and walk out that day having spent thousands of dollars, getting lifetime tune-ups and feeling like I got good value. Getting a Serotta or another custom is a more deliberate purchase likely for somebody who is looking for their3rd, 4th or 5th generation bike. It is not typically an impulse purchase, but very purposeful.

The stock Serottas might help, but they still need to get them into the shops and these shops have to be able to size people on them properly. Not sure how this role out will work, but it will be intersting to watch.

[AndrewS]

I think it is rare that Serotta would be in direct competition with Trek and Specialized. While they all sell high end machines, the appeal of Serotta is the same as Sachs, Parlee, IF and other custom high end makers. The kind of people who buy a $8000 Trek are unlikely to ever consider something that takes the time and energy a custom or semi-custom does.

Serotta and their competitors are the choice of people who do research and ask good questions. Trek Madone's are the blingy version of off-the-shelf. The kind of thing for people who would buy a $60,000 GMC. If Serotta was in direct competition with Trek and Specialized's high end they would probably need to hire a couple hundred extra workers and become a different kind of company.

[William]

At the time I started racing in the early 90's Serotta had a large presence in the racing scene. Many of the successful guys were riding them and I lusted after one. At the time they were present in the local shops and there were Collegiate deals to be had. Frankly at the time that made it possible for young guns to afford Serotta racing iron and that perpetuated the lust with upcoming racers.

Then the collegiate programs dried up and the number of dealers seemed to diminish. The Serottas slowly started disappearing in the local races. Over that time prices were moving up to the point where many younger people couldn't afford them. A couple of years out of the local crits and road races and the up and comers are looking at what ever else is being ridden successfully in the amateur and pro ranks. Out of sight, out of mind.

As someone who competed on Serottas, my lust for the brand has endured...but I basically matured on one and carried that lust with me. That's part of what they are missing by being mostly absent from the racing scene. Many other folks, as has been mentioned, got into them later when they could afford one. Nothing wrong with that but it goes to show that the perception of Serotta as Racing pedigree has changed to that of a ride you get when you're older and more successful (for the most part).




William

[Jason E]

At the time I started racing in the early 90's Serotta had a large presence in the racing scene. Many of the successful guys were riding them and I lusted after one. At the time they were present in the local shops and there were Collegiate deals to be had. Frankly at the time that made it possible for young guns to afford Serotta racing iron and that perpetuated the lust with upcoming racers.

Then the collegiate programs dried up and the number of dealers seemed to diminish. The Serottas slowly started disappearing in the local races. Over that time prices were moving up to the point where many younger people couldn't afford them. A couple of years out of the local crits and road races and the up and comers are looking at what ever else is being ridden successfully in the amateur and pro ranks. Out of sight, out of mind.

As someone who competed on Serottas, my lust for the brand has endured...but I basically matured on one and carried that lust with me. That's part of what they are missing by being mostly absent from the racing scene. Many other folks, as has been mentioned, got into them later when they could afford one. Nothing wrong with that but it goes to show that the perception of Serotta as Racing pedigree has changed to that of a ride you get when you're older and more successful (for the most part).




William

My experience parallel's yours, having started racing in '87 while in Junior High. I remember seeing 7-11 and Coors on Serotta, not to mention Olympians and others. I grew up thinking, at the time, that the finest bikes were handmade steel by Serotta, Eddy, and Colnago.

I love my Serottas, am still mostly under 40, and hate seeing them almost always with eight feet of headtube and stack and rise... no offense intended. It's no big deal if that's what it takes to make it fit, I just wish there were a few more Serottas like my Atlanta in the weekend rides. It seems few and far between and makes me a sad.