I say it’s about time for a tapered steer tube on an aero bike. The hour glass shape of the head tube is well executed and looks to flare out at the point that that a typical fork would flare out, most likely not causing that much more drag and much better handling.
Too bad they didn’t use a BB30 or larger like Look’s 50mm spindle.
And their super light road bike looks super classy: (nice custom Vumaquad cranks!)
I just got done looking at Cyclingnew’s coverage, and Serotta just doesn’t to it for me. Those carbon bikes were heinous!
Sorry, but I just don’t like them.
Those Serottas are pretty nice bikes indeed but somehow I am not that inspired by them or the Parlee bikes. Even tough I am not a retro / traditional guy, the Vanilla and Naked bikes are much more exciting and inspiring to me.
Parlee and Serotta are a little out of place at the Handmade Bicycle Show. Sure, these guys custom make their bikes, but are they as handmade as the Calfee bamboo and long horn bikes? or the bikes that show off awesome metal work and wood work? I love their bikes, but they stick out.
That said, I like the Serotta and the Parlee TT bikes. They do look a little plain, but the new Serotta steer tube is a first for TT bikes, isn’t it? and they can make the bike in any geometry that you want with varying wheel cut outs and with your own custom paint job, so you can make the bike as bad ass as you’d like.
how about the EE brakes on the Serotta road bike. I like that bike!
Sorry, but I just don’t like them.
Do you think it is cool for you to respond like this when you are somewhat of a “competitor?” They actually do fabricate stuff and that is why they are allowed to exhibit at the NAHMBS.
I was just expressing my opinion on the look of the Serotta bikes.
I do like the look of many brands other then my own.
but the new Serotta steer tube is a first for TT bikes, isn’t it?
No, Germans already doing it.
And first to do something daft is not a good thing anyway. Though neither is following daft footsteps.
as cyclenutnz already pointed out, asymmetrical headtubes are not something new. Kuota has been doing it for the last 1+ year, The new Kestrel Airfoil is using it.
FWIW i think they are a PITA, greatly limiting your fork choice to whatever they want to spec.
Three things I don’t get on the aero bike:
(1) “beefy” headtube
(2) that toptube-seatstay junction,
and, now for the dumbest thing I’ve seen in a while,
(3) “compact” horizontal rear dropouts (appears there is no adjustability for rear wheel, but all the PITA that comes with horizontal rear dropouts).
But it looks good and, to casual observer, it looks aero, so it should sell to its target audience.
I’m surprised to hear people hating on the Serrotta and Parlee TT frames. I’ve seen both in person and they’re probably my top 2 “if I had a million dollars” TT bikes. I really like that the’re minimalist (especially with their graphics) yet aero and modern at the same time.
I’m surprised to hear people hating on the Serrotta and Parlee TT frames.
Who said anything about hating?