Serotta Duetti A9

[JShort]

Ben Serotta is a longtime frame builder from my hometown. He recently transitioned to titanium frames so I picked up this aluminum one for a great price. My racing days are over so I just wanted something with round tubes and non annoying cable routing and this fit the bill nicely

 

[scott43]

That's a nice bike.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I had no idea that Serotta is back.

 

[JShort]

I had no idea that Serotta is back.

It's now back as "Serotta design studios" - not sure when they started making them, but they had a few alloy models made from 6069 alloy. I think it's a great frame, but I don't think there was much demand for alloy in the high-end market no matter how good it was, so they switched to titanium this year

 

[cantunamunch]

So....how's it ride?

 

[wooglin]

Round tubes and non annoying cable routing. Lol.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Very nice. Is this 52/36?

 

[scott43]

Thread drift warning: anyone spin out a 50x11??

 

[cantunamunch]

Thread drift warning: anyone spin out a 50x11??

Sure...we have plenty of hills that will do that. In fact, just last week:

...and that was with the very-much-not-aero MTB rim wheelset. I expect a lot of posters here to have tracks from bigger hills than that one.

 

[tch]

Thread drift warning: anyone spin out a 50x11??

Um.... after 40 mph, I stop pedaling....

 

[scott43]

Um.... after 40 mph, I stop pedaling....

Yeah like I did a hill last year and got around 50mph. But I wasn't pedalling at that speed. Admittedly I'm a cadence guy, prefer 90+ typically. I just couldn't spin out a 50x11 in "normal" riding. I couldn't imagine going back to a 53x39 line the old days. Wondering if it's just me.

#oldguy

 

[cantunamunch]

Yeah like I did a hill last year and got around 50mph. But I wasn't pedalling at that speed. Admittedly I'm a cadence guy, prefer 90+ typically. I just couldn't spin out a 50x11 in "normal" riding.

That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you -

One spins out 50x11 on days when one has limited time and needs to get the work in.
On hills that aren't scary-fast.
On hills that don't leave one's legs juiced from the climb up.
In traffic, so one's brain gets the full fight or flight instinct.
In the cold, so tucking out of the wind is a priority.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong - but that is my "normal".

Coast-down rides are not normal. Real estate poster rides are not normal.

For me, 50/36, 50/34, 48/34 are much better at doing both destination rides with hills and coast down and real estate poster rides at 8-12mph.

For quick, short, daily intensity on little 50'-200' bumps, 52-53 and a 39 are the bomb. In Ontario terms, 53/39 is drumlin gearing

 

[Tony Storaro]

Thread drift warning: anyone spin out a 50x11??

Not on the flats no but it is easily done on long descents

 

[Tony Storaro]

Yeah like I did a hill last year and got around 50mph. But I wasn't pedalling at that speed. Admittedly I'm a cadence guy, prefer 90+ typically. I just couldn't spin out a 50x11 in "normal" riding. I couldn't imagine going back to a 53x39 line the old days. Wondering if it's just me.

#oldguy

You are not alone. I live in a hilly area, at the foot of a mountain and most of the time it is either up or down. So 50/34 to 11-34 is what it is.
Gravel build will be 46/30 to 11-40, now we are talking.

 

[Tony Storaro]

That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you -

One spins out 50x11 on days when one has limited time and needs to get the work in.
On hills that aren't scary-fast.
On hills that don't leave one's legs juiced from the climb up.
In traffic, so one's brain gets the full fight or flight instinct.
In the cold, so tucking out of the wind is a priority.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong - but that is my "normal".

Coast-down rides are not normal. Real estate poster rides are not normal.

For me, 50/36, 50/34, 48/34 are much better at doing both destination rides with hills and coast down and real estate poster rides at 8-12mph.

For quick, short, daily intensity on little 50'-200' bumps, 52-53 and a 39 are the bomb. In Ontario terms, 53/39 is drumlin gearing

Also on those few and far between days when you have real strong tailwind. Doesn‘t happen often to me but a couple of days a season I get lucky.

 

[JShort]

So....how's it ride?

Admittedly I haven't spent a whole lot of time on it yet since 1) can't bring dog road biking and 2) cars are scary, and the limited time I've had on it I've been more focused on annoying things like getting used to a new saddle and being in a road bike position again. I also have alloy bar/stem on atm, which Serotta specifically said not to do, and I can confirm that the front end is very stiff.

All that being said, the frame is properly nice. The build is around 20lbs, so not weight weenie territory but not a noticeable penalty either. Geo is a bit more stable than most race bikes, but it still handles well

 

[cantunamunch]

Admittedly I haven't spent a whole lot of time on it yet since 1) can't bring dog road biking and 2) cars are scary, and the limited time I've had on it I've been more focused on annoying things like getting used to a new saddle

Yep, noticed the saddle position.

I also have alloy bar/stem on atm,

Yep, noticed that too.

which Serotta specifically said not to do,

Interesting.

. Geo is a bit more stable than most race bikes, but it still handles well

I didn't see geo numbers on the current website, do you happen to have them?

 

[JShort]

Round tubes and non annoying cable routing. Lol.

Here's the view of the "non annoying" cable routing. Not the prettiest but at least they were easy to put on

 

[JShort]

I didn't see geo numbers on the current website, do you happen to have them?

Screen grab from an email so excuse the potato quality. This particular frame is a "MLL"

 

[cantunamunch]

That's very interesting. @scott43 and I were looking at Factor frames just the other week, this is even tighter.

The apparent stiffness is now less of a mystery.