Thanks to Serotta owner Scott Wente for this post!
40 miles on a new bike. I've had my new Serotta for a little over a month. The weather has been anything but ideal for riding. Snow, ice and cold- I've gotten in a few rides on my old bike, but I just could not chance taking out the Serotta. Last night just as I was getting ready to leave work the phone rang. It was the man himself -Ben Serotta! We had a short talk, I told him I had Wednesday off and was planning to take the new Ottrott out. "Have a good ride, I'm sure you will enjoy it." It was like being blessed by the Pope..(if I were Catholic.) I should have known it was going to be a great ride!
So the day was here. Day off, check. 40 degrees, check. Roads dry, check. New Serotta Ottrott w/ Campagnolo Super Record 11 in the garage, double check. I had to alter my original route due to wind. Wind in Wisconsin is rare, but I didn't care. The plan was to get in 40 miles. The wind was out of the south, so I will ride south. I don't ride south much. I live in Janesville and work in Madison, that's north. So I would be on some new roads. As I started the ride I wanted to go with an open mind. I have ridden a Cervelo R3 for the last 2 years - an unbelievable ride. Smooth over the road and stiff in the bottom bracket. I also had Sram red on the R3, thought it was the best thing out there last year. Now it was time to compare..... There is a reason it's called "Super Record" . . . it is! The first thing I noticed was the feel of the ergo levers. They fit my hand better then any other shift/brake lever set I have ever tried, very comfortable. Heading out of town I ran through the gears front and rear. Fast and smooth. Front shifting flawless, quick throw from the 34 to the 50, no issues at all. The rear shifts before you finish the thought. I was so busy running through the gears I forgot that I had a Ottrott under me! So yes its a smooth ride!! The roads are not the bad, but it is March in Wisconsin so the road is broken up and rough. Not only is the Ottrott a smooth ride, but it is super stable. Think where you want to be and you are there. I rode through broken up pavement next to the edge of the road with no problems. (The R3 was, by comparison, a little twitchy on super rough sections.) I can not explain it. It's the experience of riding a bike that moves with you, one that knows where you want to be and then takes you there. It is by far the best first impression I have ever had on a bike. Going up hill - very quick response. Stand up to climb, and no front derailleur rub. A very firm bottom bracket and impressive smoothness. Going down the other side - again, very stable. I think I could have let go of the handlebars and the bike would not have veered an inch! But I didn't...... It was a little windy so I rode in the drops alot. The shift/brake levers were easy to reach both up and down shifting - everything right where it needed to be. Weaving through the roads of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois I kind of got lost in the ride - watching the Garmin seeing where this road would take me and how it would wind back to where I need to be. Once again I remembered how much fun bike riding can be. I just got lost in riding my bike! And that is something that you can't explain. So I will stop trying. .... When I rolled into the driveway I had ridden 41.77 miles. The last half or so I had a tailwind, that's always good! My toes were cold, my legs were sore. But I've got no problem with that. The cold toes only meant I didn't wear my winter boots, and the sore legs meant I had a good ride!
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