We have a tremendous amount of talented artisian craftsmen at Serotta who are passionate about what they do. They are fantastic on the job and many carry their craft over into their free time. I wanted to share the latest creation from Darrell in the CNC Department. At a top speed of about 35 miles per hour, this is definitely fun to chase. Woof!
My Bike
By Darrell
I’ve worked at Serotta for the past seven years, helping to build some of the best competition bicycles in the world. During the framebuilding process, we reject all carbon fiber tubing that is less than perfect. Seeing the scrap box full of tubing seemed like such a waste, so I decided to use it to build some bikes.
This is the “L.C.2,” the second in a series of four. The idea was to just have fun—play with the bicycle’s geometry and a two stroke motor. As it was coming together, lots of people stepped up and offered expert advice. With some imagination and technical support from Brian Smith (“the Bicycle Genius”), Briar Sesselman in the bonding department, and the rest of the crew, this bike became a reality.
The frame was built from hand-mitered tubes that were “tack glued” in a bicycle jig. The lugs are all hand-wrapped, using 12K twill carbon fiber that was soaked in epoxy resin and then hand-sanded for a nice finish. I learned from the first bike (the “L.C.1”) that I wanted a more secure way to mount the motor. With help from the CNC department, we came up with an aluminum-bonded motor mount for the seat tube. The “L.C.2” is fitted with a 48 cc 2-stroke motor. Its top speed is about 35 mph, and it gets 160 mpg. Carbon fiber is an excellent vibration dampener, so the ride is surprisingly smooth. You can either pedal it, motor it, or both.
Big thanks to the Serotta Crew and to Ben Serotta for encouraging me to build from the “scrap” box. I love my bike, and it’s been a great learning experience.
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