Thoughts on why I didn’t die (twice) on July 17 and what it all means

By Ben Serotta

Two days after being hit by a pick-up truck my day is so routine it struck me that something is missing in this moment. Maybe it’s all the greetings and positive comments that have come in on Facebook, email and forum threads that give me pause. They are the little reminders that I am about the luckiest man on the planet today, doing my average day routine, just two days later.



Risking the appearance of being a self absorbed narcissist, here’s a quick recap:



I was riding along on a glorious Sunday morning on one of Saratoga County’s fantastic rural roads- great pavement, good shoulder and little to no traffic. Nursing a hyper-extended knee injury I was going at a nice tempo on a relatively flat road, head up, hands on the hoods. I was wearing a white jersey given to me courtesy of Cyclefit and GPM10 and my red/white Catlike helmet. I was very visible and I could see clearly.



Suddenly coming in the opposite direction, a full size dark colored pickup came into view and he turned towards me as if to intentionally hit me (it wasn’t until after I was on the ground looking around that I understood he was turning into a driveway, his driveway).



What happened next is hard to reconstruct. What I remember first and foremost was being angry as hell that somebody was driving this truck at me…and “how dare they fuck me over.” Whether or not I actually let loose an audible tirade or not, I can’t say for sure, but in a millisecond my brain was letting loose a very long expletive. No life flashing before my eyes, no thinking of regrets, just absolute rage that somebody was testing my resolve to live. I remember straight-arming the top of the hood and pushing off hard, you know fullback style. Maybe that’s what saved my life and my body the first time.



I remember the sensation of impact thinking my hip and femur were dashed…then landing on the ground and yelling. I also realized that I could still see and hear and that the truck was still trying to move forward towards me, revving its engine slightly.



I think my bike saved my life the second time. Noticing that something was well wedged under his vehicle the driver finally stopped and put the truck in park.



Two days later, I am getting previously unrevealed glimpses, momentary flashes of the time between recognizing imminent peril and sitting up on the ground, calmly talking to and with the bewildered gentleman who had almost turned me into pizza mista in his driveway. I remember asking for quiet while I checked in with all my body parts, discovering in disbelief that everything was still attached and better yet still moved on demand. No pools of blood either.



I looked up at the driver who was red faced and frightened, either from what had been coming out of my mouth or fear over what he’d done, or might have done or all the above. I realized, that he was as surprised as I …he clearly hadn’t seen me or if he did, it didn’t register, I knew he hadn’t intentionally tried to run me over. But I’m glad that in the moment, that’s what I felt, for the strength it gave me. “Today, we’re both very lucky. You didn’t kill me,” I told him and he readily agreed.



Today I looked more closely at the bike and I am even more convinced that the bike saved me during the truck’s second attempt to produce coque au Ben. Every component on the bike is trashed:

Both wheels are bent, split, spokes snapped, tires blown. Brake levers busted. The aluminum seatpost bent and saddle sheared off as they made contact with my inner leg (probably the nastiest looking bruise I’ve ever had); the right pedal and mooring are ripped out of the crank arm, the front brake is bent, the rear brake bolt snapped.



But the frame and fork? The fork did not snap and is true. The left rear carbon stay has a crack, but it is intact.



Stepping outside of my biased role here at the company….I swear, this is awe inspiring to me and should be to anyone else. Everyone here who has looked at the bike is in awe and they should be. They should be proud too. I am also sure that in this day and age when sales, product and marketing are focused on “stiff and light” that there is probably no other carbon bike in the world that would not have become a thousand pieces of carbon shrapnel while giving way to a 2 ½ ton determined pick-up truck. Surely at minimum I’d have had nasty splinters to deal with in addition to whatever other carnage probably would have happened.



I absolutely believe that I owe my life in part to Mike Lopez, Serotta’s bona fide carbon wizard, and our combined design philosophy, and as well to the people who execute to that with perfection every day, whether in carbon or steel or titanium…the ethos is always there. I owe them all thanks and praise for a job well done and for being there with me in a moment of crisis.



Hermenegildo Acevedo, Bryar Sessleman, Celestino Lopez, Brain Smith, Baltazar Lupercio, Frank Cenchitz, Javier Mora, Anthony Seberger, Ronald Rehkopf, Celestino Williams, Joshua Mock, Caleb Sesselman, Jeffrey Wager, Travis LaPrairie, Shane Haberland, Arron Kopp, Darren Brachetti, Scott Hock, Patrick O’Farrell and Mike Lopez….thank you all for doing it right, every day…you are awesome and I love you.







Closing thoughts (for now).

Continuing my post mortem of the bike. I’m glad that I continue to use Deda aluminum bars and stem….and Thompson aluminum seat post….they didn’t break or shatter either, nor did my Campy Shamal rims (did break, didn’t shatter), probably sparing me nasty wounds and helping to support the truck… there was a good pecking order to strength in this accident…



We didn’t intend to build my MeiVici to withstand the weight of a full sized pick-up and I don’t recommend that anyone else goes out and tries seeing if their bike of any brand fares better. On the other hand my faith in our design integrity is further reinforced…build to last, build for the real world, build every bike as though it’s our last statement. And so is my confidence in carbon fiber construction that’s done right. There are hundreds if not thousands of photos and videos on the internet of failed carbon product…but you can be sure it has nothing to do with choosing the wrong material, it’s in the design and execution where the difference is made. It’s why our carbon BB has more than 70 separate pieces including a titanium sleeve…and a lot of other stuff that elevates Serotta carbon beyond other carbon.



Are our bikes overbuilt? I don’t know for certain…but I do know they are not under-built and with only a small weight penalty over the uber-light stuff I am pretty comfortable with where we are at.



I could easily start on a tangent now, hypothesizing that the increase in pro crashes has a correlation to overly light & stiff bikes (not necessarily harsh, but stiff), but I’ll save that for another time.



Hoping to share the road with you,

Ben

From Outside looking in...a completely impartial view from Outside Magazine

http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/the-cycle-life-serotta-meivici-se-reviewed.html

The FIT Makes all the Difference

There are a ton of stars within the Serotta family. One of them is Paraic McGlynn, Director of Applied Cycling Science for the Serotta International Cycling Institute. He recently was quoted in a Bicycling Magazine article about the potential causes for discomfort on the bike.

Here is Paraic in FIT action with one of the athletes on the West Point Triathlon Team. Read on! Woof!

http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/article/0,6802,s1-5-33-21634-1-P,00.html

Numbness Prevention

Ditch the Tingles. Keep the feeling in your extremities by tweaking your bike setup
By Matt Allyn

It starts with a tingle in your big toe or pinkie finger. Before long, your foot, hand or entire leg has gone numb and you spend the rest of your ride squirming to get the feeling back, says Paraic McGlynn, director of applied cycling science at the Serotta International Cycling Institute. Most numbness issues are caused by poor fit. Here's how to adjust your setup so your extremities never fall asleep on a ride again.

Feet: Ill-fitting footwear is the root cause of most lower-extremity numbness. When shopping for shoes, consider their width and height in addition to numerical size, says McGlynn. "Shoes with more height allow for taller arches," he says. Shoes that are too small pinch nerves in your metatarsal arch at the ball of the foot. The arch will collapse if it's not adequately buttressed, so be sure yours have sufficient support.

Hands: A long reach to your handlebar creates a wrist extension that pinches nerves," McGlynn says. To determine your correct reach, ask a friend to watch you spin on a trainer. When your hands are on the hoods, your elbows should be slightly bent and your arms should be perpendicular to your torso. Vibrations from aluminum handlebars can also rattle your hands to sleep. McGlynn recommends installing Bontrager BzzzKill dampers ($10/pair) to absorb road chatter.

Groin: Leaning forward on your saddle compresses the perineal nerves (in the soft area between your groin and butt), which cuts off blood flow and feeling. First check your saddle tilt, says McGlynn. The top should be parallel to the ground, which allows your sit bones to carry most of your weight. Next, check your handlebar reach as described above; a long reach rotates your hips forward and transfers weight to your perineum.LegsA saddle that's wrong for your body can place excess weight on nerves and blood vessels, numbing you from your hips down, so test-ride a few with varying shapes and thicknesses. If you still experience numbness and loss of power after dialing in fit and gear, you may have iliac artery impingement, a condition that restricts blood flow to the legs, McGlynn says. The affliction is rare, but can turn up in cyclists who train in aggressive and time-trial positions. A 2004 study in Sports Medicine found the condition in 20 percent of elite cyclists surveyed. If rest and a more relaxed position fail to solve the problem, see your doctor.

Beyond Fit
Fit specialist Paraic McGlynn warns that not all numbness can be remedied with position adjustments and may require medical help. Sometimes, a spinal condition—such as a herniated disc, spine misalignment or disc degeneration—is the culprit. When these problems occur in the lumbar (lower, inward-curving) spine, they often cause lower-extremity discomfort or numbness. When in the upper spine, they affect your arms, shoulders and hands.

Serotta has a "Woody"

In this day and age of space age materials and composites, it sometimes is nice to go back to the roots. I know that when I am out walking with Ben and he throws a stick, to grab on to a nice piece of wood feels good. The familiar texture, smell and taste is comforting and takes us to our roots. Well, we haven't gone to the extreme of creating an all wooden bicycle frame, but we continually want to challenge our world class paint department to expland their skill set. For this, we brought in the best paint company in the world PPG, and their master air brush artist Paul Stoll who worked with the team to create a Serotta "Woody". The result were amazing. Thanks to Jared Porter for the write up and to he and Mike Sylvia for the pics and the Serotta Paint shop for being so amazing. Thanks also to Ric Hjertberg and the Wheel Fanatyk for the use of the amazing Ghisalo Wooden wheels. http://wheelfanatyk.blogspot.com/ Woof!

Project Wood:
Reported by Jared PorterSerotta Production Manager
Paul Stoll and Ross Barber from PPG, our paint supplier paid us a visit last week. The purpose of the visit was for Paul to do some hands on training with the paint shop staff. Paul's specialty is air brushing and special effect painting. He was kind enough to demonstrate a wide array of air brush techniques as well as showing us how to make paint look exactly like wood grain.

Paul is truly a master, watching him work on the wood grained Meivici AE was hypnotic. Each movement served a purpose and something new was revealed every minute or two. The end result is stunning. A truly cutting edge carbon fiber frame painted very convincingly to look like oak is a great juxtaposition. I am certain it will cause folks at the North American Handmade Bike Show to scratch their heads in wonder.


Another great aspect of the visit was watching Paul work with the guys who work in the paint shop. Paul spent a lot of one on one time with the staff. Each person came away having focused on something they were interested in learning. It opened a creative doorway as well. Watching Paul work I quickly came to the realized that the limiting factor for airbrush work is the imagination of the painter.

Ross was kind enough to sponsor a night of R&R at West Mountain as well. We had fantastic conditions for a night of skiing and boarding. Everyone had a great time and really appreciated Ross’s gesture, though we were hoping he would join us on the hill, maybe next time.

PPG has been fantastic partner to Serotta over the years. They provide us with the best products for finishing the best built bicycles in the world. PPG has been focusing on education of their customers for a long time. Giving Serotta a house call was an amazing opportunity. We owe great thanks to PPG and our local rep Ross Barber.

Paul Stoll and Serotta Paint Manager, Bill MacDonald

Army Cadets Choose Serotta

Last Monday 5 elite athletes from one of the fastest triathlon teams in the country, the cadets from West Point were at Serotta for another round of fittings. We were extremely pleased to host them and their performances since riding Serotta bicycles speaks volumes about our fit process and the quality of our ride. Thanks to Major Andy Caine for the following article and pictures. Woof!

Partnership With SEROTTA Key to Program’s Success



The problem was clear and it spanned the entirety of the West Point team in the fall of 2008: Bikes. More specifically, high quality triathlon bikes that actually fit and enabled the athletes to race to their potential. The Problem...The team did not have any.

What the team had was a hodgepodge of road and triathlon bikes, the majority of which may not have earned a second look at a flea market. Ryan Peacock's back was so curved when he rode his bike that he looked like “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Something had to be done.

The savior was businessmen and Serotta Competition Bicycle investor Richard Nager, who visited West Point in September of 2008. Unfamiliar with the area, he asked tri team officer representative, Major Caine, if he would take him on a ride. Major Caine brought four team members, including Ryan, along for a 40-miler though Harriman State Park. By the end of the ride, Mr. Nager was convinced Serotta and West Point Triathlon should be partners. His vision became the driving force behind a program that has been critical to the team‟s increased success.

Along with USMA ‘77 Graduate and former professional cyclist, Bill Watkins, Richard Nager connected the dots. By November five team members were personally meeting CEO Ben Serotta and getting fit by Paraic McGlynn, the company’s chief fit instructor.



It was a match made in heaven: Serotta is one of the very few true American bike companies, making 100% of their bikes on American soil, the majority at their factory in Saratoga Springs, NY. Like West Point, Serotta represents the elite of its industry, maintaining the highest production standards and never sacrificing quality for expediency.

However, it is not just the quality of the bike materials that separates Serotta, it is the quality of the fits. Paraic, a former Category 1 cyclist, has personally fit every cadet purchasing a Serotta. In addition to his knowledge of the sport, Paraic brings a wealth of exercise physiology expertise that has allowed cadets to prevent and overcome injuries.

The team's results on the bikes speak for themselves. Nick Vandam greatly improved his bike split, earning his way onto the U-23 USA National Team. Nick Sterghos won Duathlon Nationals in his second race on his new bike. In November, Serotta built Ashley Morgan a brand new carbon AE triathlon bike. Ashley made it worth their effort by averaging a stunning 25.2 mph enroute to victory in Clearwater.



Perhaps the clearest indicator of success is that new team members continue to get Serotta’s on the advice of veteran team members and Serotta bike owners.

In addition to the professional fit, Serotta provides the team with a custom Army Triathlon paint finish that visually sets it apart from other collegiate and club triathlon programs. Throughout the process, Serotta has worked with the team to make these sharp and high-performance bikes affordable.



In gratitude, the team has extended its hand to key members of the Serotta team. Paraic has come to West Point on several occasions; even attending a Thursday Night spirit dinner and a home football game. Paraic has repeated expressed a love for working with the team. “Working with tri team cadets is like working with Ferraris. They have got strong, powerful engines.”

The “engines‟ were always there. With Paraic's help, Serotta has given the team the bikes they needed to perform to their athletic potential.

Not all bikes are human powered alone at Serotta

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.

News from 'Toga Town

Everyone thought we were too busy riding and making some of the most fantastic bicycles in the world; for example, check out the pic of Ben's new personal Serotta Ottrott that everyone keeps on drooling over..... to keep the Serotta blog updated.

I decided to step-up and take on the Serotta flamily duty of keeping the blog flowing from Saratoga Springs aka "'Toga Town". My name is "Fred" and I am a "pound found" Boxer who lives with Marcie and Ben Serotta. I actually was discovered by their daughter Emily, but for the last 1/2 year I have been hanging with Ben.

I would like to apprentice as a welder in the factory, but the Serotta standards are too high and it is really tough without opposable thumbs (just like this blog site, but the mini "Milk Bones" held in my mouth help me hunt and peck the keys...but the drool on the keyboard has prompted ben to get one of those covers like we have on the computers by the CNC machines and going through a box at a time on the computer is great!) prompted me to do something hopefully useful in taking over the blog. You can read more about me in my profile and look for more to come.

'Toga Town has been under snow for weeks, it hasn't been above freezing since before Christmas and 'cross season is a memory.....but we all have spring fever and are making do on the Xc ski trails, the trainer, rollers or an occasional spin class ("feel the burn"..) at the West Avenue Y. I will be digging up some great stories from the team here and pass them on to you for review and comments.