End of an Era: Serotta Closes Its Doors.

The day of reckoning is coming fast in China. Keep the faith …

I’m not religious, but I’ll be praying for them.

@ Mike,

We need the money and investment from China. By the way, USA is still the largest economy in the world.

Why buy a MeiVici at $8300 when you can get an IF Corvid for $5500?

This One Can’t Be Blamed on China. Demand For High End Made In The USA Bikes Is Pretty Good Right Now. Brand Doesn’t Seem To Attract Interest As Much As Others.

hey trucker, you are making assumptions. this has nothing to do with outsourcing or china. better you just stick to the press release.

this is totally an issue of bad management, bad decisions and HUGE egos.

No dentist/doctor jokes yet? I’m shocked!

first, will the price of ben’s custom bikes be more affordable now??? doubt it. everyone saw this coming! serotta’s pricepoint were much higher than the competition as well as using much outdated technology! Did I mention super poor customer service!

What a shame ,built in America by Americans .As a bystander in 1972 living in Saratoga & contributed to Bens first frame jig , with another party ,we saw Ben go from strength to strength .All I can say is Ben don’t give up ,there is a huge re surgenge in steel lightweight frames .Check out Mercian / Brian Rourke etc , in the UK ,making some first class frames &,in lightweight stainless steel .Personally I ride a De Rosa , & have been cycling for 60 years .Will do my usual 50 miles tomorrow with “the over the hill gang ” ,[ all over 68 years ] . Keep the faith Ben ,nils corborundum illegitemi . Tim C .

Bummer!

I have a Serotta Couer D’acier that is my pride and joy. I never could have afforded one on my own, but it was a wonderful gift from friends and family after my first Serotta – an early eighties nova special – and also a gift from a stranger, was stolen from my bike shop.

Serotta may not have been THE industry tech leader, but they have made serious moves in the last few years to remain relevant and keep on top of tech.

– Partnering with Ford and rolling out the fully automated and computerized fit bike built into the ford flex van

-weaving their own carbon fiber in the US at their facilities.

– Conducting the Serotta International Cycling Science Symposium, bringing together heavyweights to teach and discuss the latest trends and developments.

I sincerely hope that we haven’t seen the last of the team at Serotta. The attention to detail, experience, and passion for their work is incredible. I hope to own a third some day.

Serotta was one bigger than Trek and Specialized. Their true downfall was not embracing Made in China as a legitimate and quality way of manufacturing. They were arrogant thinking their way was better than everyone else. Look at Trek and Specialized now.

All you have to do is ride one to fully understand the legacy. There is magic in the tubes that comes from precision in everything they do. Ask anyone who’s ever had one custom made and they will tell you it’s by far their favorite bike of all times. Technology is a good thing, but it’s not the determining factor in making the perfect bike. Serotta equals perfection when it comes to craftsmanship.

@MMeyers – Sevo is right. All of the Team 7-Eleven bikes were Serottas. Hampsten broke his and bought himself a Land Shark to replace it.

Whatever the reasons for Serotta’s demise so far, I hope they can find a way to recover and re-emerge in a better position. Since I can’t do remote readings, I’m not going to pretend I know all the reasons for this happening.

They shut down cause you can only make carbon bikes that look like they belong in the early 90s for so long, the whole custom aspect was just a tube to tube length selection process

Ben Serotta and Bill Watkins were both fired yesterday from the company Ben founded. Whats next??

Serotta blaming China is like Ferrari blaming poor sales on Mustangs and Camaros.

The two buyers could not be more different.

I think a more likely cause is greatly increased competition made more widely known by the internet (and coverage of events like hand built bike shows) and some self-inflicted wounds by Serotta management.

I was just thinking about Serotta they other day and wondering if they were still around. I remember when they were the hot bike to have in the late 90’s. Sad to see them go away… hopefully, they’ll find some funding to stay alive.

I have several handbuild bikes,. Seven, Parlee and a Serotta. I can guarantee that the Serotta is the best bike I ever had, but agree that the company had a great product but didn’t had a good managment and as the competition is fierce they lost their hand.