There comes a time when most entrepreneurs realize that, in many cases, they’re not necessarily the best ones to lead their company into the future. Many times, particularly in the cycling industry it seems, a builder or designer’s passion takes a brand to a certain point, but better business acumen is required to really make the company thrive.
Serotta, one of the best known names in custom bicycles and sizing, has been at it since 1972. As their infographic suggests, they’ve done a great job innovating. Now, they’ve partnered with Bradway Capital to take everything to the next level and free up founder Ben Serotta to focus on what he does best: Build killer bikes.
Ben Serotta says: “We have a long list of projects, and this partnership has been in the makings for a number of months. Now we’re beginning the task of looking at that list and prioritizing the items. We have short and long term projects in the pipeline. It would be premature to say too much about what we’re working on and when it’ll be released.
“That said, we’re not going into mass production, we’re going to continue to focus on making the best custom bikes we can, building them in California and New York. We produce the carbon fiber tubes, joints, stays and forks in our Poway, CA, facility. All of the machined parts are made in New York. As for what’s coming, all I can say is if you look back at our past innovations, all of our big news has been around improving the customer’s experience. We’re heavily invested in understanding bike fitting, and what we’ve done in our fit classes has changed the industry. We were also one of the first companies to start changing tube shapes for different parts of the frame and for different size and style riders. These were all driven by our design to deliver the best possible bicycle for each customer. So, the fun and exciting part to come is asking ourselves what’s next? What can we do to make it better?”
Time will tell, Serotta says their first bit of news should come in about six weeks. Full PR after the break…
PRESS RELEASE: Serotta, one of the world’s premier handcrafted performance bicycle manufacturers, has announced a new partnership that will fast-track the company’s research, design and production. The company has entered into a partnership agreement with Bradway Capital. “Bradway brings us the depth of resources and management expertise that we need to expand our business and bring innovation to the next level,” stated Ben Serotta. “I am excited about the prospects of allowing an experienced management team to run the day-to-day operations while I turn my full focus to building the world’s best bicycles right here in Saratoga Springs, NY.”
Bradway Capital was founded by Brian Case, who currently serves as its managing partner. Case, an avid rider, former shop owner and partner of Fit to Ride, an advanced bicycle fit studio, has been fitting and selling Serotta bicycles since the late ’80s. “There are many cycling enthusiasts at Bradway Capital,” said Case, “and we are thrilled to be part of the Serotta experience, assisting in bringing the next generation of Serotta bikes to market. We are not just partners – we have ridden Serottas for years.”
“This is great news,” stated Chris Jacobson, owner of Sport Garage in Boulder, CO, a Bicycling Magazine Top 100 Shop. “As an active seller of Serotta since 1994, I’ve witnessed the stunning technological and bike/body advancements created and implemented by Ben and his organization. Serotta constructs each and every frame in the United States by the hands of artisans, so that the bike can disappear beneath its rider to reveal the true beauty of cycling.”
