Ben Opens Cyclefit Symposium Series
Proposition: "Ben Serotta - a man of his time or a man out of it" Discuss
Cyclefit Social Club kicked off it's Symposium Series by putting one of their best friends on trial. Well isn't that what friends are for?
Ben rebutted the proposition with his usual laconic style. The questions from the full-to-subscription audience came early and then non-stop. No Quarter asked for or given.
It is all steak and no sizzle with Ben!
Ben is always disarmingly honest - ask him a question and he always gives an unvarnished answer - regardless of whether this reflects well on him, his company or anyone. It is all steak and no sizzle!
We have put together the highlight points that were made during the evening:
- Serotta undertakes more in-house tube-processes than any other bike company. As flash as that sounds Ben explained that the root of this policy was failure on pro-bikes in the 1980's. He switched from Columbus to True Temper when building the 7/11 Team bikes. And went from no frame breakages ever to many in one season! With answers not forthcoming from True Temper, Ben embarked upon a testing programme, which established faulty tubing. Serotta has internal testing procedures now for every stage of production.
- In answer to the question of whether custom was still relevant now sizing policies have changed?
Ben acknowledged that companies like Trek and Specialized have made huge strides forward in providing geometry that fits people in the real world. He also contended that this has largely been a response to the work Serotta and SICI have done over the years in the area of fitting. But Ben also contended that custom is still relevant because custom aims for a smaller target with higher tolerances and standards. Plus custom provides a more rider-tuned experience in terms of tubing dynamics and geometry.
- Ben defended the elaborate processes and lengths Serotta undertakes to produce a frame by turning the question on its head. It is actually the very process that makes the frames so valuable. He gave the example of a few well know frame manufacturers whose processes were so random that they weighed every frame that they produced - the lightest became the expensive ones and the heavier ones became cheaper ones! So the lighter ones were not the result of a different process just a different outcome. For Ben it is all about making the process exceptional, repeatable and ultimately verifiable through strict testing procedures.
- Ben was asked how he can defend his high prices and how people afford to buy his bikes. He riposted unapologetically that if you can't afford you could always "sell something that you don't want as much"? The inference being that he is determined to make Serotta frames to a certain standard, which makes them expensive. But that is what he believes is right.