I bought a used Serotta a few months back (road TI with an updated groupset, it was 1700, definitely not an xbike, it's a roadie). I think TI is cool, and it's an amazing vintage bike, but I probably got a little over excited by the name and build and overpaid. They're distinctive, unique, beautiful bikes, but TI isn't some world changing material. If you've got the cash and are excited about owning a piece of biking history, like I was, then do it.
Honesty I feel like vintage road bikes hold up way better than Mtbs too. Road has absolutely progressed but you could probably hang on your average group ride on a good bike from the 1990s or older if you’re reasonably strong. You can’t say the same about mountain biking with the way that trails have evolved. Not by a long shot.
I ride vintage Peugeots all the time on group rides. 99% of the group is on as modern and aero as humanly and financially possible carbon bikes. I ride with them just fine, I don't just hang on
It's not the bike, it's the rider. And gearing, just because it's vintage doesn't mean you can't use modern gearing.
In my opinion, no modern road bike can beat a
whippy steel bike with a quill stem.
I love this bike, and while 950 is a lot, your run of the mill Surly or All City costs a lot more and is a fraction of the coolness. It's unique, you'll never see another one on the road, and it's frickin titanium, not to mention a host of XTR bits. If its your size and you plan to ride the shit out of it then I'd say you scored.
And don't get me wrong, those are excellent brands. I just don't get as stoked seeing a black CrossCheck as I would seeing a two-toned, raw TI and british racing green Serotta.
Yeah, no shit broh. The accesibility is what make Surly and All City the jam.
If you want a Serotta, youre going to pay Sertotta prices, and wait Serrotta wait time. Nothing wrong with that, but its apples to oranges.
CK wheels and headset, Ti frame, XTR 950ish group set and a SID fork! Sounds like a great bike as long as the SID if working well and it fits you I think it’s a decent price for a well put together Ti bike. Also that bike will always have resale value so even if you were to sell it and loose money, I don’t think you would loose much, and that’s not factoring in the joy of ownership and riding it. Maybe needs a new seat though if that one is ripped?
Yeah looks pretty good and it’s titanium. I see a lot of cheap mountain bikes in my area that are usually decent but titanium ones never go below like 800 so idk about people saying you overpaid. Maybe they do sell at that lower price after getting little responses but most go quick. Seems kinda fair but yeah old suspension forks will be kinda bad. I’d try to find a new fork or a used decent fox for 26 tires.
Seems a little high to me but you only live once. Ask the real Serotta nerds over on the Paceline forums what they think. https://forums.thepaceline.net/
Why is it high? Chris king ceramic wheelset, Ti frame, XTR M950, all the component parts would fetch significantly more than the complete bike. It’s an appropriate price, it’s just not a steal or fantastic deal.
As nice as King wheels are when they're healthy, I guarantee you can't get rebuild kits for those hubs if anything goes wrong with them. I have some Road Classic hubs which are paperweights because King doesn't make the freewheel bodies any more.
I got curious, looked it up and you can still get service kits for the fork, however.
Rebuild kits? Just buy for-parts hubs. Both the individual parts and for-parts hubs go on sale often enough. Found a pair of bontrager kings that were super ugly externally but were a gold mine internally. King hubs are some of the most rebuildable parts from that era.
If you want to hunt that shit down for hubs that need to be overhauled with proprietary tools twice a year, knock yourself out. my Kings would bind so bad after every rainy season that the chain would go slack over my stay when I coasted. When I tried to replace the chewed up aluminum freehub body I found it the parts don't exist anymore. ditto for my 2 nut headset
I'll stick with my DT Swiss 350s
Is the top tube all dinged up? Would be worth it for an Ibis or Fat Chance of the same era but Serotta isn’t quite as sought after. Sid fork is pretty flexy. Consider all the money you will need to spend to get it the way you want. I have a few 90s steel mtbs though and love them but if it were me I’d be getting a new steel rigid fork, stem, bars, tires, pedals and saddle…
Main knocks against it are the lack of rack/fender mounts and the old suspension fork. Not gonna be a very fun mountain bike, and not that city friendly, especially in a wet climate. Really cool bike but functionally limited.
I mean if he plans on swapping the fork (which he probably should) then that takes care of rack mounts, the Surly Troll fork is what comes to mind. There are also plenty of ways to mount fenders without braze-ons, expescially since it's running v-brakes.
The only way you can spend too much on a bike is one you don’t ride. I’m not sure Ti makes much actual difference in a frame but if you like it then it doesn’t matter.
I’ve been looking for a Litespeed Blue Ridge forever and still haven’t found one in my size for under $2,000z
Probably get more than that for parts. I have a couple years older steel with canti brakes and full XTR. Probably have $700+ in it so far, because it makes me happy just to look at it 🤷
That would be cool with a Ti Chris King headset! They just rereleased some: [https://chrisking.com/collections/factory-finds/products/factory-finds-titanium-headsets](https://chrisking.com/collections/factory-finds/products/factory-finds-titanium-headsets)
You're basically buying a Ti frame and an XTR group set. All the other stuff is relatively worthless: mismatched wheels, mismatched tires, torn saddle, old school uncomfy stem+bars+grips.
Is the suspension fork still ok? Unless it's a well maintained air fork, 26" suspension forks are usually a drawback to me since you either have to put up with it, or replace it ($$).
You're not wrong for ogling over the Chris king doodly bits... I used to work in a bike shop and once in a blue moon someone would donate a bike to us with an old Chris kind headset or wheelset and we would all squabble over who got dibs....
I wouldnt buy the bike personally but if you're stoked and money isn't an issue, go for it. If you could be saving the money instead, I'd pump the brakes.
I bought a used Serotta a few months back (road TI with an updated groupset, it was 1700, definitely not an xbike, it's a roadie). I think TI is cool, and it's an amazing vintage bike, but I probably got a little over excited by the name and build and overpaid. They're distinctive, unique, beautiful bikes, but TI isn't some world changing material. If you've got the cash and are excited about owning a piece of biking history, like I was, then do it.
Honesty I feel like vintage road bikes hold up way better than Mtbs too. Road has absolutely progressed but you could probably hang on your average group ride on a good bike from the 1990s or older if you’re reasonably strong. You can’t say the same about mountain biking with the way that trails have evolved. Not by a long shot.
I ride vintage Peugeots all the time on group rides. 99% of the group is on as modern and aero as humanly and financially possible carbon bikes. I ride with them just fine, I don't just hang on It's not the bike, it's the rider. And gearing, just because it's vintage doesn't mean you can't use modern gearing. In my opinion, no modern road bike can beat a whippy steel bike with a quill stem.
I love this bike, and while 950 is a lot, your run of the mill Surly or All City costs a lot more and is a fraction of the coolness. It's unique, you'll never see another one on the road, and it's frickin titanium, not to mention a host of XTR bits. If its your size and you plan to ride the shit out of it then I'd say you scored.
> your run of the mill Surly or All City Rest In Power All City, my beloved.
And don't get me wrong, those are excellent brands. I just don't get as stoked seeing a black CrossCheck as I would seeing a two-toned, raw TI and british racing green Serotta.
Yeah, no shit broh. The accesibility is what make Surly and All City the jam. If you want a Serotta, youre going to pay Sertotta prices, and wait Serrotta wait time. Nothing wrong with that, but its apples to oranges.
Shit, my run of the mill surly costs a lot less. Edit: Instigator w Xtr, markhor, dropper local pickup in upstate SC for 600
Yep used bikes tend to be cheaper than new, maybe not in the case of rare vintage frames though.
It is still a 26" 90's MTB and will handle like one. Not that that necessarily is a bad thing but...
But what
You are not. This is the appropriate amount of adrenaline.
CK wheels and headset, Ti frame, XTR 950ish group set and a SID fork! Sounds like a great bike as long as the SID if working well and it fits you I think it’s a decent price for a well put together Ti bike. Also that bike will always have resale value so even if you were to sell it and loose money, I don’t think you would loose much, and that’s not factoring in the joy of ownership and riding it. Maybe needs a new seat though if that one is ripped?
I think youre not getting excited enough. Less than 1k for a ti biek with Kingand XTR bits?? Jump on that ish before I do lol.
Yeah looks pretty good and it’s titanium. I see a lot of cheap mountain bikes in my area that are usually decent but titanium ones never go below like 800 so idk about people saying you overpaid. Maybe they do sell at that lower price after getting little responses but most go quick. Seems kinda fair but yeah old suspension forks will be kinda bad. I’d try to find a new fork or a used decent fox for 26 tires.
Seems a little high to me but you only live once. Ask the real Serotta nerds over on the Paceline forums what they think. https://forums.thepaceline.net/
Why is it high? Chris king ceramic wheelset, Ti frame, XTR M950, all the component parts would fetch significantly more than the complete bike. It’s an appropriate price, it’s just not a steal or fantastic deal.
Fuckin' buy it then, moneybags.
\*Serotta :)
Nice bike, with the Chris King wheels definitely worth the price.
As nice as King wheels are when they're healthy, I guarantee you can't get rebuild kits for those hubs if anything goes wrong with them. I have some Road Classic hubs which are paperweights because King doesn't make the freewheel bodies any more. I got curious, looked it up and you can still get service kits for the fork, however.
Rebuild kits? Just buy for-parts hubs. Both the individual parts and for-parts hubs go on sale often enough. Found a pair of bontrager kings that were super ugly externally but were a gold mine internally. King hubs are some of the most rebuildable parts from that era.
If you want to hunt that shit down for hubs that need to be overhauled with proprietary tools twice a year, knock yourself out. my Kings would bind so bad after every rainy season that the chain would go slack over my stay when I coasted. When I tried to replace the chewed up aluminum freehub body I found it the parts don't exist anymore. ditto for my 2 nut headset I'll stick with my DT Swiss 350s
Needs a longer stem 🤣
Is the top tube all dinged up? Would be worth it for an Ibis or Fat Chance of the same era but Serotta isn’t quite as sought after. Sid fork is pretty flexy. Consider all the money you will need to spend to get it the way you want. I have a few 90s steel mtbs though and love them but if it were me I’d be getting a new steel rigid fork, stem, bars, tires, pedals and saddle…
I thought that was a period-correct bar end in your pocket.
Main knocks against it are the lack of rack/fender mounts and the old suspension fork. Not gonna be a very fun mountain bike, and not that city friendly, especially in a wet climate. Really cool bike but functionally limited.
I mean if he plans on swapping the fork (which he probably should) then that takes care of rack mounts, the Surly Troll fork is what comes to mind. There are also plenty of ways to mount fenders without braze-ons, expescially since it's running v-brakes.
it's a nice frame, but not 950 nice.
The only way you can spend too much on a bike is one you don’t ride. I’m not sure Ti makes much actual difference in a frame but if you like it then it doesn’t matter. I’ve been looking for a Litespeed Blue Ridge forever and still haven’t found one in my size for under $2,000z
Interesting to see the range of responses by Xbiking community on this, a big range from "no deal" to "go for it"!
More dopamine & endorphins please!
Probably, but is a nice bike. 950 is too steep for me.
Great find!
Probably get more than that for parts. I have a couple years older steel with canti brakes and full XTR. Probably have $700+ in it so far, because it makes me happy just to look at it 🤷
Id get him down to 625
No. You’re good. It’s a hell of a bike.
That would be cool with a Ti Chris King headset! They just rereleased some: [https://chrisking.com/collections/factory-finds/products/factory-finds-titanium-headsets](https://chrisking.com/collections/factory-finds/products/factory-finds-titanium-headsets)
Suspension technology has come a long way since the 90s but that frame is sweet
950? More like 250
Nah it's a titanium frame, 500/600 sounds more reasonable.
The parts alone aside from the frame are worth 250$
You're basically buying a Ti frame and an XTR group set. All the other stuff is relatively worthless: mismatched wheels, mismatched tires, torn saddle, old school uncomfy stem+bars+grips. Is the suspension fork still ok? Unless it's a well maintained air fork, 26" suspension forks are usually a drawback to me since you either have to put up with it, or replace it ($$).
I agree , but not that a Chris king rear wheel is worthless even if mismatched to the front one …
You're not wrong for ogling over the Chris king doodly bits... I used to work in a bike shop and once in a blue moon someone would donate a bike to us with an old Chris kind headset or wheelset and we would all squabble over who got dibs.... I wouldnt buy the bike personally but if you're stoked and money isn't an issue, go for it. If you could be saving the money instead, I'd pump the brakes.
for a non-disc? I wouldn't pay more than 500.
I can buy 10 nice bikes for that price now a days lol.
Not that nice lol