My biggest concern about buying custom, besides getting a good fit, was ride quality.

I went from a Cannondale that "beat me to death" to an Aegis CF frame. The ride on the Aegis was so smooth for me and I was very spoiled by it. Originally, I was looking for a custom carbon frame which was pretty non-existent in my size because I wanted 650c wheels.

So I agonized for months about this purchase. It was made harder by the fact that I couldn't find any bikes in ti or steel small enough for me to ride. As I talked to different shops the consensus came out that for someone my size the best solution would be to go with a ti/carbon combination. The theory was that straight ti was to stiff for someone of my weight, 105 lbs, but having part carbon would give me the shock absorption that I was looking for.

I finally found a shop who had a couple of options for me. They had a 48cm Serotta Nove, ti/carbon, that they were able to adjust small enough so that I could get a sense of what the materials felt like and a 46p Fierte ti. At least I was able to get a sense of how the materials felt.

I didn't like the Fierte ti at all, it was too stiff giving me a pretty harsh ride. The frame was stock and designed with a much heavier person in mind. The ti/carbon bike came in close to what I was looking for.

Because of wanting the 650c wheels there were some issues with the Nove so I opted for the Ottrott. Serotta was able to give me everything I asked for, lighter weight tubing designed appropriately for my weight, excellent handling, the snap and smooth ride equal to the Aegis, frame nicely proportioned on 650c wheels.

Originally, I questioned how much hype is involved when a company says the tubing is chosen according to the rider's "size, weight and riding style" but Serotta made a believer out of me. Attention to these details does make a difference in the ride quality of the bike.

I set out to build my dream bike and I definitely got it with my Serotta.