Serotta Ottrott ST: The bike that John
Kerry rode during the early days of his
presidential campaign was reviewed favorably
by PezCyclingNews.com. [ Photo: Serotta ]

PezCyclingNews has published an extensive review of the Serotta Ottrott ST that highlights the differences between it-- a custom-fit bike-- and more "stock" high end bikes like the Trek Madone 5.9. In order to get an Ottrott ST, you have to go to an authorized dealer who must interview you and fit you for the bike. According to the article:

What you get from the extra effort is not simply a slightly adjusted seat angle or head angle, but a true custom frame where every single weld angle and tube length are specified (they also have a variety of tube choices for all sizes). In fact, they use an order spread sheet that has twice the number of data entry points as was the case for the other 3 custom bikes I have had. And it’s hell and gone from shops that think a custom bike is an off the peg frame where you specify parts (and some still don’t fit you!)… Hell, choosing the latest component without fit consideration is the most frequent mistake people make.

There are a number of very good photos of the bike that Serotta made for the PezCyclingNews review, the Serotta factory in Saratoga Springs, NY, and the Serotta bike production team.

Because of the custom nature of the Serotta Ottrott ST, it's pretty difficult to compare it with other high end bikes, at least on price. The frame alone costs $5,295 before tax. Operation Gadget published an article comparing President Bush and John Kerry's riding styles in August that was based on a New York Times article on their bike choices. The Times article estimated that Senator Kerry's bike cost $8,000. So, my guess is that the average cost of finishing an Ottrott ST is $2,700 above the cost of the frame.