Retro Bikes Part 1: Hotta and Zipp 2001

by Adam Stroobandt, ATC sales manager

For 2011, I decided to race a bike of races past, a bike even more antique than its predecessor, the infamous Stroobandt Flyer (a Cervelo P3 aluminum, circa 2003). For the Blue Norther duathlon, I raced on a HOTTA. If you're not familiar with this late 90s bike, in its time it was one of the best and most advanced frames out there. The Cervelo P4 of 1998, so to speak. The HOTTA was in part designed by Chris Boardman, a three-time hour record holder. And it turns out, I wasn't the only one thinking retro this year – triathlon super star Bjorn Andersson also dusted off a HOTTA and raced it at the renowned Abu Dhabi triathlon this year.

I wanted to do the bike justice, so decided to add on a SRAM red drivetrain, a 3T Brezza front end, and Zipp wheels. Altogether, race weight came in at 18 pounds. Not bad for a frame that’s over a decade old! I was able to get my position dialed in using a profile design fast forward seatpost, and with the short head tube, I had no issues getting into a fast fit.

So what you're probably really wanting to know is, how did it ride. It rode fast… I would gladly race this bike anytime. It was stiff, smooth, and I never felt like it was slowing me down. My legs, on the other hand, could have done better. In the end it was good enough to go home with first in my age group.

So next on my list of bikes….the Zipp 2001. This one I am thinking of keeping fairly retro for components. The shifters are grip shift, similar to a mountain bike. Too cool, right? The Zipp 2001 was first made in 1992 and was kept on production until 1998. The Zipp 2001 is considered one o f the fastest frames ever made, along with the HOTTA and the Cervelo P4. Zipp stopped making the bike when the International Cycling Union (UCI, the pro cycling governing body) deemed the design illegal. Of course, you can still race them in triathlon.

So all of you in the 25-29 age group, be afraid, because I'm rolling up with the not-so-latest, but still-the-greatest in bike technology!

Stay tuned for the next retro bike. Also, you can swing by and see these bikes from the past at Austin Tri-Cyclist.