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Love Will Tear Us Apart is a reference most will get right off the bat. It is one of Mattia from Legor Cicli‘s and Franka from MAAD‘s favorite songs and one that they’ll sing to each other. Mattia has the habit of naming his bikes after songs, most of which are of the post-punk variety, full of emotion and vibrancy. This ideology spills over from the music onto and into Legor Cicli’s bikes.
INGRID is an Italian manufacturer, making parts for road, MTB, cross, and all road bikes. From cranks to chainrings, their precision machined components are of the utmost quality and carry an aesthetic, unlike anything I’ve seen come from Italy before. I saw them on a beautiful Legor Cicli All Road at Eroica – which we’ll look at later this week – and I think it’s safe to say, the indicator of a well-designed crank is that it compliments the overall build, not take away from it. Head on over to INGRID to see their full lineup.
Biciclista.US is the US-distributor for INGRID and their lightweight L2 (430g) and G cranksets (620g) are in stock now. See more specs below.
Just because warmer months are coming, doesn’t mean you can’t use merino jerseys. The Cascada Venture Jersey utilizes a blend to keep you cool on warmer rides, while still benefiting from the comfort, fit, feel, and versatility of merino wool. Merino reacts to body temperature changes, absorbs and transfers excess moisture away, protects against UV radiation, is naturally antibacterial and odor resistant, is soft, hypoallergenic and does not cause itching. Available in Olive, Mustard, and Clay and in stock now at Cascada.
The RPM90 team takes to a strip of Tuscan Strade Bianche in this video while supplying beautiful video clips. For more information about RPM90 gravel and road biking trips, check it out at RPM90.
Passoni is an Italian framebuilder, specializing in titanium, and this infomercial walks us through their design and fabrication process.
Last summer a group of friends went on a bike tour in Italy. Shortly into their journey, they discovered their bikes were not quite all-terrain and the terrain was totally all-terrain. This video is compiled from all their trip photos.
Mattia from Legor Cicli Made this Beautiful Paganotti Classic Road
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley
I know you all of heard of Legor Cicli before, but I’m guessing you all haven’t heard of Paganotti. Well, Paganotti is the embodiment of all the Italian masters who taught Mattia Paganotti how to build. Gino Lissignoli, Pietro Serena, Tiziano Zullo, and Dario Pegoretti all played a very special role in the fabrication of this bike. Very few frame builders can say they’ve studied with a master, much less multiple masters. Even fewer can say they’re a direct link to their master’s style and craft, but this is something Mattia says with confidence. If you have ever rode one of Mattia’s bike you know he’s telling the truth.
Holy Gaiole!!!
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley
l’Eroica Gaiole has always been a dream of mine. Since the early days of Tracko I would fantasize about traveling to Italy with only two things: a vintage Cinelli and a 35mm film camera. I hadn’t yet been outside of the United States and was young, dumb, and thought I could get anything done. Looking back, I probably would have forgotten to bring film. I was most definitely a bit naive back then.
The Devil in a Dress; L’Eroica Celebrates Alfonsina Strada
Words and photos by Tenzin Namdol
“The act of remembering is about the future, not the past.” -Dr. Tashi Rabgey
There was a poster on the door of the Jolly Bar in downtown Gaiole In Chianti advertising a one woman play about and dedicated to Alfonsina Strada, the only woman to have competed in the Giro d’Italia way back in 1924. She was called “The Devil in Dress” by the press who sensationalized the story of a woman riding the Giro against pro racers of the time who were very well known and very male. Strada is no doubt a darling of the Italian vintage cycling social scene but completely unbeknownst to me. The play was one of the many official events organized for the L’Eroica weekend of ogling at relics that function as baseline vision for countless daydreams of bike builds, some looking much like the bike Strada rode for the Giro.
Wind vests are great, but when it gets cold on your ride, it’s nice having a little extra protection. PedalEd’s newest collection, dubbed Tokaido, features a lightweight, packable, and insulated jacket and vest. Made with Polartec, these layers will keep your core warm when the weather changes. The same material keeps the US Special Forces warm when they’re in the field… See the Tokaido Jacket and Tokaido Vest at PedalEd.
The Jeroboam Bike Festival is a weekend-long event in Italy, offering up multiple course routes including a 300km dirt road route. For a less-ambitious undertaking, registrants can take on a 150km, 75km, and 37.5km route. The price is €39.90 for the event and you can see much more at Jeroboam.Bike.
PedalEd’s products are as durable as they are functional and yes, fashionable. So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to on-the-bike portage, we should expect the same from the Italian brand. Launching their new bikepacking bags today, PedalED brings made in Italy, which are completely waterproof, made from denim and yes, built to last. See the entire offerings at PedalED.
The Road to L’Eroica: An Italian Honeymoon
Words and photos by Ultra Romance
We had been running from winter… riding from winter… actually hike-a-biking away from winter in the Swiss Alps for nearly 2 weeks now. Snow, wind, rain, and low UV indexes had driven us out of the most verdant and bucolic panoramas I’ve ever eyeballed. Away from the abrupt mountaintops that rise from the undulating valleys like the jagged teeth of a gnashing puma eagle. My hair was damp and lifeless, and our bodies were craving the sunlight and ACTUAL early September weather (fair and pleasant for those of you who live in the Swiss tundra). In a split second decision, while climbing out of a cold and empty valley after hiking down a roots rock reggae slip n’ slide, we hopped a train south to Europe’s fashion capital, Milano. It just felt natural.
Ciao Italy!
Alberto Masi and the Vigorelli Velodrome
Photos and words by Brian Vernor.
The Red Hook Crit is in Milan for the final race of the 2017 championship series. This race exceeds expectation every year I go. This year we once again had a private pre-race track day at the legendary Vigorelli Velodrome. In the velodrome itself is Alberto Masi’s frame shop, which I visited with many other racers and fans. His crew brought out some vintage bikes and dernies to run on the track. It was an amazing day blending cutting edge contemporary racing with the timeless spirit of Italian Cycling. Much thanks to Trimble Racing and the Red Hook Crit. Now, to the races…
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Ever go on a ride and forget your multitool only to find yourself needing to adjust your stem or bars? Sure, laying out this scenario might be a bit cheesy, but we’ve all done it and personally, I like to “set and forget” a lot of my gear. Which is why the All In Multitool piqued my interest when I first saw a prototype last year. Check out more below.
PEdAL ED’s winter cycling gear has begun to roll out, so you can continue to ride through the inclement weather. The Kaido jersey is back, in a longsleeve, the new Thermo gloves will block water and wind, while the Nachi waterproof jacket will keep your core warm. This made in Italy gear has a sleek, slim fitting, is available in subdued colors and tones, and is in stock now at PEdAL ED.
Francesco Barbieri and Paolo Paciucci (Ferriveloci Cicli Milano) make up Fabrica Cycles, an Italian framebuilding company, offering up custom road, cross, track and all-road bikes, made in house, by using either fillet or tig welding construction methods from custom-drawn Columbus tubing. Check out Fabrica Cycles for more information.
A Stelbel Nina All-Road Bike for South Africa
Photos by Tino Pohlmann, cover photo by Stan Engelbrecht and words by John Watson
After yesterday’s gallery, I received a number of emails requesting more photos of this bike!
Within yesterday’s epic gallery by Stan Engelbrecht, you might have spotted this blue beauty, albeit covered in a bit of dirt, dust, mud and Apidura bikepacking bags. This Stelbel Nina is something special. Made in Italy from one of the oldest tig welding builders in the world, the Nina is at home on the ‘cross course with 33mm tires as much as it is in the backcountry, rolling on 40mm rubber and unlike many of the frames on the market today, this one comes from a legacy.
Stelbel has arguably brought more to the tig-welding alignment table than anyone else. When Stelio Belletti first founded the company in 1973, there weren’t a lot of builders out there experimenting with tig welding and not just with bicycle frames. Belletti was responsible for improving the chassis for the Grand Prix monster machine, the Honda 500 GP as well as a fuselage for the P19 Scricciolo, a small plane and the vehicle of choice for the Aero Club d’Italia. This knowledge spilled over onto the Stelbel name and to this day, the workshop is creating impeccable examples of tig-welded steel. See more of this beaut in the gallery and for more information on the Nina, head to Stelbel!
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