Pegoretti, Bike Frame

[Acquire from Pegoretti]

A steel frame, painted like a canvas.

Built by hand in Verona · Columbus steel · One-off painted finish

Why it's here

Dario Pegoretti was the builder other builders revered. For years he made frames that famous professionals raced under bigger names, then spent the rest of his life building under his own. He believed in steel when the whole industry had moved to carbon, and he painted each frame himself, loosely and brightly, so that no two exist alike. His workshop continues exactly as he left it.

The object

The tubes are drawn for Pegoretti by Columbus and welded by hand in Verona. A steel frame flexes a little with the road, which gives it a liveliness carbon lacks, and it can be repaired if it is ever damaged. The paint scheme, known as Ciavete, is done freehand.

Living with it

Each frame is made to your measurements, so begin with a conversation with the workshop and expect to wait. Build it up with components of your choosing. Then ride it, because a Pegoretti that only hangs on a wall has missed its purpose.

Origin: Bottega Pegoretti, Verona, Italy
Material: Columbus steel
Finish: Hand-painted, unique to each frame
Sizing: Made to measure

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