Based outside Milan and in the shadow of the Alpine climbs made famous by the Giro d’Italia, Passoni is a bike maker unlike any other. Producing some of the world’s most beautiful titanium frames, it first exhibited a bike made from the material at the 1989 EICMA show in Milan.
A pioneer of the technology, many of its early frames snatched Grand Tour wins while disguised in other maker's liveries. Since becoming known for working at the forefront of cycling metallurgy, its current range also includes stainless and conventional steel bikes.
Passoni's bikes are famous throughout the cycling world as some of the most exclusive and desireable, with its top-tier custom offerings often coming in at near €10,000 for the frame alone — such as the stunning Fidia Milano-Sanremo.
Formerly only producing made-to-measure frames, it’s recently expanded to offer ready-to-ride versions in popular sizes. A second development has been the application of its decades of knowledge and craft to the problem of producing gravel bikes that exhibit the same degree of passion to those it creates for the road.
Making a rare visit to the UK, Passoni will be bringing four of its most emblematic bicycles to the Rouleur Live show. Allowing visitors to the show to discover the bikes and talk to some of the people involved in their creation, the cycles on show highlight the best of the brand's titanium and steel offering (though there are a variety of carbon and carbo-titanium wonders in Passoni's collection).
Titanio Classico
A classic calliper brake bicycle created with a traditional silhouette. The look of the Titanio Classico would be recognisable to a rider from cycling’s golden age. However, a frame composed of the highest grades of modern titanium ensures its ride is entirely of the moment. Using well-tested standards that won’t go out of fashion, it’s designed for a lifetime of enjoyment. Heavily customisable, it can be finished with 25 different colour options.
Titanio Disco
The disc version of the Titanio employs oversize tubing to complement the additional power provided by its brakes. Based around the latest electronic groupset technology, all components are seamlessly integrated. Braced by a light yet robust carbon fork and front and rear through axles, each machine is custom-fitted to its rider. In common with the firm’s other bicycles, it can be further customised through both painting and selective sandblasting.
CicloPrato
A gravel bike that takes a refined approach to untamed terrain. Uniquely strong and forgiving thanks to its titanium construction, the CicloPrato will survive a near-infinite number of gravel going kilometres. With additional mounts for luggage on the top tube and a third set of bottle bosses on the underside of its downtube, it’s highly adaptable. The perfect match for Camapgnolo’s equally light and versatile 13-speed Ekar groupset, components from other Italian makers will round out the build on show.
Nova Gravel
The ready-to-ride Nova Gravel makes good use of Columbus’ Spirit tubeset. Heavily formed to compose the bike’s frame, it aims to mix comfort and resilience. Quicker handling than the average gravel bike, it aims to be a bike capable of being anything but boring. Coming in six key sizes, five colours, and either a matt or gloss finish, both its groupset and finishing kit can also be heavily customised.
Offering a chance to speak to the people behind each of these designs, Rouleur Live takes place in London between the 4-6th November. More information and tickets can be found here.
