What are a legendary Italian cyclist’s secrets for building custom steel bicycle frames?
In the 9-episode video series “The Man of Steel”, the former Giro and Vuelta winner Giovanni Battaglin unveils the process he and his craftsmen use for building a cyclist’s dream bike.
In episode no. 3, Giovanni explains why he was obsessed with having the best equipment as a pro racer:
“When you ride, especially as a pro, you always want the best.
You want to be in the best physical shape and you want to ride the best bike.
So I always wanted to have the best of the best.
I wanted to be competitive, because if you have great equipment you cycle faster and you achieve better results.
As a manufacturer, I maintained the same spirit I had when I raced, always looking for new improvements.”
In his eponymous frames, Giovanni’s always tried to make sure that the racer feels good on the bike.
Because that’s how they can achieve better results:
“We’ve never stopped testing new solutions.
Different angles, frames for climbing, frames for sprinting...
But you always have to find the right compromise.
You can’t have 10.000 different bicycles.
The race route goes up and down. There are both climbs and descents.
That’s why we’ve always been looking for comfortable geometries. If the rider feels good on the bike, they can perform better.
The experience as a professional racer was fundamental to keep improving the products.”
During the episode, Giovanni also shows another special milling machine, specifically made for the Officina Battaglin workshop:
“This is a custom milling machine made to our specifications.
It’s a machine that we use to position the bike bridge, which is always something tricky to do.
Since on the market there were no machines that could do it, we had to build it by hand.
Now thanks to this machine we can miter the brake bridge so it fits perfectly between the seat stays.
The brake bridge must be built to the right gauge and length.
We fit the brake bridge before the brazing begins.
Thanks to this machine, the position will be 100% accurate.
Whichever the size, the brake bridge position will always be perfect.”
ABOUT OFFICINA BATTAGLIN
Officina Battaglin is the steel bicycle brand founded by the 1981 Giro-Vuelta double winner Giovanni Battaglin and his son Alex.
With its collection of custom steel frames and bikes handbuilt in Italy, Officina Battaglin is the only bicycle brand managed in person by a Grand-Tour winner.
Each steel frame is made to order and designed to the owner’s specifications by Giovanni Battaglin himself, to deliver the most comfortable and pleasant riding experience.
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