Luigino: Bikefanclub.com

It's possible (likely) that Climb's reference to a Luigino owner includes me. I have one of the "blue ones" that came in as stock frames in the first batch. I have a custom with the new plated fork crown on order that is due sometime...uhh...soon, I guess. Dario is busy, I hear, and I'm not about to disturb him! I also have a Marcelo and a Fina. Of all the modern bikes and all the work coming out of Italy, Pegoretti is far and away my favorite.

The "new", custom Luiginos will be different because Dario doesn't have the same bits. But a few words about the first batch. These are _modern_ oldschool bikes. The toptube is not 1" but the more modern OS. The dropouts are the slightly "later" Campagnolo 1010B, not quite as long or as horizontal as the famous 1010A. The lugs are the key since Dario says they are not investment cast in the same way as modern ones. I've never quite fully followed his description but in order to use the modern tubing (this bike is Deda), you'd need "modern" diameter lugs. There are a few wonderful conceits to oldschool, the most obvious of which are the over the bb cable guide braze-ons (like you see still on Nagasawas) and the old fork crown (though I am not sure of its origin, I am sure it is Italian). The lugs are simple, crisp with good shorelines, not filed thin thin (as was the fashion in the 80s particularly).

The ride is sublime though I wish I had gotten a 60 or 61 instead of this blasted 57. The smaller bike makes this one of my more "aggressive" fits with the bars lower than I'd like and the whole profile of the bike not quite the "fist full of seatpost" that would be appropriate for the "era" and for any bike I really love to ride. Still the handling is lovely, the bike is steady, calm, fast and fun. Dario is a brilliant builder and you have the sense of riding with him, not with a machine made on a production line. Crisp but not too fast up front, good descender (this is THE mark of a great bike to me because there is nothing better than feeling utterly fearless on a descent!), and an able, happy climber.

My new Luigino will have a threaded 1" fork, dt bosses, and it will be painted as if it were a 50s Legnano. Dario went so far as to visit Bianchi (who bought Legnano years ago) to check out the variations in this famour "yellow" (near gold) color. I'll post pictures once it appears. We can be sure that Dario has been busy with lots of bikes to build. Good thing he starts each day at 8:30 a.m.

dbrk