Reviews

Passoni Light Steel

Truly artisan bike hand-crafted in Italy

Luciano Passoni was born and raised just outside of Milan and counts Ernesto Colnago among the men who he used to race with and remained good friends with since childhood. And like Colnago, Passoni went into frame-building – though that’s where the similarities end.

Passoni use just two types of material for their hand-crafted frames – titanium or the stainless steel present in this Passoni Light Steel bike – and only build two frames a day, with custom-fit, exclusivity and the finest possible materials the dream from which Luciano’s company was born.

For this beauty we have here, Passoni have kept faith with the original framebuilder’s material of choice: steel

And if you look through their range it’d be hard to dispute the claim Passoni make some of the most beautiful bikes on the market. By the same token, a look through their range leaves you madly trying to figure out just how you’ll be able to afford one.

The reason the price is high is such a custom build process means Passoni make fewer frames in a year than a large factory moulding carbon will manage in a day. It’s the difference between walking into a Fiat garage or buying yourself a Pagani.

For this beauty we have here, Passoni have kept faith with the original framebuilder’s material of choice: steel. Even better than that, the Light Steel is made from stainless steel which is very hard wearing and doesn’t rust, meaning your bike will stay in great condition for years – although obviously crashing can still take the paint off and is not recommended.

In an age of mass production, truly artisan bikes are becoming a rarity. When one as beautiful as this comes along, it’s worth celebrating

On the subject of paint, you don’t have to go for the black and yellow if you fancy something different. There are six different designs on the website of UK distributor Prestige, including an amazing bright green version, but it’s not outside the realms of possibility that you can have any paint job you want, such are the benefits of custom frame building.

There’s also the option of having the graphics either painted or left as polished steel, which will shine on even the most outrageous design.

If you want specifics, the Light Steel is made from Columbus XCr tubing and paired to a customised Columbus Tusk fork. It also has an integrated headset which is the sort of thing you find more and more on newer build steel bikes as they take the best features from carbon and apply them to a different material.

Price: from £3,499.99
Website: Passoni
UK distributor: Prestige Cycles

Geometry, as we mentioned, is made to order but Passoni describe the Light Steel as having carefully-shaped tubes to provide an ideal balance between comfort and stiffness. The overall geometry is designed to be slightly sloping, giving the bike an agile, responsive feeling meaning if you want to race on one, there’s no messing around. The Light Steel will give you the reaction you want.

In an age of mass production, truly artisan bikes are increasingly becoming a rarity. When one as beautiful as this comes along, it’s something worth celebrating.