THERE ARE BIKES FOR EVERY TASTE AND FOR EVERY PURPOSE. THEN THERE ARE BIKES THAT ARE SIMPLY CLASSICS.
CAR MEETS BIKE
Throughout history cars and bikes have crossed paths more than once, in particular in Italy. The Ferrari and Colnago
joint venture is just one example of the collaboration between car and bicycle manufacturers. In 1986 Ernesto
Colnago and Enzo Ferrari met up and decided to experiment with carbon. Apart from the frame, most components are made of carbon. The bicycles from the CF series are the result of the collaboration – the perfect balance between weight and performance.
THE BIKE FOR THE MAN ON THE STREET
Where bikes are concerned it is impossible to overlook China and the fact that they are still the most important mode of transport in the world’s largest nation. In 1950, on Mao‘s order, the first Flying Pigeon rolled off the production line. Consequently the bicycle became the symbol for an egalitarian society, a mode of transport promoted by the state. The PA-02 is a comfortable, simple and long-lasting bike, which is still made today in exactly the same way. Making it the most highly produced bike in the world, even if it is not well known in Europe. Black, with a chain guard, dynamo and a metal basket along with mudguards and simple brakes, it still oozes the charm of the 50s.
THE FIRST FOLDING BIKE
It is heart-warming when classics are revived. The Graziella was the first Italian folding bike and it captured the hearts of both young and old in the 60s and 70s. Even Salvador Dalí and Brigitte Bardot rode around on them. Rinaldo Donzelli designed an elegant and robust folding bike as a fashionable alternative to city bikes. The bike is folded easily using a central folding mechanism and can be taken wherever you go. The new classic is available in golden, black, white and blue. The bell with the «G» has not been altered.
ORANGE WINS THE DAY
Some bikes have a story that makes them unique. Great victories and famous names are intertwined with the history of these masterpieces. The best cyclist of his day, if not ever, was Eddi Merckx. He broke one record after another in the 70s. His bikes were built initially by Ernesto Colnago, then Ugo da Rosa. Both masters of the frame. The classics are still recognisable today at first glance due to their typical orange colour and, although they are made of steel, they hardly weight more than bikes today.
Photos Copyrights: Flying Pigeon, Colnago, Shutterstock Illustration: Manuela Dona
