Robin Williams and Dario Pegoretti: The Comedian and the Bike Builder

http://online.wsj.com/articles/robin-williams-and-dario-pegoretti-the-comedian-and-the-bike-builder-1407970079

Photo: Above Category

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Make Your Bike with Dario Pegoretti in Verona

“Tornemo indrio" (back to the roots) is a 4 days workshop open to 15 participants where Dario Pegoretti will teach how to build bike frames with the traditional Italian technique. The goal is to demonstrate how it is possible to handcraft a beautiful steel frame bike just using few simple tools such as a vice, a hacksaw, a ruler and a welding torch.

The participants will be divided in teams of 3-4 people and each team will make their own bicycle under Dario Pegoretti’s supervision. This workshop is part the OniricaLab project, an event-laboratory where all visitors can discover the desire of “making”, recovering old habits and customs, to develop their creativity. The purpose is to arise awareness about the importance of the making culture in the developing of a critical consumption on the contemporary society.

On Saturday May the 12th, the results of the workshop will be exhibited during the opening day where there will be live concerts, dj sets, organic bars, various activities related to the bike world visitors and minilab were people can experiment creativity and hand crafting techniques.

WHERE AND WHEN “Tornemo Indrio (Back to the Roots)” will take place in Verona, Italy from May 10th to 13th 2012 in via Scuderlando 4, ℅ Associazione Interzona.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE AND HOW The applicants will be selected personally by Dario Pergoretti on the basis of a covering letter explaining the candidate’s motivations for attending the workshop. More details on the OniricaLab website

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Pegoretti Rally in Siena

The following courtesy of Darren Crisp. I first met Darren in 2007 in Milan. Darren is a American framebuilder specializing in Ti who lives full time in Italy (maybe I should say he is an Italian framebuilder now), read his story here. I'll have more about Darren in the future but in the meantime you can visit his website, www.crisptitanium.com





"I had a spectacular weekend. My family and I were kindly invited to the Dario Pegoretti Raduno, a rally for Pegoretti owners which was organized by Nicola Vezzaro from Rome and some friends of the BDC Forum. When Dario told me that it was to be held in Asciano, a small hilltown near Siena (and about 45km from my home), I knew that it would be a great setting for such an event.

The weekend at the Podere Alberese was filled with a host of great food, pleasant talk (not only about bikes!), and an opportunity to meet some great folks from around the country who came to find other passionate Pegoretti owners. What struck me the most was the quality, not only of the bikes (obviously), but also of the guys and gals who were nice enough to include me in their weekend event.

My family and I had a chance to hang out in a beautiful place, relax for the weekend, and even take a dip in the hot therapeutic waters of San Giovanni Terme as the sun set over the Senese hilltop afar. I wish I had my camera around for that one. I couldn’t get my new road bike finished in time to pedal with the group, so I was forced to kick back with a few bottles of prosecco and chat about the business and art of framebuilding with Dario and Pietro while our kids were enjoying the first signs of spring. What an event..

Thanks again Nicola, Dario, Pietro and friends for letting us get to know you and participate in this extraordinary event. Hope to see you at ExpoBici 2011 and at the Raduno Pegoretti 2012!"

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,800 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

For Dario Pegoretti Fans

Did you miss the only-for-one-day viewing of D'Acciaio (Of Steel) directed by Ben Ingham? The film captures Dario Pegoretti and co-workers in his workshop in Caldonazzo.

Rapha has produced an accompanying book with images in full color and dialogue extracts from the film. The book also holds a copy of the film on DVD. It's now available from Rapha (here).

The movie trailer:


Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,600 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Lugged, Columbus Xcr Stainless Steel

Dario Pegoretti and Darrell McCulloch have collaborated on designing and making lugs that can be used with Columbus Xcr stainless steel. Until now bikes using Xcr have had to be TIG welded.

A lugged Columbus Xcr stainless frame will be displayed at NAHBS (North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show) at the end of this month in Richmond, Virginia.

Photo: one of the new lugs

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondo, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,200 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. Cinelli fan? Visit CINELLI ONLY.

San Patrignano

The San Patrignano story is an unusual one. San Patrignano is, first, a community that welcomes all young men and women who have serious drug abuse problems, regardless of ideology, social background, or religion, and completely free of charge, accepting no payment or funding from their families or the Italian government. Since 1978, San Patrignano has taken in over 18,000 people, offering them a home, health care, legal assistance, and the opportunity to study, learn a job, change their lives, and regain their status as full members of society.



Teaching a job to its guests is one of San Patrignano"s fundamental principles. Through the years the community has developed several high quality activities: from agriculture and food production to training championship jumping horses, to breeding show dogs, from high quality printing to information technologies, and craftsmanship such as frame building.



Initially bikes and parts were produced for outside companies. The turning point came in 1999, thanks to the support and of Dario and Gianni Pegoretti. Today, Dario Pegoretti continues as their technical advisor and San Patrignano has its own brand of racing and touring bikes, and it is possible to order a custom frame.



To learn more visit the San Patrignano website: http://www.sanpatrignano.org/?q=en


Photos: a San Patrignano at EICMA 2009 in Milan


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Dario Pegoretti's Latest Creation

Back in December we reported on a frame that Dario Pegoretti was experimenting with using Richard Sachs' "Newvex Series" lugs (see: http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2008/12/dario-pegoretti-experiments-with-newvex.html).

Now, based upon the photographs above, Pegoretti appears to be experimenting with customizing lugs and bottom brackets.

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com