MARK'S PASSONI TITANIO DISCO

This week we’re proud to be featuring another custom built titanium bike from Passoni, Mark’s Titanio Disco.

Mark came to Signature in search of his ‘forever bike’, a bike that would be timeless, classic with a refined, understated style. From our discussions with Mark, and understanding his riding preferences, eye for aesthetics and appreciation for detail, it was clear that the bike had to be titanium, and had to be Italian. What other choice is there but a Passoni.

When searching for a real ‘forever bike’, titanium is often a material that we discuss with clients. When made well, a titanium frame won’t rust and can truly last forever, lighter than steel and more comfortable and durable than carbon. Passoni are truly masters of this demanding material; understanding the processes and time that it takes to make the perfect frame.

When welding the frame together, Passoni use a huge, bathysphere-like vacuum chamber flushed with argon, necessary because any oxygen, nitrogen or hydrogen in the air can create defects in the weld. Their iconic hourglass-shaped head tubes are turned from a solid block of titanium, a process so tough on their tools that they need to be repaired or replaced for every thirty frames produced.

This commitment to craft is present too in the finishing process. Up to thirty hours of skilled work goes into the hand filing and polishing of each frame. This is why it is so rare to see a Passoni that’s fully painted, similar to BMC’s approach to carbon on their Masterpiece collection, the finely finished raw material is too beautiful to be covered up. Even the Passoni wordmark on the down tube of the bike is simply sandblasted into the titanium rather than painted or applied to the bike.

Reflecting this refinement and simplicity, Mark wanted the finishing of the fork, spacers and stem to match this sandblasted logo. Not an easy task, but one that Ron Jones of local CT shop Pro Bike Design rose to, doing an amazing job of flawlessly recreating the color, hue and light reactive properties of the sandblasted metal to perfectly compliment the frame.

Mark has enjoyed a ten speed Campagnolo group on previous road bikes, and especially for this contemporary Italian frame, it was clear we should stick with the brand, not just for their history and dedication to quality, but also for their technological advancements, with their latest Super Record Wireless 12-speed groupset providing crisp, accurate shifts and palpable chain engagement. We stuck with Campagnolo when choosing the wheelset for this bike, a handmade wheel trusted by world tour riders and proven by victory. With ideal balance and aerodynamic properties, and coming in at a featherweight 1240g, it’s well suited to soaring up and down the hills in and around Connecticut. These Italian components couldn’t feel more at home on this bike.

At every step of this bike’s manufacture and assembly is a commitment to craft, and investment of time, from the welding of the frame down to the handmade leather bar tape and saddle cover from Mick Peel at Busyman Bicycles.

We’re proud to have put some of our time into the building of this bike, and hope that this ‘forever bike’ is one that will truly stay with him, forever.