Passoni: The atelier, the polymath & the pyramids
Passoni build bikes. There’s a little more to it than that of course but that’s the bottom line. As part of our latest collaboration, we visited their Milan atelier to pick up our own and find out more about how they do what they do. We could easily tell you the facts but struggled with how best to tell you the tale.
How to convey that true sense of an inanimate object that appears to come alive or of a piece of art that has a completely practical function. If there really are only seven stories in the world then perhaps the truth behind the process of creating a Passoni and the pure joy of riding one is actually a story that has a little piece of at least six of them.
OVERCOMING THE MONSTER
The starting point for any design has to be a deep understanding of the endless mathematical possibilities created when matching the mechanics of the human body to the geometry of a bicycle. Passoni perform a constantly moving clinical analysis of the interaction between man and machine and draw their inspiration from one of the original polymaths Leonardo da Vinci and his Vitruvian man.
These roads were originally made for donkeys and if a donkey can get up them, so can we. The response of the bike to the double-digit gradients has me looking down to check if the whole thing isn’t actually made of carbon.
THE QUEST
It all began in the local the Alfa-Romeo factory where Amelio Riva worked. Suitably inspired, Amelio decided to make his own frame which he rode and tested himself around Lake Como and the famous church of cycling, the Madonna del Ghisallo. It was that odd metallic frame that first caught the attention of Luciano Passoni and sparked what would become the titanium inquisition for both himself and his son, Luca.
We later find out that we were riding over pyramids. That’s right, pyramids. In early 2003 a keen-eyed archaeologist spotted three pyramids from satellite imagery, hidden beneath beautiful vineyards, olive plantations and a picture perfect middle-aged village. All 3 had an inclination of 42/43 degrees. Which explains why I’m sweating so much as we reach the top and stop to look out from Brianza’s rooftop back towards the factory and Milan sitting in the Po valley.
REBIRTH
In their self-styled museum reside a collection of Passoni frames from over the years, ranging from a fully titanium track bike with angles that make you uncomfortable just looking at them, an experimental ‘Z’ shaped seat stay design to cope with the cobbles of L’Enfer du Nord, and Luca Passoni’s last design extravagance: an aero carbon frame with titanium dropouts and marginal gains concepts conceived before Team Sky had even whispered in a wind tunnel.
The summit town, Montevecchia Alta is almost car-free. Some cobbles leading to the taverna highlight the shock absorbing qualities of the premium-grade titanium. We’re guided away off the cobbles and into a small taverna where the cold cuts and local cheeses are only topped by the olive oil that is so good our photographer, Christophe, has to order more bread.
COMEDY
Lance Armstrong is now a Passoni employee. He polishes titanium welds and tubes to perfection, sandblasts the Passoni name onto downtubes and adds the components to make the final product ready to roll out to very expectant and demanding customers. At lunch he sits down opposite the main reception desk to a packed lunch, colleagues’ jokes about his past life and the possibility of him cracking into the bottle of Indian whiskey on the cupboard behind him.
Danilo points to Piacenza where he lived for a short time during his years as a professional and tells stories of training, room-sharing and a life dedicated to racing - more evidence, if any more were needed, of the expertise of those driving the Passoni business.
RAGS TO RICHES
The blue light, yellow sparks and crackling from the welder are eye-catching. But watching the slow and deliberate movements of the Passoni artisans through the gloved access is like observing a surgeon perform micro-surgery. And as the patient emerges the welds are like finely curated stitches which would be acceptable to many but not to our Italian friends. So we progress to the slightly more cosmetic section of the atelier, where the welds are polished using a selection of materials starting from hard metal down to fine cotton string wrapped around a plastic drill attachment. For anywhere between 30 and 40 hours.
Robbiate Hill is the start of the Leonardo trail. The typically Tuscan landscape is apparently part of the background of the Mona Lisa. We ride the small gravel road at the side of the River Adda, beneath the Ponte de Michele rail and road bridge, in the shadow of the hills up to a modern water power station and try to imagine the place in Leonardo’s era. Unfortunately to reach the legendary Imbersago ferry it’s up another ‘donkey’ road, but then after 10 kilometres we are treated to a swooping descent which reveals that the Passoni goes where your eyes go, tracking the road with precision and sure-footedness.
VOYAGE AND REBIRTH
The Passoni symbol adapts the Vitruvian man by, of course, incorporating two wheels to complete the connection between rider and bike. Luciano was intent on ensuring that every bike he produced was properly measured for each and every rider. Their holistic bike fitting approach starts with an assessment of your size and posture from the initial hand-shake to the fine details which are turned into an architectural type design drawing.
The calm around Leonardo’s ferry is palpable. The lack of engine noise must be a contributing factor. Leonardo’s mechanical genius harnesses the river’s flow together with a fixed cable and roller system to direct the boat across the current. It’s a living example of how mechanical genius can also produce beauty. We can’t wait to take the bikes back to the Riviera to let them do what they do best.
The Café du Cycliste Passoni bikes are available to rent and ride at : 16 Quai des Docks 6300 Nice
