Monday, April 25, 2016

Wilier Triestina Ramato

Another well known and highly respected Italian cycling manufacturer is Wilier. 


Wiler was founded in 1906 by Pietro Dal Molin. After World War II Wiler formed a professional cycling team led by Giordano Cottur of Trieste, Italy. In 1945 the name of the brand was changed to Wilier Triestina, and the distinctive copper coloured finish became a trademark of the brand.

At this time, of course, all frames were made from steel and the copper coloured finish was quite unique.

Here is a fine example of a Wilier Trieste steel framed bicycle from the early 1980's using Columbus tubing.





Due to the resurgence of retro steel frames Wilier have reintroduced the copper coloured 'Ramato' finish on modern steel, and the modern version is absolutely amazing.

There is certainly something special about fitting a modern Campy groupset to a modern steel framed bike....and a little bit of chrome rounds off the deal nicely!















Wilier are calling the most recent edition of this model the "Superleggera". Producing a copper finish on the frame is quite an expensive exercise, so the pricing of this model is not accessible to all cyclists. 

Thankfully Wilier have produced the same frame in alternative finishes that allows the bike to be more affordable to us all. The frame also comes in black, red, and white.....same frame, with the same impressive detailing.

See the Wilier website for further info....



...a beautifully crafted steel bicycle for the modern retro rider!

Safe riding.

James @ PVC.


Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Omata analogue GPS speedometer

Did you have one of these speedos on your bike when you were young?



Well, you're all grown up now and you deserve to have one of these....an OMATA analogue GPS cycling speedo. 


The OMATA analogue cycling speedo is a modern twist on the old analogue bike speedo. 

It has the ultra modern convenience of capturing all the digital data you will need and at the same time compliment your ride with its stylish good looks. The speedo will look great on a modern bike and will also compliment any retro road bike. 

The team who created the speedo are avid cyclists who have focused their efforts on creating a quality retro product that provides all the digital information that the modern cyclist would expect. From what I have read there has been no compromise in its development.





The design of the product has been finalised and they've commenced raising funds through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The speedos will come in your choice of two colours pictured above, and both colours have the option of either imperial (miles) or metric (kilometres) measurements.






As with conventional digital speedos, your data can be downloaded after your ride, but really....have you ever seen a digital speedo that looks as good as this!







The fundraising campaign started today and will last until May 5, 2016. You can assist the project in 3 ways:

  • A pledge of US$40 will buy you a 'Friends of OMATA pack'. For this amount you will receive not only the heart felt thanks of the fundraising team, but an OMATA cycling cap, some OMATA stickers, and regular backer updates, or
  • For a pledge of US$499 you will receive one of 200 numbered Limited Edition OMATA speedos, or
  • For a $3000 pledge 20 lucky investors will receive a Limited Edition OMATA speedo that includes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride the roads of the Santa Monica Mountains (California) with the brand ambassador and cycling legend Fabian Cancellara, along with the founders of OMATA.
..and as with all Kickstarter campaigns your pledges are only actioned if the target fundraising amount is realised.


OMATA brand ambassador Fabian Cancellara



At this stage I've only committed to a $40 pledge but I'm certainly considering the next step!

I have found that modern cycling computers are not only ugly, most are very complicated to use. The OMATA speedo is a stylish easy to use speedo that has all of the modern desirable features. To quote one of the creators of the OMATA speedo, "The more you leave out makes it a better product!"

Well worth a look....and if you would like to, please help them along.

Safe rides.

James @ PVC