Three Days of Milan - Passoni Factory Visit & TFR
Three Days of Milan
Just as the weather turned spiteful in the UK last year, me and Jules headed off to Milan on a two-pronged expedition. To visit the Passoni factory to overdose on titanium craftsmanship and also work with a few Trek Factory Racing riders at their Milan holding camp as the end of term loomed large.
Passoni Bicycles From Milan
Even Passoni's factory is beautiful. Everything about Passoni, its bikes and staff is also beautiful. They have chosen to surround themselves with visually inspiring things to help them creatively produce precious bicycles for their clients. Passoni is certainly not for everyone but in the five years we have been working with this tiny artisan factory creates loyalty bordering on obsession with the people that commission a bike from them. Passoni etched out of titanium with an even mix of love and technology but none of that matters to those that know. They are a 'heart' decision with the 'head' going along for the ride. So to speak.
Clean, light, bright and minimal. The Passoni Code!
Pro Cycling DNA
Passoni has always been linked to the Italian pro scene because historically top riders would regularly pay the factory to produce a lightweight ti bike in their sponsor's livery for Tour and Giro mountain stages and special days. Less so because UCI rules forbid custom bikes and it is impossible to make a hand-crafted titanium bike look like a stock carbon frame. Thank God! Day to day operations are led by ex-pro's Danilo and Diego. They kindly invited me and Jules for a lunchtime ride but lumbago and inherent lack of talent made us politely decline. It is however refreshing to hear that Passoni adheres to its core DNA of blending pro peloton performance with art-house visuals and style. Think Prada meets Ferrari.
Ex-Pro riders Danilo Columbo and Diego Caccia lead Passoni day to day. Patiently wait for Phil to finish so they can do a lunchtime ride. Fast.
Invisible Welding
The other significant strand of the Passoni double helix is invisible welding. It is hugely expensive, the process shrouded in secrecy (until now) and makes fully grown men weep with desire. And I say this with no trace of sexism because although the company is now run by the enigmatic and stylish Sylvia Passoni, we have never made a Passoni for a women client! How ironic.
Hyperbaric Chamber and 40 Man-Hours
And however fine and accurate the Seven Cycles bead (and it is very fine indeed) there is something about the apparent hewn--from-a-block of purest titanium look of Passoni that is undeniable. First stage is to weld the frame in Passoni's hyperbaric chamber at 1,1 Bar, the inner dome of the chamber is saturated with argon gas to cleanse and purify the welding environment. See video clip below. Post-welding, It takes about 40 hours of hand-polishing to a completely smooth joint (pictured below). Passoni could do it with a machine of tumbling pebbles but the fractional weakness it would introduce into the titanium structure makes Passoni come out in collective hives. We understand and applaud this level of obsession.
Passoni's Hyperbaric chamber ensures the inside and outside of the tube remains unpolluted and pure.