Motor racing sponsorship has played a major role in the marketing plan of Martini & Rossi, an Italian alcohol company that is perhaps most famous for its brand of vermouth. Usually decorating white or silver cars, the red, dark and light blue stripes are familiar to any longstanding fan of the sport, but they’ve also been spectacularly transposed on to the latest frame by Bishop Bikes.
The Lancia 037 rally cars and Porsche 917LH Le Mans racers are probably the most memorable bastions of the Martini Racing legacy. But a long working relationship with Pennsylvania’s FreshFrame ensures this pista by Baltimore’s Chris Bishop is included among that echelon of racing history. Accentuated by that paint and lug lining is many hours of brazing and filing.
Lugs that disappear into needlepoints and an extremely well defined seat tube cluster have become recognisable trademarks of Chris’ frames, which have won him numerous awards at various North American Handmade Bicycle Shows. They are visible on this pista also, along with other mouth-watering details like customised dropouts, seat stay bridge and bottom bracket shell.
Milled and drilled components by Jon Williams of Drillium Revival continue the Martini theme around the frame, with a Campagnolo seat mast, crankset and stem that has been shaved and painted to match. It would be a pleasure to watch this Bishop gain momentum around the velodrome but like the Martini cars, it looks fast even just standing still.
Special thanks to Keith Teket for the photos. See more on the Bishop Bikes flickr stream.
