Nothing on this planet is impervious to the effects of nature. Even plastic will eventually break down through photo degradation—with toxic results. Ninety percent of the bicycles featured on The Spoken are made from steel, which is affected by the elements more than carbon fiber and aluminum. But who really wants a bike that lasts forever? We love our steel bikes because, in contrast to aluminum or carbon frames, they look even better with age, like the bikes offered by Turin’s Frenorosso.
The mission of Frenorosso is simple: provide quality, customizable Italian bikes at affordable prices. Each frame is handmade from Columbus tubes, which you can choose to have powder coated in a selection of stylish hues. A couple of special finishes are available, a matte black and this ‘Rust Fr’. The aged steel effect is achieved by laying down a rustproof coat underneath a micron-thick layer of metallic paint that’s left to oxidize.
Once you select your frame and color, you can select Italian-made Miche brakes, or not: run the hubs fixed, free or flip-flop. Joytech hubs are laced to wooden rims that are made by an Italian craftsman since 1946. A beechwood mudguard is also offered as an option. There’s a range of aluminum bars to choose from: toulouse, straight or drops, and San Marco supplies the Concor Supercorsa or Rolls saddles and bar tape. Configure your own Frenorosso by heading to their website.
