Artist is a much abused term. Nonetheless, Dario Pegoretti truly was an artist, a once-in-a-generation maestro. No builder of our time matched Dario in his combined mastery of ride geometry, tubing design, brazed and welded construction, and frame finish. And no builder has ever surpassed the stunning art of his finished frames.
In 1975 Pegoretti entered an 8 year apprenticeship with Verona's most renowned frame builder, Luigino Milani. Though typically marked with decals from other makers, pelotons of those days frequently had up to half their racers on Milani frames. Roche, Pantani, Battaglin, Chiappucci, Indurain, Tafi, Cipollini, Ghiroto, and Fondriest along with countless other top in-the-know racers relied on the Milani shop for their most prized race bikes.
Dario finished his apprenticeship in 1983 but continued building in the Milani shop until 1999. He then moved to his own shop near Trento. There, with his son Andrea and long time assistant Pietro, the Pegoretti shop carefully handcrafted a mere 250 frames a year - for the entire world. Extraordinarily well balanced geometry from the soul of Italy, exquisite craftsmanship, and unrivaled finish combine to make every Pegoretti frame a singular masterpiece of art. You could proudly hang any Pegoretti frame on your wall. Many do. But a Pegoretti is even more stunning on the road.
