We have different reasons for riding the bikes we ride. They fulfil certain requirements for stages of our cycling, and each delivers an individual experience. The story about how each came to be to in our possession is revealing, but the background to the acquisition of a tailored frame is always infinitely more interesting than that of an off-the-peg bike.
Mattia Paganotti of Legor Cicli is still a passionate Italian, but he now calls Barcelona home, where he’s found a market that is equally fond of colourful, well-made, handcrafted frames. He just completed this road frame for Luis Cordon, painted by the highly skilled auto-artist, Killianboy.
Luis wanted to share the story of how he came to own and love his custom Legor Cicli road bike: “Around one year ago I found myself about to buy a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX. One more click and I wouldn’t be writing this lines…”
“I stopped for a second and I realised: ‘I still keep my childhood bike, I brought to Valencia the one I owned while living in San Francisco, I’ve been racing track crits for two years with a Nagasawa…’ (Buying a stock Canyon) was definitely NOT me.”
“That bike wouldn’t have any story, creative process or anecdote. It would be a soul-less bicycle. Buying a stock bike is cold, your worries focus on having the best for the lowest price. But you’ll never have the best for you with a stock bike.”
“If you care what others think of you, then buy the latest 2015 Tarmac with Di2 Dura-Ace and have a nice life. Otherwise, choose everything carefully and you’ll get the best bike you’ll ever ride.”
“I love cycling and bicycles as an object, as fetishism. I had to take advantage I was going to change my road bike to get something special. I wanted a long lasting bike with long lasting and reliable components. I armed myself with patience and I finally decided to go for a custom bike.”
“First of all I read John Watson’s ‘Guide to buying your first custom bicycle’ which convinced me of a single thing: Buy local. I dreamt of a Firefly or a Baum, but I had to agree with him on that point.”
“I began looking for one I liked in Spain: Arregui Velázquez, Jerónimo, Amaro… But when Legor moved to Barcelona, the choice was made. I already knew him before and I loved his work.”
“I went to Barcelona in June to start with a process that took us 5-6 months because a huge delay with Legor’s new chainstays… When I went to RHC Milano I nearly went to Columbus factory to ask for them by myself…”
“Once we got them, the frame was welded in a few days and then it was Kilianboy’s turn. I had many paint options in my mind, but none of them were risky. The bicycle would have been great as well with a plain paint job, but I decided to try something…”
“Nortel.le. This brand from Valencia used to build top bikes with the best materials and components in the 70s. The four C’s made them famous in Spain: Columbus, Cinelli, Clement and Campagnolo. Their characteristic paint jobs were also very special. This vintage bike handmade in my town was the inspiration for Kilianboy to paint my new Legor Cicli”
“Besides the frame, there’s another special part in my bike: Xclusive Bikes Ti seatpost, made in Spain.
“I’m really happy with this bike. It made me more interested in handmade bikes. In fact, I’m supporting a new framebuilder from my town for a track bike made by him to race crits and I’m ordering a CX for the next season as well. Let’s see what happens when it’s time to change my MTB…”
“Working with Mattia was great despite the fact that he hasn’t mastered Spanish yet. He made me make the right choices for some components and for the frame and paint design. He is a very nice guy who loves what he does, a punk bike freak who speaks in a straightforward way.”
One thing is certain, there will be only one of these bikes riding around, and it will be enjoyed for years, developing a true personality. Special thanks to Amparito Sebastia for the photos — see more of his work on his website and Instagram. You can contact Legor Cicli via his website and Instagram.
