The foundation of the Rossin marque was filled with intrigue and collusion, but it resulted in a world-beating bike that carried many champions to victory during the heyday of the Italian steel racing bicycle.
These days, Rossin seems to have disappeared after being bought by Grupetto Italia. And machines built during the final days of production, although still magnificent, were far removed from those that the brand’s reputation was built upon.
Mario Rossin was a highly respected frame builder for Ernesto Colnago during the early 70s when he was caught up in a turf war between a number of patrons and team managers. Basically, Ernesto reneged on their team’s loyalty by supplying another with his bikes.
The disgruntled men involved decided to create a new competitor for Colnago himself by enlisting Rossin to build their frames.
The new company granted Rossin naming rights, and the 5 men involved drew a pentagon around the capital R to form the famous logo. This Rossin was delivered from its native country to Indonesia by a customer of Pancalen Cycles, Jakarta’s premium bicycle specialist.
The resurrection process was a testament to their passion and mechanical experience, which you can read more about on their blog.
Special thanks to Rangga Panji for the story and photography.
