Our visit to Pegoretti in Caldonazzo

[mvrider]

First off, thanks to the forumites with kind advice about how to find Dario's workshop. With the aid of the Garmin and Google Streetview, it turned out to be a cinch. Of course, Dario is moving his shop in November (business is booming apparently, and they have outgrown his shop), so you'll all have to find your own way to his new place.

Please enjoy the photos

To explain, at the beginning of August my wife suddenly declared a need for a vacation (she had had a hard summer at work), and within 2 weeks we had planned a trip to northern Italy. So I suggested, "hey, how about visiting Pegoretti?" We looked on the map, to find that Caldonazzo is just a hop and a skip from Verona, where we planned to attend the opera festival. My wife indulged me, so I got in touch with Dario (through pm's on vsalon), and off we went.

pdmtong made a few suggestions in preparation to our visit, including the reminder that Dario likes Mexican food, so we packed a few gifts in our carry-on luggage.

Caldonazzo is just off the autostrada, north of Verona, amongst dense apple orchards, full with fruit at the end of August. The autostrada is wonderfully maintained, as it should be for the tolls they charge. Hundreds of campers and trailers bearing German plates were streaming north, marking the end of the summer holiday. Light rain added to the atmosphere, among the steep limestone marking the base of the Dolomites.

As we drove into the driveway in our little Fiat Punto, there stood Dario, looking healthy and happy. All the accounts are true: Dario is a warm and gracious host, and made us feel perfectly at home. His accented English is perfect. The first thing he did was to brew us some espresso. We talked a bit about where we came from, and where we would visit in Italy. My wife had thought ahead and downloaded some pictures of our bikes on her iPad, so we were able to show him my Respo, and her Renovo. He asked, "how do you like your bike?", and my wife answered for me, "he loves it!"

We talked a bit about the paint scheme that my wife wants on her new bike. After a short description, he thought that it'd be a great idea, and asked us, "what color white do you want?" He then declared, "it should be pearl white," and then explained that he had four different tones of pearl white. We decided on a bluish one. The details of the design will remain secret until he completes it, sorry.

Here's where we got down to bicycle business real fast: from the photos we brought, he thought the saddle on my stock 54 Respo was too far forward, so he was anxious to take my measurements first. Dario takes simple body measurements: height, clavicle height, arm length, inseam, tibia length. After doing that he declared flatly, "You need a custom frame!" My short torso and long legs caught his attention. I had not anticipated the remote possibility of ordering a second Peg, so I was taken aback. But, when the Master declares that I need a custom frame, who the heck am I to argue??

As Dario filled out my fit form, he asked, "what color do you want?" Unprepared for that question, I was speechless and had to refer back to some photos I had downloaded from the Peg thread on vsalon. We ultimately agreed on a one-off paint scheme he had done on a show bike, and he agreed to replicate it for me. Once again, secret until I get it!

For my wife, her proportions are more ordinary, so he'll build a frame with standard geometry and 700c wheels for her. At this point, I asked Dario about his plans for electronic shifting, and he revealed some developments that I will not repeat here. Just to whet your appetite, Dario hopes to show some electronic-ready frames at NAHBS in Denver.

He will also attend Interbike next week, where he will show a number of bikes in the Gita booth. After Interbike, he plans to take his 18-year old son, Andrea, who will be coming to the U.S. for the first time, on a road trip to Santa Fe. My wife and I both love Santa Fe, so we got to talk about the landscape, architecture, food, and art for a while.

After we finished with the measurements, I told Dario that he had a lot of fans in the Bay Area, and asked if he wouldn't mind signing photos that pdmtong had printed and given to me. Dario indulged, and scans of the "Dariographs" are at the tail end of the photo album. He told us that that photo was taken during his chemotherapy, making it even more poignant.

We had some free time to wander around the workshop, where we saw boxes and boxes of Falz forks (sorry to those who are waiting vainly for them). Dario brought out some wild custom saddles he ordered from Fizik.

He had to run off for a bit, so we were left on our own to wander around the shop until he returned. The workshop has a genuinely lived-in, worn-around-the-ears character that will take time to replicate in the new building, 7-km away.

Eventually, after two hours at the workshop, hunger got the best of us, so we bid Dario, Pietro, and the other two workers a warm "ciao", before driving off in our Punto. Fittingly enough, on our way back on the autostrada near Vicenza, my wife spotted the huge "Campagnolo" sign on top of the factory.

The visit to Caldonazzo was just the first of 9 days during a wonderful trip to Italy. Pasta, pizza, gelato, espresso, wine... If you like my photography and are curious about what else caught my eye, see the following links. They do not tell a complete story, but are just bits and pieces of visual stimulation:

Verona Venezia Ravenna Firenze Cinque Terre

You might also like photos from a previous trip to Italy, from my bachelor days.

[efuentes]

Gotta go down there sometime, thanks for the writeup

[brando]

Great write-up. Missing my pegoretti very strongly right now.

[thwart]

Great story and pics.

My favorite:

[pdmtong]

a few years ago I was selling a chorus brakeset either here or on CL and the buyer was mvrider. fast fwd, we reconected when he asked the forum for build suggestions on his incoming goze respo. since then, I have enjoyed his friendship, both talking bikes, and other...(for instance running into he and his wife at the sf symphony performance of #9 two months ago). they are one bike crazy couple...eclectic taste and also real riders. like 50/5000 riders.

So just like here on PL we help each other spend money, I credit mvrider with motivating the purchase of my respo. I failed to get in line in 2007 when they were introduced, missed a goze when that color was special order 3 years ago and never thought Id see a peg in my garage...that is until he alerted me there was a stock 55 ciavete for sale on our local CL. (wouldnt you know, I had just sworn off looking at CL two weeks early to avoid the continual distraction). the owner bought it from my LBS but never built it. I drove 5 min, had a nice chat, and now i'm part of the master's following....tomorrow it is getting built!

sadly for me it is unlikely I will ever get to darios shop...i know you never know....but for now, it was great sharing the experience and living vicariously...


BTW, the secret paint for both he and wife...it will be awesome....I can say nothing more

[Louis]

Very cool story, MV.

We really are a little family, aren't we? Spread out all over the world. Yes, there are downsides, but the Interwebs have facilitated neat things like this, have brought folks of similar interests together from all over the world. Sometimes the people are mean, nasty types (pornographers, jihadists, etc) but sometimes they are people just like us, who love bicycles.

[climbgdh]

Now THAT my friend is VERY VERY COOL!!

Thanks. Makes me want to go visit Dario myself.

Absolutely love my Duende.

[monkeybanana86]

I enjoyed the write up and pictures. What a nice trip

[vqdriver]

Most awesome. Lots of heart

[BumbleBeeDave]

Thanks so much for posting your account and the photos!

BBD

[AngryScientist]

wow, great pictures and awesome experience, thanks for sharing!

[nighthawk]

So great to hear that Dario is so down to earth and friendly. I hope to meet him one day, myself... And meet one of his bikes custom made for me.

Does Dario ride much these days?

[Peter P.]

Thanks for taking the time to write up your visit. Good reading.

[rwsaunders]

Great morning read...surely keep us all posted on the eventual outcome.

[fuzzalow]

Fantastic. Stupendous. Outstanding.

What Pegoretti enthusiast wouldn't be blown away by the experience of a custom geometry sized by Dario. Congratulations and I am thrilled for the both of you in your rolling art yet to come. Grazie mille for the writeup and the photos.