This week, we get to revisit one of our favorite bikes. Back in 2020, we showcased this exact bike as it went through its first transformation from SRAM to Campagnolo. Everyone breathed a bit easier after that. Then, in a quest to see how much weight we could lop off with a few simple changes, we changed it again. With a switch of the bars, saddle, stem and wheels, we got this Pegoretti Marcelo to sub 16 pounds. The rider who owns the bike calls it his favorite, and he has some nice ones to choose from. Recently, we wanted to elevate the bike's already plush comfort while taking a few more grams off responsibly.
After learning about Bjōrn and trying out some of their components, we felt their unique range could bring the finishing touches to this almost ten-year-old bike.
So, we placed Bjōrn's 3D-printed Setka saddle on their zero setback Glagol seat post, connected an Extralite Hyperstem to clamp onto the Slovenian brand's nicely shaped Rool carbon bars and took off another quarter pound in the process. But reducing weight wasn't the central drive this time. Comfort was. According to the rider, the saddle is the best he's sat on, while the bars felt great in the drops, on the tops and perched out on the hoods.
This Marcelo is the kind of bike that is slowly disappearing in the mainstream, what with the modern wave of internal cables, integrated bars, stems and proprietary seat posts. But with this brave new world, we risk losing one of the funniest aspects (besides riding the damn things) about bikes - the tinkering. With bikes like the Pegoretti here, the options are endless, and that is fun. So, while the latest super-fast 'pro' road bike has its place (and we love that place), the Marcelo is the type of bike you can ride for decades and have fun playing around with and changing to keep up with the times. Either way, it's a win-win.
So, let's not see integration as the inevitable end goal, merely one journey to the same destination: the love of riding.
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