Gaulzetti Cicli

[John M]

......the most exciting thing coming is the new cross frame. it's based on the corsa but with a few tweaks. look for it to be formally introduced at the providence cross festival. it'll drive good.

Craig,

You've been been pretty clear as to what geometry makes a good race bike. Are there some clear principles that will be guiding your cross geo designs?

[jerk]

Craig,

You've been been pretty clear as to what geometry makes a good race bike. Are there some clear principles that will be guiding your cross geo designs?

hi john-
the cross bike will be interesting. as i see it- cross bikes need to work for drastic and hard changes in tempo, have efficient energy transfer and be able to drive well through corners. i think what works for a good cross bike is almost what works for a great kermesse/crit bike...longer stays, plenty of bb drop- and a front end that'll let you corner hard at all speeds. stability over a myriad of conditions can be accomplished by bringing up the front end slightly and shortening the reach compared to ones road position...less setback can also help with accelerations, snap and changes in tempo. people aren't really shouldering bikes anymore at the elite level, but i do try to keep the main triangle as open as i can.

a good cross bike is not a commuter or a dirt road bike or a road bike or a hybrid. it should be at home racing balls out on world cup cyclo-cross courses and be out of place everywhere else. that's the way the gaulzetti cross bike'll be.

[e-RICHIE]

Jerkpedia 3.18 atmo -

hi john-
the cross bike will be interesting. as i see it- cross bikes need to work for drastic and hard changes in tempo, have efficient energy transfer and be able to drive well through corners. i think what works for a good cross bike is almost what works for a great kermesse/crit bike...longer stays, plenty of bb drop- and a front end that'll let you corner hard at all speeds. stability over a myriad of conditions can be accomplished by bringing up the front end slightly and shortening the reach compared to ones road position...less setback can also help with accelerations, snap and changes in tempo. people aren't really shouldering bikes anymore at the elite level, but i do try to keep the main triangle as open as i can.

a good cross bike is not a commuter or a dirt road bike or a road bike or a hybrid. it should be at home racing balls out on world cup cyclo-cross courses and be out of place everywhere else. that's the way the gaulzetti cross bike'll be.

[Craig Ryan]

Craig, I think it's commendable to have such a singular purpose behind your brand. Racing bike. I think it's exciting and I'm rooting for you. Here's what I'm curious about. When you look at one of your bikes, and then look at all the great bikes you've had a chance to ride and sell, what do you think? Sorry for being vague, but most of us just don't get to ride the top models year after year. In other words, what is a fit guy who goes fast going to think when he checks out a new Colnago C59 and a Gaulzetti?

With that in mind, if a customer gives Justin a call and wants one of your bikes set up with a drop of 2cm., what are you going to do?
Thanks, Craig

[winmonster]

Craig, your frames combined with Justin's builds make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I really like the philosophy and focus. Are customers coming to you guys with their size and build choices laid out, or are you fitting them and recommending builds based on budget/usage?

[jerk]

Craig, I think it's commendable to have such a singular purpose behind your brand. Racing bike. I think it's exciting and I'm rooting for you. Here's what I'm curious about. When you look at one of your bikes, and then look at all the great bikes you've had a chance to ride and sell, what do you think? Sorry for being vague, but most of us just don't get to ride the top models year after year. In other words, what is a fit guy who goes fast going to think when he checks out a new Colnago C59 and a Gaulzetti?

With that in mind, if a customer gives Justin a call and wants one of your bikes set up with a drop of 2cm., what are you going to do?
Thanks, Craig

hey craig-
i do have access and familiarity with a lot of great race bikes. we always have a bunch of pegorettis here at the shop- a few pinarello dogmas and kobhs and enough colnago eps and c50s that anyone can come in and test ride a bike near enough to their own size to get a feel for the thing. we also always have the newest fanciest treks and a bunch of ridleys.

without exception, these are all great race bikes. compared to my bikes- the carbon euro bikes are going to be a bit more refined in terms of being products for retail sale, but i think my bikes perform as well if not better than them in race conditions. in general, i feel that many top of the line race bikes have lost their way a bit in an attempt to differentiate themselves solely based on weight and "drivetrain stiffness" whatever that means. i point to the colnago c50 as a good example of this...every year since they introduced this phenomonal bike- they've claimed to improve it by making it "stiffer and lighter". having ridden every generation, i can tell you this isn't really true. each new model may have lost some weight but bikes continually got flexier along the top tube and more wiggly. if you compare my ex-milram team extreme power to what is/was available for retail sale, it's hundreds of grams heavier and a completely different bike.

the bikes i make for sale are the same ones i would make for a pro-tour athlete. i honestly believe that the best race bike for the professional athlete is the best road bike for the vast majority of cyclists. the industry does not believe this as a whole and either forces their sponsored riders to ride sub-optimal equipment or they make special stuff for'em.

to answer your last question, if a client wants one of my bikes set up with a drop of 2cm- he can do whatever he wants once he has the frame. its out of my hands and its his. but except for an exceptionally small bike, this is not how my bikes are designed to balance and in general the client would be better served by someone else's bike design and i am not afraid to refer potential customers elsewhere when required. that being said, i do believe the modern race bike offers the most efficient and comfortable geometry for riding on the road for the vast majority of cyclists.

[jerk]

Craig, your frames combined with Justin's builds make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I really like the philosophy and focus. Are customers coming to you guys with their size and build choices laid out, or are you fitting them and recommending builds based on budget/usage?

it's a little bit of both. the end result always seems to be a competent race bike with nice stuff that isn't a compromise in terms of either weight, performance or durability. some clients know exactly what they want and some need a little guidance and i can say without exception that i have been really proud of how all my bikes have turned out and how my clients have set up their bikes. i'm sure there will be some train wrecks down the road as more bikes get built- but at this point my client base is pretty self selective and they generally are buying my philosophy on bike design as much as they are buying my bike.

thanks!
craig

[davids]

I found myself in a little paceline this morning. In front of me was a team-issue Gaulzetti Corsa and behind me was a Pinarello Prince. I was riding my Love #3, and was struck by the sheer amount of jerk-itude surrounding me; One bike had your name on it, and the other two have your fingerprints all over them, as you had recommended, spec'ed and sold them both.

It got me wondering about your cycling influences. You've already mentioned the role e-RICHIE played in spurring you to create Gaulzetti Cicli. I guess I'm more curious to know what bikes, what designers, what races and riders, you draw upon for inspiration.


p.s. The guy on the Gaulzetti loves it. It's all he's riding these days.

[jerk]

I found myself in a little paceline this morning. In front of me was a team-issue Gaulzetti Corsa and behind me was a Pinarello Prince. I was riding my Love #3, and was struck by the sheer amount of jerk-itude surrounding me; One bike had your name on it, and the other two have your fingerprints all over them, as you had recommended, spec'ed and sold them both.

It got me wondering about your cycling influences. You've already mentioned the role e-RICHIE played in spurring you to create Gaulzetti Cicli. I guess I'm more curious to know what bikes, what designers, what races and riders, you draw upon for inspiration.


p.s. The guy on the Gaulzetti loves it. It's all he's riding these days.

hey david-
my first made to measure bike is till one of my favorites ever. i was a first year guy racing and i was measured for a bike and got this spx tubed merckx. the thing was fucking heavy and i bitched about it untill i was told to shut the fuck up by my director. it was a weird kermesse bike- described by the man himself as being "only for under 100km"...the thing had strange for its time and strange for now geometry too.....really low bb- longish stays, super steep headangle, rake from a track bike and a resulting super short front center. the thing fucking railed though. i could corner harder on it than any bike i'd ever ridden- it was next to impossible to put on a jacket or go collect bottles take off your leg warmers but it wasn't for that.....anyway- it was a purpose built machine and it was/is great.

the first generation c50 is another bike that is sorta kinda a muse- just a great stable race bike perfect for doing everything...it climbed well, descended well, sprinted well and just felt right. i am a fool for selling that thing.

my pegoretti emma is basically a copy of the aforementioned geometry but with even stiffer lighter tubes. dario nailed it and its the kind of bike that i think demands a lifestyle i can't give it. in this way, its similar to another inspiration of mine- the tt bikes made by andy walser. andy is probably the bike guy most unbeholden to industry. he builds heavy narrow, crude time trial bikes that are faster than anything else. they come in three sizes all with the same 90mm headtube length...but the carbon is layed up for te athlete's wattage. the bike has a potential client base who could really appreciate it and use it, of possibly 1,000 people in the whole world...it is crude, fast and brutal.

my favorite production bike right now is the pinarello dogma. the pinarellos have never lost their way in pursuing bikes designed for the rigors of modern racing first and the realities of the market second. the bike is not as light as many other high end carbon jobs and its innovations and peculiarities are unique. i appreciate the science and technology that went in to its design and i really like the way the bikes ride.

thanks! i'll talk about races and riders later.

craig

[ron l edmiston]

this ole mind feeble codger --- ifa i was gona get 2 "ghost writers," to ferret me a "pulitzer" or nobel" --
have to be jerk and atmo ...
and i can understand & make application of yo shite ....

thank you,

ronnie

[Saab2000]

There's not much to ask..... I just want one. But I need to get myself in better shape in order to get the most out of one. But I'd fucking love one of the aluminum ones.

[Auk]

Who were your top five influences in getting you into, through, and out of racing?

And of the Corsa, not a question as much as a statement. It is the one frameset that has made me question every frameset that I had both before and after. It simply is that good.

[nahtnoj]

Its awesome that you are switching to PF30 on the Corsa. Makes me want one even more.

In a post not too long ago, you said something to the effect of "Cannondales are fucking terrible bikes".

I live in PA, where Cannondale is the default bike. I have a CAAD9. It does a lot of things well, but in a some circumstances it feels like a powerful car with too little traction.

So why do Cannondales suck so much? As a race bikes, how is a Corsa different? Do you have customers who moved from a CAAD to a Corsa - what were their impressions?

Thanks,

Jon

[jerk]

Who were your top five influences in getting you into, through, and out of racing?

And of the Corsa, not a question as much as a statement. It is the one frameset that has made me question every frameset that I had both before and after. It simply is that good.

mark wouters (my first director
my old man (made me go do something)
Nico and frank. (let me train and hang and ride)
rik van steen beck (kept me out of trouble with a part time job in demolition and let me date his daughter)

that's five.

and for getting me out of racing that was all me and some gentle prodding from my mum. I went to go visit my folks in Indonesia weighing 150 pounds, with a horrible foot fungus and holding a bunch of pills.... the nurse and the mother in her urged me to try college instead of this bike racing thing.

[jerk]

I'm jaded by being a former cannondale dealer. the bikes break, they've always used proprietary parts that suck and are hard to service and they historically ride really harsh. I'm sure the new ones are fine- but ask pucci- any bike industry lifer hates'em.

in terms of geometry- they're allright. worse than a trek and better than a cannondale. I've always admired their made in the USA ethos- and I raced mtbs in Belgium on an m1000 which was a bad ass simtour xc pro bike. but I never really liked caad9s. they always seemed like they didn't track right and bounced around alot.

my bikes don't. people that've had both speak to mine being more torsionally rigid and more planted. I think this is because of geometry but maybe it's all mental.

[Jason Musgrave]

Not mental Craig--the corsa is better than a Cad9. It doesn't ride as harsh as the C-dale for sure, and my gut tells me it sticks to is line better.

[steve garro]

Craig - I'm stoked that you are well, so stoked! that's great. you have the energy it takes to make a bike brand "float." there are allot of people from your neck of the woods on this thread, but for those of us who are not from the Left Coast give us just a quick over view of the line for clarity, huh? what are all you current models, what are they made of, where are they made & by who? I for one am glad you are flying the flag of the fine USA aluminum road racing bike. you have what, welded Al, CF, & lugged steel now, right? {see, fill me in} what is next, Ti? TIG'ed spirit? thanks, man - rock on - Garro.

[AntLockyer]

Craig is on the Right coast no?

Craig are you doing any racing at the moment if so how does it feel racing at the level you are in the domestic scene compared with what you have done before?

[TJ]

Craig,

If I called you and ordered a bike, knowing the following details what bike would you recommend and why?
Cat2
165lbs ( at my heaviest)
6ft1
peak wattage 1400 @ last test
FTP wattage low 350's

I doing mainly long rr's. Prefer climbing races the best and I am usually in the break ( since I suck at sprinting).
My two current bikes are C'dale HiMod SuperSix and a Cervelo SLC-SL.
I run 10cm of drop.
With that info what would you suggest?

[CXinNH]

Got about 3,000 miles on my Gaulzetti now.

As I am getting older it takes me longer to adapt to new bikes.
Last time I spent a thought on the bike was 2,500 miles ago.

The thing just disappears. It's a tool. The best tool I have had my arse on in about 220,000 life miles.