Battaglin’s drool-worthy {custom}, lugged metal street bike goes next-level with a brand new, more-modern restricted Portofino R version that’s much more built-in than ever. We don’t typically affiliate Italian lugged metal with such fashionable options as absolutely inside routing, dropped seatstays, built-in seatpost clamp, and a T47 backside bracket… however the craftsmen constructing bikes at Officina Battaglin proceed to impress…
Battaglin Portofino R {custom} street bike
c. Battaglin
Battaglin’s extra conventional-looking diamond, but completely fashionable Portofino street bike already was a showstopper with tinted cromovelato mirror finishes, distinctive fashionable outsized polished lugs, disc or rim brakes, inside cable routing, and made-to-measure geometry designed for you by Giro-Vuelta winner Giovanni Battaglin. And that bike will nonetheless be accessible for cyclists in search of basic styling…
However for these hoping to blow minds within the group rides, the newly renovated Battaglin Portofino R is ever quicker & sleeker than ever.
“We had been feeling the necessity to push the Portofino towards the race facet for some time, ” describes Battaglin CEO Alex Battaglin. “So, when the replace venture began, we centered on one single purpose: attaining a rise in body stiffness with out compromising on consolation.”
What’s new?
To construct a stiffer body meant beefing up the underside finish, and a extra compliant prime finish balances that out.
The obvious modifications within the new Battaglin Portofino R are these dropped seatstays and the ensuing new seat cluster lug. Now, the bike hides a wedge-style seatpost clamp inside the brand new chrome seat lug, which Battaglin says really permits for extra post-clamping strain with much less bolt torque, too.
The brand new body additionally will get a brand new alloy stem that Battaglin developed to permit for clear cable routing with standard handlebars, a clean transition to a brand new {custom} headset topcap & spacers, plus the choice for {custom} lengths.
Providing an enchancment in general stiffness, the brand new Battaglin Portofino R strikes to a bigger T47 threaded backside bracket – with the added bonus of more room inside for cable routing – and it additionally scales up a bigger seattube to match, now constructed for a 31.6mm seatpost. The brand new body additionally will get bigger diameter seatstays, and extra prominently flattened chainstays to steadiness effectivity & consolation.
The Portofino R’s graphics additionally get shaken up, with a brand new clean fade between two cromovelato colours, transitioning by way of hand-laid Battaglin filigree logos.
Simply like the unique, the disc brake model of Battaglin’s flagship street bike nonetheless options flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles, and official clearance for 28mm tires. However Battaglin’s Portofino R renovation gave them the prospect to reoptimize new dropouts with higher integration and glossy derailleur cable routing immediately into the top of the chainstay.
Curiously, all these efficiency upgrades to what was extra of a classically-inspired bike, implies that this new Portofino R will change Battaglin’s conventionally welded & brazed Energy+ EVO street race bike. (There are nonetheless a handful of these nonetheless accessible in 2022 construct slots.)
Tech Particulars
The brand new Portofino R body is lugged & brazed in northern Italy from a {custom} set of outsized Columbus BG81 multi-butted metal tubing, based mostly on Spirit HSS. Every bike is individually numbered, with a brand new badge beneath the brand new seat lug.
Like final yr’s replace, the brand new Portofino R nonetheless contains a 1 1/8″-1 1/2″ tapered inside headset constructed into the chrome head lugs with a full carbon fork custom-made for Battaglin by WR Compositi with a D-shaped steerer to permit for absolutely inside cable routing with a comparatively small outer profile.
Battaglin Portofino R – Pricing, choices & availability
Beginning with pricing is easy, though it’s been going up yearly.
The brand new fully-custom Battaglin Portofino R frameset begins at 8000€. That features session with Giovanni Battaglin to dial in your {custom} geometry, the made-to-measure & individually-numbered metal body produced in Battaglin’s Marostica, Italy workshop and full carbon fork additionally made in Italy, shade matched in your alternative of cromovelato shade, plus a headset. Different color-matched elements together with handlebar, seatpost, saddle, brake levers, and Battaglin’s new built-in alloy stem are extras.
If you wish to persist with the Portofino basic, it’s nonetheless accessible from 6000€.
Choices are limitless on the whole bike construct. You may go rim brake or disc brake, and just about any construct equipment you need – however solely digital shift, hydraulic brake groupsets are routed absolutely internally.
As for availability, solely 99 can be made for 2023, and that’s unfold throughout all Portofinos – basic rim, basic disc, R rim & R disc. The breakdown between completely different variants will rely on demand, however suffice it to say that the Battaglin Portofino remains to be very a lot a restricted version. Discover out extra and begin customizing yours at:
