The Officina Dario Pegoretti booth at March’s North American Handmade Bike Show was spartan as usual: a banner, a folding table and chairs, and three frames showcasing Pegoretti’s signature paint schemes.
In front sat two bicycles on stands, telling the story of the brand’s tumultuous year: loss and resilience. On the left, a Marcelo, with its pleasantly fat chainstays, finished in a glossy tan with burgundy circles, evoking a tablecloth stained by the Valpolicella and Soave wines that founder Dario Pegoretti loved to share with friends, family, or anyone who came to the shop, really. The placard on the stand read, like artwork, the frame’s title: “Per te, Dario.”
On the right, a Responsorium, Pegoretti’s best-known model, in the stainless steel that famed tubing maker Columbus designed especially for him.…
