Rouleur Live is one of the most exclusive bike exhibitions in the industry. It is organized by the British magazine of the same name, which boasts an ever-increasing number of readers and subscribers worldwide. A success garnered by the hard work behind every article and a great array of quality content, which has made Rouleur a publishing icon and a benchmark for numerous other titles to follow.
Our invitation to participate in the Rouleur Live 2022 event was a great honor and source of pride. We wanted to bring a unique, special bike that would best express who we are, what we do, and where we wish to go.
The starting point for this project was the SB/03 Evoluzione, a model which wholly represents the Stelbel philosophy.
We developed and made in-house an integrated cabling system with the goal of making a cleaner, more minimal aesthetic without resorting to the use of components or solutions that would have little in common with the design and ethos.
We wanted this creation to stand out among some of the finest bicycles from all over the world and to achieve this, we decided to ask a friend for help. Francesco Franchi, in addition to being one of the first supporters of the Stelbel relaunch in 2016, is also one of the world’s leading designers in the editorial field. He is an acclaimed creative director for newspapers and magazines, an author and also a university professor. And so turning to Francesco was a natural, logical step for us.
Despite the short deadline, we were immediately impressed with Francesco’s proposal. His incredible research and the complexity of the story perfectly suited the SB/03 Evoluzione.
The inspiration comes from the headlines of newspapers and magazines from the 1950s which narrated epic feats of cycling. During this time in Italy the sport was extremely popular and the stories of brave riders facing terrible adversity in the Giro D’Italia thrilled a captive audience.
And so this frame design pays tribute to the passion of these fans and the headlines of newspapers and magazines written by the most renowned journalists of this period.
In creating this detailed and complicated livery, our paint team spent spent an unprecedented amount of hours devoted to this project. It required a lot of effort from everyone involved in part due to the tight deadline but judging by the positive comments, this effort was not in vain.
The frame is finished and complemented with Italian components produced by companies with whom we have a relationship that goes beyond just a business connection.
The groupset is Campagnolo Super Record EPS DB 12s, the wheels are also by Campagnolo, Bora WTO Ultra 45, fitted with 30 mm PZero Race TLR clinchers made in Pirelli’s new Italian factory. The accessories are the new Superzero RS series from Deda Elementi and the saddle is a Fizik Antares Adaptive R1. The fully integrated cabling system is our own design and made in-house.
With the project nearly complete, we received a surprise from artist Riccardo Guasco. Alongside Francesco, they created a celebratory illustration of this project, inspired by Cubism and Futurism. It beautifully illustrates the link between this project and the cycling period of the 1950s, made with a considerable amount of passion.
The SB/03 Evoluzione x Rouleur Live 2022 bike is limited edition and all examples sold within a few days of the event.