Holio cornolio
Über Member
- Location
- Essex
I’ve been a Fratello owner for a few years now, I own other bikes, but my little orange Fratello has gradually become almost the only bike I ride. It suits me perfectly, does almost everything I need and to my eyes is a very pretty little bike. I know I’m not alone and I’m calling to other Fratello owners to try and compile a sort of register of the evolution of the bike. If money was no object, I would happily seek out every iteration of the frameset so that I could appreciate the changes and evolution of the bike, but that’s sort of the antithesis of the point of the machine, and actually, money is kind of an obstacle to that. So if you’re interested and reading this, if you own a Fratello or have access to one, please consider contributing to the thread with the details of your own machine. I’m assuming that the geometry hasn’t changed much if at all over the years, but if you know otherwise, pipe up. I’m interested in changes in tubeset, tube shape, weight, etc etc.
So I will start: Mine is (I guess) a 2012 model from the frame number – 12/125xxx it bears a sticker at the base of the seat tube which reads SAT 14.5 18MCOV6 micro alloy which presumably is a tube set drawn specifically for Dedacciai. Being 2012, it is of course a rim brake version, and has the pioggia carbon fork, which accommodates up to 28mm tyres with mudguards, but needs long drop brakes. The fork actually has a carbon steerer tube, but that’s bonded to alloy at the top of the fork. It’s not a particularly heavy fork, nor is it super light, but it is quite comfortable, and stiff enough.
The top and downtubes are almost triangularised (I’m sure they’d be described as ovalised, but they are more triangular than oval). The seat tube does not appear to be shaped at the ends, I see no obvious hexagonalisation, as described for current versions, but it could be that I just can’t see it because I don’t know what I’m looking at.
The rear triangle is characterised by the curve of the seatstays which I think is particularly elegant, and does lend a large degree of comfort. Despite having room for big (28mm) tyres and a mudguard, the rear brakes doesn’t actually need to be long drop. Standard drop brakes will work perfectly well here, but who wants a mix and match brake set? Cast dropouts aren’t particularly elegant or pretty but serve their purpose, and are robust. When I rebuilt the bike last year I weighed frame and forks (incl bottom bracket) at 2.3kg give or take.
Despite reports of fragile paint, mine seems pretty robust. It’s the classic orange colour and touch up paint bought from Condor in RAL 2004 (fratello orange) is an all but perfect match, as I have had a few spills requiring some remedial paintwork (some of it very agricultural looking).
I’ve tinkered with various parts over the past few years and settled on what seems to be my perfect setup for now, and fully dressed in summer outfit (carbon clinchers and no guards) she weighs in at 9.1kg, and she carries a little extra weight in the winter from the alloy rims and mudguards.
What have I missed?
If you have a fratello from another year, or a different iteration, please do contribute any relevant details of the frame here and post pics too. Will add some details in due course, but for now, here she is in summer boots and in winter boots.
So I will start: Mine is (I guess) a 2012 model from the frame number – 12/125xxx it bears a sticker at the base of the seat tube which reads SAT 14.5 18MCOV6 micro alloy which presumably is a tube set drawn specifically for Dedacciai. Being 2012, it is of course a rim brake version, and has the pioggia carbon fork, which accommodates up to 28mm tyres with mudguards, but needs long drop brakes. The fork actually has a carbon steerer tube, but that’s bonded to alloy at the top of the fork. It’s not a particularly heavy fork, nor is it super light, but it is quite comfortable, and stiff enough.
The top and downtubes are almost triangularised (I’m sure they’d be described as ovalised, but they are more triangular than oval). The seat tube does not appear to be shaped at the ends, I see no obvious hexagonalisation, as described for current versions, but it could be that I just can’t see it because I don’t know what I’m looking at.
The rear triangle is characterised by the curve of the seatstays which I think is particularly elegant, and does lend a large degree of comfort. Despite having room for big (28mm) tyres and a mudguard, the rear brakes doesn’t actually need to be long drop. Standard drop brakes will work perfectly well here, but who wants a mix and match brake set? Cast dropouts aren’t particularly elegant or pretty but serve their purpose, and are robust. When I rebuilt the bike last year I weighed frame and forks (incl bottom bracket) at 2.3kg give or take.
Despite reports of fragile paint, mine seems pretty robust. It’s the classic orange colour and touch up paint bought from Condor in RAL 2004 (fratello orange) is an all but perfect match, as I have had a few spills requiring some remedial paintwork (some of it very agricultural looking).
I’ve tinkered with various parts over the past few years and settled on what seems to be my perfect setup for now, and fully dressed in summer outfit (carbon clinchers and no guards) she weighs in at 9.1kg, and she carries a little extra weight in the winter from the alloy rims and mudguards.
What have I missed?
If you have a fratello from another year, or a different iteration, please do contribute any relevant details of the frame here and post pics too. Will add some details in due course, but for now, here she is in summer boots and in winter boots.
