Festka Scalatore: My Dream Bike Build

The Frame Arrives   In what seemed like an endless wait, I finally received an email from Prashant the owner at Cobbled Climbs and Bike Gallery in Mumbai. As you might remember, they are also the representatives of Festka in India. The email included an attachment with the final images of my bike glowing resplendently in its mummy colours. This was it. My wait was nearing its culmination. The moment of truth was fast approaching. I called up Prashant and checked the timeline for the dispatch, receipt at their end and onward movement to my place. A couple of months prior to the completion of the order, I had also made a request for a Festka t-shirt with signatures of everyone involved with the production of the frame. In addition, I wanted two 10th Anniversary Festka bidons. They matched perfectly with my bike. I was very keen to have some kind of association with all those involved with the production of my dream bike. The idea of a custom bike, unlike  a mass produced frame, included

Broadly speaking, a bicycle is divided into the frame, groupset and wheels. The other parts, like the handlebar and seat, contribute to make the bike rideable. As I began my search for the components, it seemed like simply ordering the parts and putting them together. But little did I realise that each part was interlinked with the other and this required a comprehensive approach, rather than a piecemeal one. No wonder, purchase decisions for each part often become a debate on discussion forums. If cost were not a factor, it would be relatively easy to just go in for the bestest and brightest parts from the best builds. However, despite it being a dream build, it was by no means a no holds barred one. At each stage, and with each part, I sometimes spent days if not weeks, repeatedly placing components in the shopping cart, trying to evaluate the cost benefit ratio across different websites. Head over heart. Logic over desire. It was not easy to take decisions, with costs piling up thro

I was re-introduced to cycling after a couple of decades when sanity and logic that had departed me returned. I realised the practical advantages of commuting to the office. This led me to the Brompton folding miracle. And I have not regretted the choice one single day since it came home for the first time. I just wish I had done this earlier; it would have saved me a packet on buying a car, which I no longer need now. This blog is not about my Brompton. However, let me take this opportunity to reinforce how it became the reason for a happier and fitter me. In addition, the folding flexibility of the bike is unmatched. It's simple yet robust engineering that has more or less remained the same with some evolutionary improvements. Its functional build also suggests that there is only as much  we need with our bikes. Unless there is a dramatic shift in technology, a mechanical bicycle can be one of the most reliable machines on the road. The Brompton testifies this claim. I gained t

The search for a dream bike started with a fundamental question. Which bike works the best for me? This was not an easy question to answer. As it often happens, even after the search to fulfil a need begins, it is not surprising to find that the mind is as yet unclear about the parameters of the search. My case was no different when I started asking myself some fundamental questions. Should I buy one of the mass-produced mainstream brands? Is it better to go in for a frame or a completely built bike? How about aero vs light weight? Will electronic groupsets be better than mechanical? Rim or disc brakes? And the list kept on increasing. There is no dearth of information on the internet. There are channels galore that bring out reviews with unerring regularity. But as I devoured the content in giga byte loads, certain things became evident. There seemed to be some kind of hesitation amongst websites and channels to go against the grain of thinking of big brands, with a few exceptions.