Craig Gaulzetti builds only race bikes and only out of aluminum. They’re custom fit and built specifically for the customer size, but they’re still going to be an aluminum bike with racing geometry. Until now…
BIKERUMOR: What have you been working in since NAHBS last year?
CRAIG: Gaulzetti Cicli has been working on a bunch of stuff since NAHBS last year. The biggest project has been bringing all our production in house. Everything except the main tubes are being produced here in Massachusetts- bottom bracket shells, cable guides, drop-outs and head tubes are all now designed and produced by us and for us. We’re like a Mike Dukakis election campaign- “Make in Massachusetts!”…..just with more furloughs and less driving around in a tank.
Our Corsa hasn’t changed. We are introducing our new steel race bike at the show. I am really excited about it. It’s basically my take on a Paris-Roubaix bike. It’s got a little bit more tire clearance, a slightly longer wheel base and a little bit less nimble handling traits than the Corsa.
BIKERUMOR: Any killer custom bike builds?
CRAIG: Every bike we build is better than the last one but I am not more or less proud of any of them. They are the best race bikes I can make. Certainly, the finish provided by our painters at Circle A continues to impress- but when it comes down to it, I am building a fucking sporting good. The bikes work. I’m not trying to make art or even a commodity. Gaulzettis are tools and very effective ones. I honestly believe that were the UCI to ban equipment sponsorship tomorrow, every rider in the Pro-Tour would be competing on a bicycle just like mine. That being said, I believe that the bike that works best for winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege is also the bike that works best for anyone wanting to ride for some distance at a moderate pace over a myriad of road conditions.
BIKERUMOR: Did you see anything last year that’s inspired you?
CRAIG: Inspired me? Being around my peers and pals is really what inspires me. NAHBS is a great opportunity to get together with other builders. Regarding product and design, I don’t really take any inspiration from other frame builders. The hand built industry for the most part is doing something very, very different than what I am doing. I don’t care about fancy lugs or hiding a Di2 battery in a place that’ll make a poor mechanic have to remove and re-adjust saddle heights on 25 team bikes. This ethos makes for some beautiful bicycles, but I am concerned far more with function and practicality than aesthetics. The fact that my bikes look all right- comes from the wheels being in the right place and the design being solely and completely based on function.
BIKERUMOR: Can you give us a teaser of what you’re bringing to NAHBS 2012?
CRAIG: We’re bringing a bunch of Corsas in some of our new colors. They’ll be built up with a variety of build kits from Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM, All of them will have Mavic wheels. We will also have two of our new steel bikes on display, one will be in our booth and the other will be in the Whisky booth- showing off some of the great new product Anna Schwinn and her crew have come up with. We are also going to be displaying the new Gaulzetti mountain bike. It’s a cross country race bike with a lot of neat features built in to the frame…it’s built around tubular mountain bike wheels and the best components we could find. This isn’t a bike for shredding the ‘gnar with your buds in their Camelbacks- this is a bike for trying to stay on Julian Absalon’s wheel in Houffalize. You don’t have to put Look road pedals and a suspension fork that doesn’t work on it- but we won’t hold it against you if you do.
BIKERUMOR: If you had to race all the other builders, who would you want to inch out for the win right at the line?
CRAIG: I am far to fat to race a bicycle.
