One of the newest bikes out of Formigli’s framebuilding workshop in the heart of Florence is the Celleni – a mix of old and new in a made-to-measure steel Italian race bike that can be customized for everything from road to gravel. Created as a modernization of their lugged steel Classic road bike, the Celleni evolved from a bit of cyclocross beginnings into a versatile bike with more potential than ever… stick to the roads or leave smooth surfaces behind…
Formigli Celleni custom gravel or road bike
Formigli makes a wide range of custom road & mountain bikes in-house at their workshop in Tuscany, many of them hand-crafted in carbon. But Renzo Formigli who started building bikes in 1990 is partial to steel. And as he describes it, by moving from the small diameter of his lugged frame up to modern Columbus Omnicron steel tubes, Formigli is able to build a high-performance custom steel road bike with such high torsional rigidity and tensile strength that it’s tough enough to take on any terrain.
Tech details
The Formigli Celleni frame is fillet brazed in Italy from a mix of double & triple-butted Columbus Omnicron tubing depending on the rider’s requirements (Spirit, Life & SL for example). The bike features custom hooded dropouts with a 12mm thru-axle, replaceable hanger & flat mount disc brake (rim brakes available as a road option), a 44mm headtube for a tapered steerer fork, a threaded BSA bottom bracket, 31.6mm seatpost, and cables routed inside the downtube.
Road variations are designed to fit a 28mm tire, while the Gravel builds get longer stays to max out at a 40mm racing tire.
Geometry is all made-to-measure, so every buyer gets a custom fit and can tailor handling to suit their riding style and terrain.
Formigli Celleni – Pricing, options & availability
The basic custom Formigli Celleni frame sells for 2900€ (in either rod or gravel guise) with a satin black paint job and chrome logos. Custom colors start at an additional 200€, or this 24k gold lettering option is available for another 300€.
Formigli frames are 100% made in Italy, with a lead time of approximately 40-60 days, and can be delivered around the world.
