Ribbons, hearts, wings, and bows broke the mold while stopping the show at the Philadelphia Bike Expo this weekend. Julie Ann Pedalino’s stunning stainless frame adorned in titanium flourishes and all the custom-machined Rococo-inspired frame part fixings, took home the event’s sole award.
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
We at the Bikerumor Independent Frame Builder Action News Desk have been anticipating this bike with great curiosity and enthusiasm since it was announced Pedalino would be attending the Expo as part of the PBExSRAM Framebuilder Inclusivity Scholarship. When we interviewed her for the Bikerumor Podcast a few weeks ago, Julie Ann talked about the snowballing skillset she’s been developing, one that attracted her to framebuilding to begin with… and every one of those skills were on display in her award-winning gravel bike.
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
Let’s break it down.
Ribbons and Bows
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
Designed by Julie Ann and machined, Julie Ann took her bilaminate work up to eleven for the Philly Bike Expo. Polished stainless pieces with little curls and flourishes comprise the joints of the main triangle. But the thing that really kicks this particular bike up a notch and makes it the latest in her evolution is the titanium pieces that interact with the stainless pieces.
As discussed in our interview, Julie Ann has recently fallen in love with the opportunity of titanium, working with it and anodizing it. For Philly, Julie Ann machined custom titanium ornament pieces which interlock like puzzle pieces with the stainless pieces at the joints.
The titanium pieces were anodized and bonded in after brazing was completed. In some cases, such as in the Ti ribbon lacing that runs up the back of the seat tube, the pieces actually wrap more than halfway around the tube. According to Julie Ann, working with Ti on her rotary axis took a little bit of trial and error.
The final effect, however, is a wholly unique visual effect and technical feat.
Pedalino Winged Dropouts w/Pedalino Heart Hanger
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
When Julie Ann found she could not accomplish the forms she wanted to with hand tools alone, she took up 3D modeling and CNC machining. Soon, she was designing dropouts to match themes of bikes, as well as her now trademark replaceable heart derailleur hanger.
Custom Stem and Seatpost
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
Julie Ann’s build also featured a custom Pedalino titanium spacers, stem, and seatpost – another area she’s beginning to explore.
SRAM Build Kit
As a beneficiary of the PBExSRAM Inclusivity Framebuilder Scholarship, SRAM provided the kit for the machine.
Shifters: Red eTap AXS HRD
Crankset: Red eTap AXS 1x w/Quarq
Rear Derailleur: XX1 Eagle AXS
Chain: Eagle 12 Speed, Rainbow
Cassette: XG-1299 Eagle, Rainbow
Handlebars: Zipp SL-70 Aero, 38cm
Wheelset: Zipp 303 Firecrest carbon clincher Disc, 650b
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
When asked how she felt about her build, moments before the award announcement, Julie Ann responded:
“Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out.”
(Congratulations, Julie Ann. You really deserved this one.)
Photo by Brad Quartuccio
If you want to hear more about Julie Ann, listen to our pre-show interview with her here.
For more, follow Julie Ann on Instagram or visit PedalinoBicycles.com.
Despite all the amazing attention to detail on the lugs an Ti, the first thing that draws my attention is that saddle.
That’s always the case with Selle SMP. I get that it’s comfortable for some people, but IMO it doesn’t belong on a show bike. There are so many other universally-accepted good looking saddles out there.
agreed!
I think you guys are missing the point. This bike is sure, a show bike, but this is going to be *her personal* CX bike. This is the way it’s going to be ridden…
SDG Allure would have been a good match
For me it was the tire logos & valves not being aligned
While my tastes run heavily towards the industrial, this thing is amazing.
wow……..if the best bike there was stainless steel brazed lugs (a poor construction method) with titanium tubes GLUED into them and a bunch of other random crap glued on the frame…….how bad were the other frames?
Ummmm, I think you’re forgetting that there’s an entire segment of the market that is just bikes made Entirely out of glue???
Also, pretty sure you missed the part where she designed, programmed, and machines her own dropouts with interchangeable hangers??? As well as Interlocking lug work out of stainless and titanium? And all in-house anodizing including the bolts?
Sit down.
Not everything has to be for everybody. This bike is a huge feat of technical ingenuity though, and I think it’s a hell of a lot of fun on top of that. The construction and materials are as safe and well executed as any other option. Brazing and stainless is completely fine in skilled hands. Also, people go wild over old builders like hetchins and ephgrave, I don’t see why brazing a decorative element onto a bike is any different than using a structural adhesive. A Tig welded frame with all the paragon bits will be lighter, but considering everything on this bike is one-off and made in a novel way, I definitely think it’s more deserving of an award.
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Stay tuned for the images of the builders bikes and you can see the wide range of materials, methods and styles at the show.
It must be hard knowing how to do everything better than the craftspeople who, you know, actually do things.
I’m more of a form <- function guy, but this is a beautiful bike.
I’m not sure why no one anodized titanium and glued it on to steel before this honestly. It’s beautiful, and I think carbon has well proved “glue” is pretty useful.
Julie Ann DESERVES this win.
I am not sure she was going for lightest bike… can’t believe the neg comments.
What an amazing piece of functional art.
Nice ornately decorated frame I guess. That seat ruins the lines of the bike though. Fail
What? She made the bike to ride. A saddle that functions for the rider is paramount to its lines.
It’s a bike for someone to ride. It has to have a seat in the right place. If the seat is in the wrong place the art is no longer functional.
Also, show me something you have made…
those dropouts are awesome!!
So good to see bikes that provide such a strong counterpoint to all the ‘race tuned’ and lighter-stiffer-more-er stuff from most mass production brands. I mean, custom bikes usually offer that but this takes it pretty far. Bikes should be interesting, inspiring and not to all tastes – there’s room for a wider range of ideas than we generally see? An amazing bike from a builder with an enviable skill set.
Finally something different and progressive. Awesome bike and job well done. The SMP saddle looks great on this bike and fits with the theme.
I’m surprised that after all the planning and work that all those embellishments are attached with adhesive. This is more artwork than bike I think. Makes me think of a Bicycle Pubes drawing of a bike. This needs a little more weird though.
Mr. Pubes and Ms. Pedalino are friends, so it’s only natural that her art should influence his.
Most companies logos are attached with glue; the difference is that those are made of plastic. Doesn’t hurt anything and it looks really cool.
I really love both the fact that the dropouts are a really well resolved version of a surprisingly out there idea, and the really cool match of the curves of the Ti to the lines of the lugs.
Also, that headset spacer is perfect.
Funny doing all that work and leaving the Wound Up perfectly stock aesthetically.
I’ve judged bikes for NAHBS in the past so perhaps I have something to say about this. This had to have functional elements because is should be a reliable functioning bicycle at least! Going through all this effort for appearance is not my thing as I believe in form follows function. Yet the artistic element is a big part of this and surely in the eye of the beholder and one cannot question the esthetic if there are enough people who it agrees with that which is my response to those who simply don’t like the way it looks. The saddle too, whatever, that is like your opinion, man… The head badge and down tube logo are functional and artistic, lug shapes are too, yet adding the other ti pieces solely for appearance and nothing else I feel is crossing the line and ignoring what I believe is the whole point of artistic functionality.
It is as this point that I’ll give the nugget that a frequent piece of feedback builders give for why they like Philly so much over other shows is the lack of judges/judgement.
Ok boomer ♀️
She’s already ridden the bike so it’s doing it’s job the way it’s supposed I’d say.
Huge reason I love PBE is the lack of awards. People’s Choice is 100% fun. I had a 10yr old quizzing me because he was very serious about it and that was perfect.
Julie Ann also won at NAHBS in Louisville! I just love her eye for details and Anna, wow, I have just loved this whole series by you! Thanks for your words and for brining it all together.