Images | Frameset Features | Geometry | Build and Pricing
I recently found myself chatting with a friend on the phone. This friend happens to own a bicycle company (that shall remain anonymous) that makes some very nice carbon fiber race bicycles. They outfit a bunch of teams and have a solid race pedigree here in the US and elsewhere. He noted with affectionate tone that Embrocation was now involved with Pegoretti and he had noted our stock of Marcelo and Responsorium. What he said next surprised me a bit: "Have you ridden an Emma? I have one. It's awesome - truly awesome. Unbelievably responsive but also so, so smooth. Not sure how it works like that, but it's an amazing machine."
In the Pegoretti lineup, Big Leg Emma stands as a purist's machine. It's less the all-rounder than the Marcelo or the Responsorium. What it IS, is the stiffest, most diabolically race-oriented bicycle that Dario knows how to build and is a machine that is intended for regular, consistent and hard abuse from its rider. If you're a big, powerful crit specialist, a sprinter, or just the sort who likes your bikes to be uncompromising race machines, you'd be doing yourself a service by adding the Emma to your bike list.
The design elements of the Big Leg Emma are based on two simple premises: One, that wider diameter pipes are stiffer and less prone to bending under load. Two, that the down tube and the chainstays have the most direct bearing on the bottom bracket deflection of a bicycle frame. So, to complete this little syllogism: making a bicycle with big, stiff downtube and chainstays will reduce bottom bracket deflection under load, i.e. increase drivetrain stiffness. It's a simple proposition that most bicycle designers and makers know to be true. What makes Dario's version of the ultimate go-fast bike so interesting are the lengths to which he goes to achieve the goals and the elegance with which the final vision is rendered.
To achieve the goal of the stiffest bike possible, Dario did two main things: he used ridiculously large chainstays--over 20mm in diameter versus the Marcelo's already bloated 18mm stays--and he also employs unique stiffener plates brazed into the downtube. These are essentially thick steel shanks placed down either side of the huge down tube to help resist the twisting forces that tube experiences during hard pedaling efforts. It's a detail that is singular in metal bicycle frame fabrication and that seems to have some real-world results.
The Big Leg Emma is available as a frameset with Enve Composites 2.0 carbon fork unless otherwise noted. We have no idea how much the frame weighs and if you're wondering, you're also missing the point of the bike entirely. It uses a 29.4mm seatpost, 31.8mm clamp-on front derailleur and an Italian threaded bottom bracket.
BIG LEG EMMA FRAMESET FEATURES
- - Oversized Columbus Spirit Steel tube set
- - Machined stainless steel dropouts
- - Handmade in Italy
- - Constant diameter oversized seat stays
- - 22mm, massively oversized chain stays
- - Italian threaded bottom bracket
- - Enve Composites 2.0 fork
- - Limited Lifetime Warranty
PURCHASE AND PRICING
Each Pegoretti is sold as a frameset or complete bicycle package. Below you will find a detailed list each Pegoretti we have in stock. Because of the exceptionally high demand, relatively low production numbers and lengthy lead-times on Pegoretti frames, we will sell only those bikes we have in stock - we will not accept pre-orders or custom requests.
As always, feel free to CONTACT US if you would like to discuss the details of any of our products or if you would like to place an order off-line.
Below you will find a list of the Responsorium framesets we currently have in stock:
