Eight kilograms isn't much. A few bags of sugar, a car bumper or, perhaps, a full-equipped Maurizio titanium racing bike on which to blast down the road to freedom. If you've never experienced the thrill of a really light, thoroughbred bike, you should - just try not to get addicted.
Titanium is for many competitive cyclists the dream frame material. Lighter than steel for the same strength, it also has excellent fatigue properties. Unfortunately, it's always been very expensive and came in one colour - titanium grey. It's these two drawbacks that the Maurizio range from Dutch company Blomson International have successfully overcome.
Built in Russia where titanium is most naturally abundant, Maurizio frames are transported to Holland, where, using a special pre-treatment of the metal surface, spectacular finishes are applied, fading the vibrant colours into the natural lustre of the titanium. There won't be rust-spots where the metal is exposed: titanium is one of the most corrosion-resistant materials on the planet.
The Maurizio range covers road-racing, off-roading, cyclo-cross and triathlon. The road-race frame comes in three guises: the single-colour Classico, and the more dynamic Ventura and Fiori. Build-up options give a choice between Shimano 105, Ultegra and Dura Ace, and Campag Veloce, Chorus and Record goupsets. There's also a choice of either titanium or carbon fibre forks.
The frames are spectacularly light. The Fiori frame weighs just 1.28 kg, and you can have a complete bike at 7.8kg. Classico and Ventura frames weigh just 1,4 and 1.35kg respectively. Two titanium off-roaders, a triathlon machine and a cyclocross bike complete the Maurizio range. Titanium forks, stems, seat posts and saddles are also available to complement the bikes.
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