We’ve lost a lot of celebrities in the past few years but none shook me as much as the passing of Dario Pegoretti. The man was a legend. A true auteur. A builder that didn’t just weld bikes together, he created moving art. After the news settled of his death, I felt like I hadn’t paid my respects. That is until this bike rolled past me at Chris King the other day.

This weekend is the Chris King Open House, and to commemorate Pegoretti, Above Category shipped CKPC out this Love 3 aluminum road bike. Handmade and hand painted by the man himself. Aluminum you say? Yes! Dario made a small run of these bikes from Columbus’ XLR8 tubesets. He machined his own dropouts with replaceable hangers, used 30mm OS chainstays, a 31.6 seatpost for extra stiffness, and a threaded BB for worry-free rides. After his final fun of Love 3 frames, he continued his practice in steel.

Above Category built this bike up, as part of their permanent collection, so I had to show my respects to Pegoretti and give it some extra special love on the shop floor at Chris King, where the bottom bracket, headset, and hubs were machined.

Ride in Peace, Dario.

____

Follow Pegoretti Cycles on Instagram.