Sam’s custom Sarto Asola Disc
An almost all€italian stallion
By virtue of my job I get to experience a steady stream of the latest and greatest bikes lucky me huh? Almost exclusively they are fabricated using some form of the modular monocoque technique preformed in sections with the joints glued together and are similar in remit too being light stiff and aero to a greater or lesser degree
Don’t get me wrong I’ll never tire of riding them and writing about them but for my own road bike I wanted something a little different Having something unique to me was the first box to tick and a frame built using the tubetotube construction method was desirable too This is where mitred carbon tubes are bonded together and overwrapped with extra carbon plies which tends to produce a lightweight robust structure but importantly a frame whose round tubes and traditional proportions look timeless
That said I wanted modern performance so wideish tyre clearance and disc brakes were a must although proprietary fitments and entirely hidden cabling were a nono I wanted to fit whatever components I liked and without driving myself crazy trying to tease a brake hose through a tiny hole
I’ve always had a soft spot for the heritage of Italian brands too As the checklist got longer the options got fewer until I arrived at the custom geometry Sarto Asola Disc It was a perfect match on paper and so too on the road where it balances natural handling with a smooth ride quality and a perfect fit I’ve felt comfortable and confident on the bike since my first ride
Modifiable mate
I’ve had this bike for several years and true to its adaptable design it has seen a fair few spec changes but I’m particularly happy with its current setup When Campagnolo released its Ekar groupset I saw its potential to be used in a quirky road build It isn’t perfect for the road the thumb paddle only shifts one gear at a time so I miss being able to dump down the cassette and pedalling the chain through the extreme bends caused by the ninetooth sprocket for any length of time makes the drivetrain feel odd and draggy but its speed cassette is well
spaced and provides plenty of range with a t chainring
It’s slick so long as you aren’t racing and being x means it looks exceptionally clean
For wheels the Fulcrum Speed ’s low profile rims suit the classic round tubes of the frame but just like the frame are modern in construction so are light and tubelessready
Wrapping the Speed s in Vittoria’s new Corsa Pro Control tyres was a natural choice as they too blend classic looks with contemporary performance
Thanks to their cotton sidewalls the tyres feel supple and the tread compound is grippy
I’m impressed with the new ‘electrical vulcanisation’ process that Vittoria now uses to bond the tread onto the carcass on the old Corsa tyres the tread was glued on and could lift slightly with age
A word of warning though while the tyres may appear vulcanised the cotton in those sidewalls is still exposed and therefore vulnerable to mould
The black speckling on mine is evidence that I found this out after putting the bike away damp
Idiota
Fizik provides the finishing kit which is all wellmade and simple
The stem is elegant with easy access to bolts and the seatpost head uses a twobolt rocker to make adjusting the saddle simple
The bars don’t even have internal cable ports there’s just a flat surface on the tops that the rear derailleur cable and brake hoses sit on
My bike is a mechanic’s dream and since I’m that mechanic it makes me love it all the more
The rest of the build doesn’t quite complete my allitalian ideal but that’s purely down to practicality
The Bontrager Aeolus Pro saddle is one example it fits me perfectly and was looking for a home so on it went
Likewise the Tune Wasserträger cages German in provenance but light fancy and languishing in my spare parts drawer until this bike came along
Maybe I’ll switch them out for something Italians at some point but there’s no rush
The Sarto Asola Disc is my dream bike and it isn’t going anywhere
The Asola Disc balances natural handling with a smooth ride quality and a perfect fit