I now live in the historic center of Verona, Italy. Before moving to Italy I had researched S&S coupled bikes and was considering purchasing one. One evening while looking through ebay I came across a listing for this frame.

I thought, "Well, that would be pretty interesting to have a Richard Sachs in Italy."

Not only could I be a retro-grouch, I could be a reverse retro-grouch in the land of carbon frames. I contacted Richard Sachs and he was gracious enough to confirm that he was familiar with the frame (the seller lived in CT), that he himself had done the stainless steel S&S install and that the frame was painted by Joe Bell.

He advised me to, "Go for it." My wife used her considerable ebay buying skills to win the auction.

The frame exhibits the beautiful lugwork for which Sachs is renowned. The S&S couplings may distract a bit from the classic lines of the thin tubes but they do add a bit of mystique to the bike. The fork is of the flat crown type with the RS logo engraved. The foam green paint with white panels by Joe Bell is gorgeous.

The build is a mix of old and new as I intend to take the bike primarily to granfondo events, often traveling by bus and train. The gruppo is 2007 Campagnolo Centaur compact 50-34 with 12-26 in the rear; the wheels are strong, but lightweight, built around 2006 Campagnolo 36 spoke Record hubs, with DT Swiss black spokes and silver Mavic Open Pro SUP rims; the saddle is a titanium railed Regal with silver rivets; Cinelli stem with Cinelli Giro d'Italia handlebars; and a no-name seatpost to be replaced with a Campy one as soon as I find what I'm looking for. Pedals are the white and black LOOK A3.1 model. Also, Richard Sachs handlebar tape which matches the yellow Richard Sachs lettering.

This bike rides beautifully! I just competed in the 2007 edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites where I raced the Richard Sachs for the first time. It was great going uphill and on the descents it was incredible. Before, during, and after the race I had many questions and stares. The notion I had, to ride an exceptional example of American craftsmanship here in Italy, I think will continue to lead to some interesting discussions on the roads.