Titanium, rim brakes and mechanical shifting often conjure up the idea of a "grandpa" bike, but that couldn't be further from the case with today's featured build. Not when that titanium is mated with custom 3D printed junctions and dropouts, the carbon seat mast is hand-wrapped, and the whole enchilada is wrapped up with a two-tone anodized finish. Yep, you guessed right; it's a Prova Speciale.
The Ti Speciale
The Speciale started our love affair with Prova, and once it became available in titanium, well, it was the stuff of songs. So with this build, we took Prova's modern approach to technology and construction and blended it with a classic, no-nonsense ethos - rim brakes and external mechanical routing. Simple, elegant, and easily serviceable. With the finish, we wanted to play around with some of Nine Volt Colour's capabilities. We landed on a two-tone anodized finish, with a root beer brown base and bright teal accents, all masked in Prova's signature layout that lets the bare titanium shine through.
The Cockpit
At the cockpit, an Enve road bar and stem deftly handle steering duties. Towards the rear, the carbon seatmast integrates into the frame with a 3D printed titanium topper, paired with a Most Lynx saddle, easily one of our favorite short and stubby style perches.
The Drivetrain
A bike this gorgeous certainly deserves the best, so we built it up with nothing short of Campagnolo Super Record. There's genuinely nothing comparable to the tactile feel of Campy mechanical shifting, and with its classic external routing, gear changes are smoother than an android's bottom. Not to be outdone, Campagnolo rim brakes supply incredible leverage and modulation, especially on Enve brake tracks.
The Wheels
For pure versatility, we went with a set of Enve SES 3.4 wheels, one of our top options in the mid-depth aero category. They're plenty light, track beautifully, are manageable in all wind scenarios while offering phenomenal braking. We paired them up with a set of 28c Vittoria Corsa Control tires.
If you ask us, this bike came out phenomenally, the perfect blend of new and old tech with top quality appointments throughout.
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