1999 Pegoretti Duende, Best Purchase Ever
It is finally time. After 13 years of abuse, the old Pegoretti Duende is making noises which can only be explained with reference to potentially catestrophic issues. It’s all my fault. Rather than baby the Peg, I’ve ridden it into the ground. From 1999-2003 it was my only bike, and after that it remained my first choice for training on the hard roads of So. Ill. It took a rock through the seat-stays which dented both sides in 2002, and I’ve neglected basic frame care. I raced it to a top 10 in the duathlon National Championships, and to a top 5 in Hillsboro Roubaix. The Peg was definitely an all-rounder. I once baffled the group ride when Lance sniffers were crowing about their Trek 5200s and we put them up on the scales…and the Deda Steel Peg was lighter even with training wheels.
I’ve always marveled at how lucky I was to get this bike in the first place. I was a runner and ultimate frisbee guy when my knees went and my surgeon told me to buy a bike. I got a nice Bianchi Veloce (9-speed) but wanted something a bit more racy after a year. I went to Lynn Greer, who was then at Bike Pedlar (he now owns the venerable Gran Fondo in Nashville, one of the best bike stores in the US), and I told him I wanted a Colnago. I liked the paint jobs. Lynn kind of knew me because his brother was one of my age group rivals in running, and he really did me right. “No, you don’t want that bike. You want this one.” And he pointed up to the Pegoretti handing on the wall. It was lighter than the Colnago, and made from better tubing, TIG welded by a fucking metal god, and that this was a real race bike, not a show dog for rich guys. Lynn set me up with the Pegoretti with a Chorus/Record mix, open pro wheels, and a set of Rolf Vector Pros for racing. It was the best purchase I’ve ever made.
After over 70,000 miles and not nearly enough delicate attention, it’s time to retire the Pegoretti. Thankfully, my old buddy Jeff Williams, Punk Rock Superstar, Artist Extraordinaire, is going to help memorialize the Pegoretti on canvas. Jeff is an incredible artist, and his bike paintings are literally things that I dream ab0ut (he dreams about giant floating chocolate icebergs….go figure). I’ll keep it set up for a while and maybe use it on the trainer, but eventually I’ll mount the Peg on the wall next to Jeff’s painting….
