Behind the Scenes with Serotta’s Howard Berkowitz

Posted on October 1, 2012 by signature

Serotta’s Howard Berkowitz

Serotta has pioneered almost every custom bicycle frame innovation over the past forty years. They have always set the bar for accuracy, build quality and finish for all others to compare. In May this year Serotta made a big shift as interim CEO Howard Berkowitz stepped in for founder Ben Serotta. Ben continues with the company focusing on their creative vision and innovation, and now that Berkowitz has taken the helm, we wanted to learn more about him and the direction he’s looking to take Serotta.

At 47 years old with 25 successful years in corporate sales and management, Berkowitz considers himself the black sheep of the family. He comes from a family of teachers, doctors and nurses, so moving up the ranks working with Fortune 500’s wasn’t exactly the track he was expected to follow. It turns out that ultimately the work he found most exciting had something to do with making a difference for others anyway. At his previous position with Zimmer, a medical device distributer, he found himself consulting with physicians, observing hi-tech surgeries and even meeting patients. Continue reading →

Passoni Behind the Scenes

Posted on September 27, 2012 by signature

Matteo Cassina

Earlier this year Signature became one the first US studios to offer the exclusive Italian bicycle line, Passoni. Passoni manages the details of finish and ride qualities that open a door to the possibilities of bicycle form and function that were never available before. Luxury, art, performance, the perfect dance partner…clearly it is Italian. We spoke with partner Matteo Cassina and Chief Operations Officer Danilo Colombo recently about what makes Passoni the experts in both elegance and high performance.

Cassina explained that well before he invested in Passoni, he had admired the beauty of their bicycles. As a 19 year old he remembered seeing his uncle’s Passoni and falling in love with it. He wanted one right then but his father said “When you have your own money, you can buy one for yourself.”

Passoni’s heritage of style and excellence

Continue reading →

Signature Cycles at the Heath Wellness & Sports Expo

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Signature

Signature Cycles will be at the Health Wellness and Sports show at Chelsea Piers Connecticut on September 22nd and 23rd from 11am to 5pm.

Please visit us and over 75 other exhibitors including alternative medicine, integrative nutrition, weight management, children’s health, pet wellness, fitness programs, spa and beauty treatments, financial health, green technology, lifetime sports and more.

The event will also feature celebrity athletes, raffle prizes, fitness and dance demos, and much more.

Chelsea Piers is a new 400,000 sq. ft. world class multi-use fitness facility offering everything from rock climbing to triathlon training. Additional information and directions can be found here.

New Staff at Signature Cycles

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Paul Levine

If you have been in our Manhattan or Greenwich studios recently you may have noticed some new faces. We are delighted to announce the addition of Caffery Garff to the Manhattan studio and Darren McNeill to the Greenwich studio. Caffery and Darren bring with them a wealth of knowledge and industry experience.

When not in the Manhattan Studio you’ll find Caffery on the podium at the local Prospect Park Crits and look for Darren competing at this season’s cyclocross events. Both of them will be riding for team Rockstar/Signature Cycles. To learn more about our newest staff members, you can watch Caffery’s video bio here and Darren’s here.

Signature Cycles Greenwich is Moving!

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Signature

Signature Cycles Greenwich will soon be moving down the street to our new location at 14 Railroad Ave. We will be celebrating the new location with fancy give-a-ways, special guests and delectable offerings. Stay tuned for the official announcement of the Grand Opening Gala in October.

D2R2 2012: The Rugged and Scenic Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée

Posted on August 20, 2012 by signature

This weekend Signature’s own Justin Bagnati rode the D2R2 (Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée ) with about 1,000 other cyclists on a summer day that couldn’t have been more perfect for this event. The D2R2 was conceived in the 1990’s as a favorite dirt road loop in the hilltowns of Franklin County, Massachusetts. Organized as an event in 2005, it’s hailed as one of the hardest, most scenic, most traffic-free rides around. According to ride designer Sandy Whittlesey, the idyllic quality of D2R2 is no accident: “We designed D2R2 by placing pins in the map where the covered bridges and coolest sights were, then connected the dots with dirt roads. When the ride was originally developed we expected it to be nothing more than a quirky event for the fringe cyclists known as “randonneurs”. However, the event got national press, with riders raving about how fun, challenging, and beautiful it was.”

Justin Bagnati (3rd from left) with friends at D2R2

D2R2 riders choose from five distances: 40 mile, 100K, 115K, 150K, and 180K. Lots of families and those looking for a relaxed ride choose the 40-mile Green River ride which is about 50% dirt roads, mostly flat and twists along the beautiful Green River. The 100K offers a real back road challenge with LOTS of hills, and the 180K (112 miles) is considered one of the hardest rides in the country with 11,070 feet of climbing. Continue reading →

Passoni Nero XL – The Perfect Dancing Partner

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Paul Levine

Forgetting about bicycles for a moment, I am a creature who enjoys aspirational products. I admit it; I am tempted by just out of reach brands and toys that promise the ultimate in an experience or performance. Good enough is never good enough for me. I rarely get disappointed when I cross into the luxury purchase category.
However, there is always a risk of falling prey to being over promised and coming up short on delivery.

My expectations for my Passoni Nero XL were high. They had to be. Passoni was breaking a ceiling set by our other custom brands that already stood as tall as Grand Central Terminal’s ceiling – higher than necessary, but definitely worth the statement.

Continue reading →

Rapha Mobile Cycle Club visits Signature Cycles Greenwich

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Soren Klingsporn

June 29^th, 8:00am
Signature Cycles of Greenwich

Join us on Friday, June 29^th for a special 8:00am ride and breakfast at Signature Cycles of Greenwich with the Rapha Mobile Cycle Club. Ben and Ryan pilot the Mobile Cycle Club on their trek through North America, visiting an array of events, races, shops, random cycling hot spots, etc.

We’ll head out for a nice semi-spirited (casually brisk?) two hour group ride, departing from Signature Cycles at 8:00am. We plan to keep the group together as much as possible, but you’ll definitely have opportunity to take a dig on a hill or two.

After the ride, we’ll have pastries and croissants, coffee brewed fresh, and you can check out what all Ben & Ryan are traveling around with in that Cycle Club of theirs.

If you’re used to parking in our driveway, the Mobile Cycle Club will be stationed there so we suggest you plan on street parking along Bruce Park Ave.

Any questions? (203) 485-0500.