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.

Bicycles speak to me in many ways; aesthetics, symmetry, ride quality, technology, balance, physical and mental seamlessness. The perfect bicycle should be an extension of who I am and a representation of how I see myself. It is rare that you can discover the perfect blend in a bicycle partner.

The Passoni’s paint scheme of espresso and bronze accents carries over from the frame out to the steerer spacers, stem, handlebars, tape, seat post and saddle. This bike would look as comfortable in a window display on Rodeo Drive as it does on my local group ride. Eyes are drawn to its unique combination of tube sizes, shapes, colors and textures that appear to be a work of art from Picasso. One can always recognize beauty by its’ simplicity, it just works.

How the Passoni connects to me when I am on the saddle is where the rubber meets the road. A pretty face is great in the showroom or in the parking lot at the start of the ride, but can this pretty face dance? Does it make me a better dancer? Those were my concerns.

It didn’t take long to get my answer. I like a bike that doesn’t beat me up on the choppy stuff and can take the little wattage that I have and turbo charge it into the pavement when the road goes vertical or when the sprinters start winding it up with 200 yards to the finish. I also need a bike that takes the fear out of my hands when we are descending at 45mph and any gap created between me and the wheel in front of me becomes the difference in staying with the group or finding myself chasing off the back.

The Passoni Nero XL completes me. I know, cheesy clichés are a cop out but when you find the riding partner that has escaped you for years, you feel complete. The Nero XL does everything that I could ask of a bike and has looks to kill. It’s a joy to ride and I feel that it makes me a better cyclist. It enables me to me relax when tensions run high in the group because I know it’s ready to respond to any attack. My initial jump out of the saddle feels quick enough that it gives me the confidence to challenge the young guns when they look like they are teetering on the edge of their comfort zone. It makes me a player and a wheel to watch. What more can one ask for when breaking through the ceiling?

I took the chance with the Nero XL, as I have done many times with products in this aspiring category, and have come away with a greater appreciation for how much closer you can get to the perfect custom bicycle. 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.