We're hosting a Giro evening at RSC on Tuesday, May 25 from 6-9 pm. We have a lot planned; here are the highlights:

Bike: Limited Edition Giro Project Bike
Ride: We're leading a ride to the toughest hill near Lexington, MA
View: We're watching stage 16--the hillclimb stage of the Giro
Eat, drink, and talk bikes

Here are the details:

Part 1: See the Giro Collaborative Project Bike

Ride Studio has collaborated with Cascade Bicycle Studio and Seven Cycles to create a limited edition Giro d'Italia inspired race bike.

RSC and CBS are offering a limited run of 21 very special custom bikes. Here are some of the details:

Each bike is built to order with all the customizable elements that Seven Cycles offers.
Available exclusively through Ride Studio and Cascade Bicycle Studio.
Each frame has a unique "PdC" steel tube set--named after the Plan de Corones stage location--tailored for climbing, and you as an individual.
95% of the bike's parts are sourced from Italia.
Prices start at $5,495 with Fulcrum wheels; price as shown: $6,295.
Order deadline is 21 days after the Giro's 21st stage on May 30. In other words the order deadline is June 21.

RSC will have a bike on display at our Tuesday night event--as will Cascade. These bikes are works of art. Virtually every element of the bike has been customized and detailed in unique ways: painted hubs, an outline of the race course on the fork, hard to find Ambrosio rimmed hand-built wheels. Don't miss this bike; it won't be on display for long!

We'll also have a photo slideshow rolling throughout the evening. The slideshow provides a detailed account of how the frame, fork, and parts were designed, customized, and fabricated. This is a truly unique opportunity to view a behind the scenes process of bike design. To see a preview of the frame building slideshow visit Cascade's Stories.

Part 2: Ride the Steepest Hill Near Lexington, MA

The ride kicks off the event and departs on Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm sharp; we will head to the toughest climb we've found locally. We're doing our best to mimic what the Giro riders are facing in stage 16: the Plan de Corones--the uphill time trial.

Our friend Zac Daab at Cascade Bicycle Studio says it best, "The stats to this year's stage 16 are staggering":

Total elevation gain is 3,555 feet in just 8 miles! An average of 7.9 degrees incline.
One third of the 8 miles is gravel road; the rest is covered in a special layer of "fixed scree material"--not even pavement.
One section is actually a 24% grade--so steep that cars are not allowed on the road.
During the inaugural Plan de Corones stage in 2008, race support motorcycles had a very difficult time.

We won't have anything that steep for our ride, but we'll do our best to make it feel like a "trial."

Step 3: Watch Stage 16 of the Giro with Us

We'll be showing the grueling stage; viewing begins at about 7:00 pm.

We're confident that this stage will be decisive in the final standings of the Giro. Evans, Simoni, and Pellisotti seem to agree.

If you've never seen a 24% grade climb--most people haven't--don't miss out!

Step 4: Eat, Drink, & Italia

Throughout the evening there will be plenty of food and drink.

And, In recognition of the Giro and the project bike we'll also be highlighting all things Italia:

Rapha's beautiful Italian celebration jerseys made of summer weight merino wool.

We're even offering a 10% discount on all Italia based items--during the event only!

So, it's going to be a great evening. We'd love to see you there. RSVP at rsvp@ridestudiocafe.com