Company

Renzo Formigli is one of the last craftsmen in the world capable of creating custom, unique, and personalized racing frames.

Renzo Formigli was born in Florence in 1968 into a family of cyclists. From a young age, he was surrounded by bicycles, so much so that, at the age of eight, he expressed to his mother his desire to become a racing bicycle builder when he grew up. At twelve, with the help of Sirio Bartoli, he began visiting workshops where bicycles were worked on to understand the mechanics of this fascinating object, and most importantly, to begin, in the following years, the construction of his first bicycle, built with the kit of tubing he had asked his father to gift him.

Thus, the first bicycle of Renzo Formigli was born: the first step of a long journey that would lead him to become one of the last remaining craftsmen in the world. A pivotal moment in his professional career was his encounter with Cino Cinelli at the age of 21. Cinelli, one of the most important builders of the time, was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and drive of this young man, and dedicated his time to teaching him the secrets of this craft and the best techniques for creating racing bicycles with unique characteristics. When we encounter a Formigli bicycle with steel tubes and lugs mounted and finished, we realize that only an expert in the field could have conceived something so ‘perfect’. Although the materials used have evolved since the time of Cinelli, Renzo has always remained faithful to the lesson taught to him by his “master,” especially in Design.

In 1990, Renzo founded the Formigli company, located in a small workshop in the province of Florence, specializing in the construction of racing frames. The main purpose of his new venture was to honor a family that had made cycling its greatest passion and to continue investing in the combination of technique and tradition while utilizing cutting-edge tools. Over the years, Renzo has perfected the art of custom frames, personally overseeing the work cycle and procedures employed in his company. His goal has been to optimize energy and resources *while investing significantly in the extensive customization of his products.*The year 2009 marked a* turning point with the opening of new markets*: the Formigli brand was exported to the United States, *making it necessary to create *a new entity, Formigli International, became necessary to bring the quality and excellence of Made in Italy frames to the U.S. In 2009, Renzo, joining forces with the American company Formigli International, began distributing his special frames in the United States. The Formigli International Corporation offered a product entirely handmade in Italy, where, for any non-Italian customer, it would have been nearly impossible to access a product with the authentic certification of Made in Italy craftsmanship. This remains as the guiding philosophy of Formigli, which invests heavily in exclusively Italian materials and processes that elevate handmade production, forgoing the simplicity and automation of mass production typical of Eastern manufacturing. In 2014, Formigli Inc was established, expanding its reach not only to the United States but also to the global distribution of Formigli frames.