A collection of limited edition bicycles where technology and tradition perfectly blend together, giving life to objects halfway between design and contemporary art.

Raffaele Iannello Originals launches Less is more, its first collection of limited edition bicycles consisting of 99 signed and numbered pieces, with a certificate of authenticity personally written by the designer. Each bicycle will grow in value over time, like a work of art.

Less is more stays true to its minimalist philosophy, designed with pain staking attention to even the smallest details. The Italian and international highly skilled craftsmanship involved in manufacturing each piece, ensures that each bicycle corresponds exactly to the designer’s specifications.

Leading edge materials, refined components and custom production to ensure the best performance

Each joint in the frame, created in steel tubes soldered with robotic technologies, is finished by hand. The frame is then chrome plated and covered with multiple layers of low VOC paint. The body was designed to guarantee maximum resistance to fatigue but at the same time ensure the lightness and manageability expected from a top bicycle. The leather seat is modeled by hand, evoking the shape of older racing bike seats, reinterpreted with a modern twist, like the handle bar, which is elegantly crafted in wood with a metal core. Each part is assembled using the best components available on the market, manufactured exclusively based on precise design specifications.

Each bicycle is ‘sartorially’ built, based on the height and weight of the client: each piece therefore is a unique work, which cannot be easily industrially manufactured.

Seeing the finished product transmits a sensation of balance and lightness: a bicycle, with generously sized wheels, but with a relatively contained total size, with no fenders, chain cover or even brakes (braking occurs through the drivetrain). All of this is not strictly necessary and was eliminated from the design; whereby the collection’s name: Less is more. The bicycle was studied in even the tiniest details, in order to respond to specific standards of beauty, but also for practicality and maneuverability, perfect for both everyday use in city traffic or for a weekend trip.

Piece no. 01/99 of the Less is more 1.0 collection is currently on display in the Detto Pietro showroom, on v.le Vittorio Veneto 8 in Milan.

Technical specifications and price

The bicycle is available with two types of drivetrains: fixed gear (also known as a “fixie”, a term that’s popular with urban hipsters) or a backpedaling system (with an invisible brake integrated in the rear wheel hub).

Both variants are available in three color combinations: black/chrome, white/chrome, red/chrome. The wheels, in mirror polished aluminum, are built with a double chamber structure that guarantees maximum performance in all conditions of use.

Each piece is custom build based on the client’s anthropometric measurements. This means that from the moment the order confirmation is received, the delivery time is approximately one and a half months.

The first model in the series, Less is more 1.0, is available for a launch price of €1,990 taxed included (starting January 2015 the price will be €2,490). This 20% discount is valid both for online and in-store orders.

The Less is more bicycle collection was created by renowned designer Raffaele Iannello (among his more famous international works: the Voodoo/TheEX knife set, the Upside Down fan, the Magic Mirror mirrors) in collaboration with famous bicycle manufacturer Detto Pietro, who for over a hundred years represents a reference point in the sector. In 1895, the company’s founder, Detto Sante, invented shoes for racing bikes, which have been used by the greatest champions of all times, so much so that they became cycling shoes par excellence. The Detto Pietro showroom, located in the heart of Milan, is still today a point of reference for anyone who’s passionate about competitive and non-competitive cycling.