Titici’s 60th anniversary Progetto Sessanta project is another reminder that steel is still real, celebrating handmade-in-Italy heritage with modern limited edition Strada road & Sterrato gravel bikes. In and out of the spotlight, Titici has been crafting bike frames in northern Italy for six decades. And with a relatively recent resurgence of the brand and all-surface resurgence of steel, it was time to call back to that heritage of steel bike building that laid the foundation for work in other materials – a modern road bike ties back to the past, and new gravel bikes look more to the future…
“Tradition and technology, art and Italian craftsmanship of a material that for decades has been skillfully worked at the Castelnuovo di Asola plant, to create hand-welded frames and shipped all over the world, before being set aside for more modern materials such as aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber.“
This Progetto Sessanta came out of two years of R&D collaboration between Titici & Columbus to create exclusive Spirit & Life tube sets for the Strada road & Sterrato gravel frames (respectively), each with Titici’s signature flattened toptube for additional comfort. In steel bikes, they call it PAT.P (Plate Absorber Technology Pressed), developed to reduce vibration before it gets to the rider, without compromising overall frame rigidity & performance.
Titici Strada steel road bike
The road-going Strada is the lighter of the two, made from custom-shaped, triple-butted and super-thin Columbus Spirit tubing created exclusively for Titici. It is made by hand in northern Italy by Titici with a classic mix of TIG-welding and brazing.
The Strada is a classic Italian steel road bike updated for the modern age with the oversized straight headtube that Titici developed for their Vento aero carbon road bike, featuring completely hidden internal cable routing that passes through the straight 1.5″ headset into the inside of the frame.
Of course, the Strada gets a flattened PAT.P top tube for comfort, plus modern flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles, 27.2mm seatpost, a T47 threaded bottom bracket, and room for 28mm tires. Claimed frame weight is 1990g (M), painted with all hardware.
Titici describes the Strada’s geometry as “made to race”, even if it promises unbeatable comfort.
Titici Sterrato steel gravel bike
Like the road bike, the gravel Sterrato gets its own custom-shaped tubeset. This time it’s the slightly thicker, more durable triple-butted Columbus Life tubing, again developed exclusively for Titici with their PAT.P flattened toptube. The Sterrato is made by hand in northern Italy with a similar of TIG-welding and brazing mix.
The Sterrato is more of a versatile all-rounder able to be built up for crunching mixed-surface Euro backroads, as a full-tilt gravel racer, or loaded down as a bikepacking adventure bike. All benefit from that classic steel is real feel, enhanced by the extra PAT.P vibration-eating comfort boost. We actually already teased the Sterrato last summer when it debut Shimano’s rare polished silver GRX group – and that bike is still officially available in ultra-limited quantities for 6000€ complete.
But the Sixtieth Project also brings a production version of the new steel Titici gravel bike. Like the road bike, the Sterrato inherits a straight oversized headtube from its carbon Relli gravel analog, now completely hiding fully internal cable routing inside the steel frame through the upper headset bearing.
The Sterrato gets its flattened PAT.P top tube, flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles, toptube bag & rear rack mounts, a 27.2mm seatpost, and T47 threaded bottom bracket – with clearance for up to 700c x 40mm or 650b x 45mm tires. Claimed frame weight is 1999g (M), painted with all hardware.
Titici Sessanta bikes – Pricing, availability & options
2023 Titici Progetto Sessanta Strada metallic
Titici’s bikes are built-to-order, but the 60th anniversary Progetto Sessanta steel bikes are also offered with stock geometry in four sizes (S-XL) and premium stock builds to keep prices reasonable.
A stock Titici Strada steel road bike frameset in classic metallic copper with blue accents around a silver panel paint job sells for 2990€ including a painted-to-match carbon Columbus Futura Disc fork. Complete Strada road bike builds feature a mechanical Campagnolo Record carbon groupset with Shamal Carbon wheels and Deda Zero100 cockpit for 7990€.
2023 Titici Progetto Sessanta Sterrato Tinge90
A stock Titici Sterrato steel gravel bike frameset in 1990s retro-fade Tinge 90 paint sells for 2590€ including their carbon Gravel DCR fork with anything cage mounts. Complete Sterrato gravel bike builds feature Campagnolo’s lightweight 13-speed Ekar carbon groupsets, plus Fulcrum Rapid Red 300 wheels and Deda Gravel100/Zero100 cockpit for just 5490€.
