My Time with Giuseppe Drali, a Bicycle Icon
“You need to meet with Giuseppe Drali,” said my young bicycle buddy Simone D’Urbino from Milano.“ And go soon…before he closes his famous Milano shop for good.” DRALI has been a family business, always focused on making the product (racing frames for The Giro and The Tour and the neighbors), not marketing the product.
Giuseppe learned from his father and at 91 years old had carried the name yet another generation. But steel bicycles were now the past and his shop, packed to the rafters with memorabilia, had turned into a museum before his eyes. And what amazing and alive eyes, “Welcome young man. Happy to meet a fine American boy. Sure, I’d be happy if you bought some of these wool jerseys and steel parts. Not quite such where they’re going to end up. Since I lost my wife a few years back, it’s become harder to keep track of everything.” said Drali. Just then a package of ball bearing spilled out of his hand and bounced underfoot across the shop floor. I thought I was going to witness the final fall of Giuseppe Drali right then during my watch.
So when I returned in 2018 to visit gain, it was a joy to see him sitting in a new fancy modern Drali store, in a regal chair, next to his dog. A few young investors had taken over the brand and his stock. Giuseppe was happy to see it live-on and to finally relax as the namesake, a position he’d well-earned at now 92. Vai Giuseppe e grazie. Visit their new site at ciclidralimilano.it
