Visiting Carlo Carla

Carlo Carla has been making beautiful steel bicycles for over 75 years. Now 95, I stopped at his shop outside Lecce, Puglia, Italy. He was there, holding court with an interviewer from Milano, sharing his secrets with the next generation. It was clear he wants to pass on what he knows and keep the name alive, even if his sons don’t share his interest. It’s hard, manual work, refined over the thousands of frames he’s made. I had no plan to acquire a Carla, but after three hours together, with his startling energy and lucidity he fitted me with a chrome track frame. More than a bicycle, a souvenir of a passionate life well-lived. A honor to have been with Carlo and to bring a piece of his artistry back to California.

A film by Bob Capone/Marco Mazzotta https://vimeo.com/78280177