Individual test: Bella Ciao Ingegnere - Bella Figura on the retro steel road bike

I had just unpacked my brand new racing bike, an update to the state of the art. Everything made of plastic, internally routed cables, disc brakes, a bit of aero. Nice, and good anyway. But also the first road bike that I probably won't be able to repair myself. And a bike whose refined technology no longer looks so fine up close. With plastic caps that hide a disdainful steel plate and a crank that looks great from the front but rubbish from behind.

Next to it the Bella Ciao. The total alternative design. With shiny polished aluminium rims, a shimmering silver aluminium crank and a spindly steel frame. An almost plastic-free bike with no hidden secrets or surprises. At first glance, it looks like another retro singlespeed - and therefore somehow out of time.

Italian elegance combined with a historic seating position: the Ingegnere is very short

A few years ago, a steel racing bike without gears was the urban it-bike. Contemporary, culturally supported by two basic assumptions. Firstly: being a bike courier is cool. Secondly: the metropolitan USA is cool. Both have been relativised. But Matthias Maier, the man behind Bella Ciao, finds his inspiration elsewhere anyway: "I worked in Milan for two years," he says, "and I kept seeing this kind of bike there. For me, the design symbolises urban Italian bicycle culture. When I saw one hanging dusty under the ceiling at a bike dealer, I absolutely had to have it." Maier bought it, rode it and fell in love with it. Once he had his finger on the bike type, he noticed these bikes more and more often - and realised that they had been built for decades with only minor modifications. His instincts told him that this mixture of "Italian lightness, charm, commitment and casualness" could also inspire other cyclists.

Simple beauty: the elaborate powder coating on the steel tubes is reminiscent of leather with a patina

The catch: "The bikes reached their qualitative peak in the 50s and 60s. After that, things went downhill." Import? Not an option. Own production in Italy? Maier mentions problems with adherence to deadlines and quality. So he realises the brand as his own project. Bella Ciao has been manufacturing bikes with Italian frames and predominantly European ingredients in Germany since 2009. Not as backward-looking copies of a historical model, but as its contemporary descendants.

Maier therefore emphasises quality. Our sparsely equipped test bike costs 1,500 euros. A bike that looks similar to the layman could be built for 1,000 euros less. Protected against corrosion, smooth-running, elaborately finished: The handlebar grips stitched with goatskin, the leather Brooks saddle, the O-ringed adjusting screws on the brake cable and the ball-bearing MKS pedals are all impressive. The specially developed powder coating in a colour reminiscent of worn leather is flawless. High-quality technology, visually coherent composition.

But the steel beauty is not just for touching, and the strange geometry also arouses curiosity: the front part of the frame is constructed in a similar way to a racing bike, but the rear is around eight centimetres longer. In addition, the handlebars are bent backwards, which shortens the seat length by around 20 centimetres compared to a road bike - the hands are just behind the steerer tube when viewed from the side. Sounds like nervous, top-heavy riding behaviour? Yes, it is.

It takes a few metres of practice to achieve Italian nonchalance. The 48 to 18-tooth gear ratio feels just right between 25 and 30 km/h. Nothing rattles. Nothing rattles, the brakes work, and maybe even a signora has risked a friendly glance. Yes, you can ride a beautiful bike without gears. But the historic riding position is really only suitable for short urban journeys; the bike is not ideal for longer tours.

Equipment:

Price/weight: 1,495 euros/11.8 kilos

Frame/fork: tubular steel Dedacciai Zero Uno

Drive components: Sturmey Archer

Wheels: track wheel hubs from Sturmey Archer; eyeleted, polished aluminium rim, 36-hole Continental Contact Speed 32-622 tyres

Brakes: Tektro R559 Dual Pivot

Equipment: MKS pedals; aluminium handlebars, 50 cm wide; Tange headset Levin, 1 inch, bolted; Brooks saddle Professional

Style is everything for you?

>>>Fashion eyewear that also cuts a fine figure on the bike<<<

>>>A classic helmet cap, e.g. from Rapha, is a must!