Old Habits, New Tricks – (Almost) a Love Story

Old Habits, New Tricks:
(Almost) a Love Story

Stefano Zotti is not your typical ultra-cyclist. A visual artist with a soft spot for steel frames and long, unpredictable rides, he brings an eye for detail and a heart full of curiosity to every kilometer. His bikes aren’t just machines - they’re muses. His rides, less about power and more about poetry. 

In Old Habits, New Tricks (almost) a Love Story, Stefano dives into his first ultra-race - The Unknown Race in Italy - not to chase glory, but to follow the whispers of obsession, elegance, and a good set of wheels. What follows is a story of misfit builds, magical moments, and the kind of effort that blurs the line between suffering and joy.

 

Text and pictures by Stefano Zotti   www.stefanozotti.com   @stefanozotti

A few weeks ago, I spent some truly memorable days in the saddle. The kind of beautiful rides that, if not properly balanced out by a good dose of misery, cramps, and water running down your collar, just don’t feel right. Because in my opinion, if you don’t slightly overdo it, the whole thing tastes bland. 

Now, this could be the beginning of an epic ode to hardship, a hymn to endurance, to 20% gradients and tragic snack choices. But luckily for you (and me), I’ve never been that into glorifying the pain of cycling.

What actually gets me riding for hours with no plan and no destination is the bike itself. Or rather: The Bicycle. With a capital B.

It all started when, during a brevet in Berlin, a late ’80s Raleigh Randonneur zipped past me. Pure elegance. British steel. The kind of bike that speaks to you as it rides by and whispers, “You’ll never find me again.” Spoiler: I did. Half a day on a train, and she was mine. Pristine. Untouched. A love story that makes you cancel plans.

Meanwhile, my growing tendency to lose entire days on two wheels has drawn me closer to Berlin’s wonderfully chaotic cycling community: city riders, gravel grinders, ultra-racers with permanent under-eye bags. You name it. All types, all bikes. 

Talking about bikes for me always gets personal. It’s a matter of personality. I can’t commit to one ideology, one truth, one cycling belief system. I like to mix and mess with traditions. The only thing I truly believe in is this: two wheels above all. And since we’re on the subject: wheels are everything. And let’s not forget the tyres - oh, tyres. What a passion.

I’ve ridden quite a few long distances on my Raleigh in its fully original setup. But then came the inevitable question: “What if we took things more seriously?” A dangerous thought. The answer: more smoothness, less weight, more speed. And yes - more sex appeal. Because let’s be honest, the sexier the bike, the faster it goes. That’s physics. Or psychology. Or marketing. Whatever - it’s true.

So I started working on a new build, with an eye on an adventure I’d been daydreaming about: The Unknown Race 2025. My first serious attempt at an ultra race. 1000 km. No set route. Just a handful of checkpoints and a pair of GPS coordinates to chase, one by one. Starting and finishing in Lucca, Italy.

Of course, I had no time. Not for a proper build, and certainly not for any real testing. So I did the only reasonable thing: I asked for help. From people who actually know what they’re doing. Luckily, I have mechanic friends. And if you don’t, let me be blunt: your cycling life is in grave danger.

In the end, it took three mechanics, in three different places and stages, to finish this build. It’s not a showpiece - it’s a workhorse. Reliable, solid, tested. Triple crankset. Downtube shifters. Comfy bars. Silky-smooth wheels.

Everything you need. Nothing you don’t. Except, of course, that extra pinch of obsession - without which, let’s face it, none of us would be reading a bike blog in the first place.

Don't overcomplicate it.

HUNT Proven Carbon Enduro H_Core MTB 29 Wheelset

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