Pegoretti Goes Gravel: Steel, 50 mm Tires, and a €4,000 Starting Price
Pegoretti's first gravel bike: handmade steel, 50 mm clearance, 1x electronic-only. What the Orlando offers and what it doesn't.
Pegoretti just released the Orlando, their first gravel bike with 50 mm tire clearance. It's handmade steel, built in Verona, starts at €4,000 for the frameset, and ships with a carbon fork. If you know Pegoretti, you know what you're paying for: oversized steel tubes, hand-applied paint, and a ride quality that steel nerds talk about in hushed tones. If you don't, this probably sounds expensive for a frame that weighs more than carbon.
The Orlando uses Pegoretti's typical oversized front triangle for stiffness, but pairs it with slender chainstays and an unusually small 27.2 mm seatpost diameter. That's the compliance move — smaller tubes flex more, which matters when you're bouncing over washboard or tree roots. The tapered top tube is a carryover from their road frames. It looks distinctive, and it's supposed to add vertical compliance without sacrificing lateral stiffness. I can't verify how that feels compared to, say, an Allied Alfa or a Ti gravel frame, but the geometry is tuned to work with the DT Swiss F132 ONE suspension fork if you want 30 mm of travel up front.
Here's the catch: it's 1x-only and electronic-only. No front derailleur hangers, no provisions for mechanical cables. If you're running a 10-speed bar-end setup or you like the idea of a 2x gravel build, this frame isn't for you. The internal routing is full-length, UDH rear dropout, flat-mount disc. Tire clearance drops to 40 mm if you add fenders. Max rider weight is 120 kg (264 lbs), which is higher than some carbon gravel frames but still a consideration if you're a bigger rider or planning to load it with bikepacking gear.
Pegoretti offers standard sizing from 44 cm to 63 cm, or custom geometry on request. The base frameset includes a single color; if you want the signature Ciavete brushstroke artwork or custom graphics, that's extra. You're not just buying a frame — you're buying into a brand with a specific aesthetic and a long build time. If you want something off-the-shelf next week, look elsewhere.
The Orlando makes sense if you value ride quality over weight, you're committed to electronic shifting, and you're okay waiting for a handmade frame. It's a narrow use case, but if you fit it, this is one of the few steel options designed specifically for fast gravel with modern standards baked in.
