Bike at bedtime: Erman Bike Dimondi Retro version

Retro bikepackiing anyone? Something a bit different tonight (though not as different as the bike I was looking for) it’s the rather arresting Erman Bike Dimondi Retro.

We spotted this prototype at the Berlin Bike Show in 2016 - side note here, if you ever get the change to go to this show. Do it. It’s pretty much our favourite bike show, usually on around March and not to be confused with the other more conventional Berlin Bike Show… the more alternativey one may actually be bigger. 

Anyway, back to the bike, the Dimondi Retro is made from triple-butted Deda tubing, with custom cut and chromed lugs, and sliding rear dropouts, all matched up to a Mendoza bike packing fork - no, I’d never heard of it either, aside from Erman Bike the only mention of it I could find was on Instagram. Either way it does look COOL, as does that Deda quill stem. 

At first I thought Erman was German - given that I saw it in Berlin; and back in 2016 it looked to my eyes at least, of a piece with some of the more unconventional German bikes at the show - more like a cool concept bike or even a piece of kinetic sculpture. Oh, and I thought Erman might be a play on the word German… well, it might have.

Wrong on all counts. 

Erman Bike is Italian, based in Modena, and notwithstanding the fact that they’ve got the Alps and numerous lumpy bits of Italy on their doorstep they took this prototype for a proof of concept trip around North West Argentina at the back end of 2015. Temporary paintjob aside it obviously came through with flying colours. 

Since we saw it In Berlin two years ago The Dimondi Retro has been joined by the fat tubed Dimondi Modern which truly is thing of beauty. You can find out more about both here on Erman Bike website. 

You can find more Bikes at bedtime here, or by hitting the tag at the bottom of the page and if the Dimondi retro has whetted your appetite for adventure you can find our buyers guide to gravel and and adventure bikes here.