If you were to wander into Forgiato's wheel operation, you'd be greeted by the usual loud sounds of factory machinery. All of the company's road wheelsets are built here between the whoosh of compressed air lines, the banging of presses, the buzzing of drills and the whirring of CNC mills. The second thing that strikes you is the sheer size of the operation.
As one would expect from Forgiato, sound engineering principles and an unyielding dedication to quality assurance are guaranteed throughout the surroundings. Everything is done with exact precision and care, and a quality check is done after everyprocess.
Each and every wheel is fully handbuilt all the way from initial lacing to final true and tension. Each wheel is individually serialized and recorded, which also means that each one can be traced back to a particular builder, date, and material batch. According to Forgiato, the 'feel' of human hands simply can't be matched by a machine when it comes to the art of wheel building. Moreover, attaching a name to each wheel instills a sense of pride and personal accountability.
What's next?
Forgiato representatives did take the time to show me a new model that's currently in the midst of development, and all I have to say is "WOW". Either way, let's just say that they are excited about it.