RAVANELLO

Mr. Seiichi TAKAMURARepresentative/ Chief builder

Born 1 March 1943
A top-level track athlete during his university days, including representing Japan at the Asian Games. He used his experience to open a bike shop in 1974 and the workshop started in 1977.

Although he is self-taught in frame construction, he is known as the 'Riding Ravanello' for his high level of skill and clever frame design. They are particularly renowned for their lightness of step and cornering performance, and have been used by top riders in Japan. The front forks are also a characteristic of the Ravanello.

As well as being a builder, Takamura also manages a club team, Team Ravanello, and is passionate about strengthening and developing riders. The team has competed with top industrial teams, winning the Tour de Hokkaido overall individual championship three times.

Despite the strong competitive nature of the Ravanello team, Mr Takamura also loves cycling and is in fact good at it. In addition to traditional lugged road models, the company also produces a wide range of modern steel, aluminium and carbon models with integral heads. The brand name 'Ravanello' means 'radish' in Italian. It is named after the Nerima daikon, a speciality of Nerima Ward, where the workshop is located.