Zong Yao's Prova Speciale

Prova has always been a favourite builder for us due to his impeccable work that he has been churning out. This Speciale was for a good friend/customer of ours who had a number of bicycles in his arsenal and we were delighted when he decided to add the Australian bespoke frame to his steed.

Zong Yao shared his journey towards the ownership of a Speciale and the reason behind choosing Prova to add on to his lineup.

CPS : Hi ZY! Could you share with us your reason behind getting a Prova as compared to other bespoke builders?

ZongYao : The obsession with Prova started when I dropped my caad12 off with Dan (Shifter Bikes, now Superbe Velo Service) and showed me around the workshop at 412 in Melbourne. The machines printing Ti lugs and manufacturing carbon tubes were super cool and there were heaps of top builds/frames around. 

A Prova frame hanging on the wall was the only thing that really caught my attention. It was unpainted, and you could argue was also a mix of Ti and Carbon like the other frames next to it but to me it just had that je ne sais quoi. I immediately knew that was what I would get when I was in a financially stable position.

Years later, I relocated back to Singapore and rode heaps with CPS Artisan, Joshua - who of course had to be riding a Prova! It was tough coming around to take a turn as it was so easy to admire that rear end (of the Prova, I promise). The price was something that held me back initially, but after going through 8 bikes in 2 years my mind was made up: I placed the order and the rest is history.

Looking back I should have pulled the trigger way earlier. It rides beautifully, and has a perfect blend of comfort while still being plenty stiff - you pay for 1 bike but you get 150% of what other (world tour) bikes could ever possibly offer!

CPS : . Seems like it was destined! Was there a story behind the clean , classy setup?

ZY : I started out riding fixies, so anything other than a slammed stem would have been unacceptable. Unfortunately, I had to go with a -12 degree and not a -17 degree stem because I am a MAMIL with back issues now. *laughs*

There was also no debate about the groupset of choice - Dura Ace is the best out there, with the exception of their rotors. Campagnolo rotors are just way too classy to pass on (pasta & rice but fusion cuisine is my thing).

I’m a fan of a more traditional looking bike so low profile rims and a 5 arm crank setup was the only way to go, and the build had to be finished off with gumwalls. Silver hubs and spokes because that’s the classiest combo out there.. and you can’t change my mind!

CPS : Was the colourway chosen due to one of your bikes, the Specialized Allez?

ZY : No! I think that a classy bike deserves a classy paint job, so I looked no further than la maison Hermès - Étoupe (with white thread) with Palladium hardware hardly misses the spot.

With that as a base I then searched for a colour within the Porsche paint catalogue to bring that metallic hue that would complement the polished Ti bits. I am pretty sure I will never get tired of looking at the top tube in the sun!

CPS : Brilliant choice of colourway and design.  What do you intended for this Speciale now that it has been done up?

ZY : I think it is slowly turning to be the only bike that I swing my leg over. Intended usage for it? Ideally on any proper climb, and in case you are wondering that automatically excludes “Mount”Faber! *laughs*

ZY : Last but not least, thank you to the guys at CPS, BUILT and FITSKUUL for this project of mine. Least you all should do since you guys taken my money, right? *laughs"

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