How We First Met: Davide And His Rampichino

From snowboarding in the Dolomites to navigating the bustling streets of Milano with his trusty Cinelli Rampichino, Davide aka Badswan lets us into his world of adventure, art, and culture.

Enjoy the full story below.

"I'm Davide Costanzo, aka Badswan on social media—a nickname I've had since my teens. I define myself as a huge Cinelli enthusiast! I was born in the Alps, in South Tyrol, and now I'm living in Milan. I work in brand marketing and advertising for a large company. 

In my free time, I need to unwind from office life and ride as much as I can. I consider the office a place to rest after a crazy weekend!

Even though I love the bustling city life, I head back to the Dolomites as often as I can to ride my gravel or road bike. In the winter, snowboarding is my obsession. I love freeriding and splitboarding in the mountains. Shredding on a bike or a snowboard means the same to me."   

"Let's say, if skateboarding or street art were a bike brand, it would be Cinelli. I love Cinelli because it doesn't want to be labelled as just a road-race brand, or urban biking. It's like boardsports: yes, competitive, but not about racing in a pack with a number. Style, attitude, and friends are the shared values, and while performance matters, it's not the main focus.

I feel that Cinelli embodies my values in sport. The Cinelli Laser painted by Keith Haring – a race weapon and design masterpiece connected with urban pop art – really resonated with me. That's what I want from a company."

"The Superstar is for climbing mountains crazy fast. The Zydeco is an indestructible companion for traveling comfortably and quickly on gravel roads or trails. The Rampichino is now a fast urban bike from the '80s, with lots of style and attitude. I don’t like compromises, I love bikes that can do just one thing at their best!"

 
"Cycling to me is a mix of exploring, shredding with friends, and riding fast – the same as snowboarding. I love adventures and the flow of exploring nature and new places. I started with a second-hand Cinelli Saetta. My relationship with Cinelli, is like feeling understood in a world that calls me weird. Keep Cinelli Weird!! :)

Today, after almost 10 years of riding, I feel that cycling has shaped my mindset, my commitment to endurance, my desire to explore, and my love for sharing rides with old and new friends."  

"Japan—hands down, my favourite bike trip. I rode my Cinelli Zydeco. We shipped our bikes to Kagoshima in the deep south and traveled across Kyushu and Shikoku for three weeks until we reached Osaka. We visited beautiful places, from Buddhist temples to art museums and traditional homes. Exploring Japan by bike is something I highly recommend to anyone who loves transitioning from urban cultures to nature.

What was difficult? Being vegan in Japan was a challenge! The food is amazing, but fish sauce is everywhere. Explaining what we wanted to eat was very hard, especially considering the calories we were burning and our constant need for food. However, we discovered that Onigiri is perfect bike food!

These days, I love long-distance weekend rides – multi-day trips to attend a music concert, art exhibition, or visit some friends. Like traveling 150 km from Milan to Turin, enjoying a show, and riding back the next day. I call them missions! Both my Superstar and Zydeco are great allies for this approach."