DeAnima are not your typical bike designer and manufacturer. Their story is born out of passion, community and tradition. Whereas so many Italian heritage brands have moved their production overseas, Deanima do all their designing, testing and building at their base in Pergine Valsugana, in the heart of Northern Italy.

DeAnima is born out of a mixture of people and experiences, from the Pegoretti days and the art of tig welding bicycle frames to San Patrignano, the substance addiction rehabilitation community that has transformed lives by recognising that teaching craftsmanship and instilling a sense of belonging to something bigger builds self esteem and worth.

‘It’s very frustrating seeing the world you live in disappear or morph into something you no longer recognise or believe in – suddenly you wake up and everything has moved, materials have changed, everything has been shipped abroad and most people want to give up’ -DeAnima Cicli 2014

This quote is a reflection on how Deanima felt at the state of the Italian artisan frame building they started back in 2014. Times have changed but their ideas are still the same, the desire to continue with the traditional working methods and to keep alive the tradition of Italian frame building, but at the same time to keep transforming it and bring it into modern times.

In a world of model years and every new bike being touted as lighter, stiffer and stronger than everything that came before – DeAnima believe in another way. They recognise that the best design has a timeless quality. All of their frames are built to be ridden and optimised to the individual rider’s requirements. Experience has taught them that evolution comes through constant refinement and experimentation.

From the initial design concept right through to their handcrafted finish, they produce our frames completely in house. Their frame designs have been perfected through our many years of experience in the art of frame building combined with hundreds of prototypes and iterations; each step taken on the road to perfecting our production methods while ensuring that they are able to offer the very best in terms of design, aesthetics and ride quality.

The deanima Range

AMG road bike

A modern carbon fibre race frame, made to be light, fast and responsive.

The AMG, the bike designed when disc brakes were suddenly on the road. The AMG shares the same refined geometry of the Unblended, but has been redesigned frame sections for disc brakes and thru-axles to maximise the benefits – stiffer front end and stronger braking – but still allowing you to have custom geometry. With great weight distribution, predictable and precise handling and low weight what’s there not to like.

When you’re are descending down that mountain pass and a bit on the edge, you want to know that when you start braking and entering that hairpin bend that the bike remains stable and predictable as you lean into the apex of the corner and that as you exit its still composed as you start piling on the watts, accelerating out of the corner. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

You like to have a relaxing ride with your friends on a Sunday morning, you want something that’s not edgy, it’s refined and relaxed, but when you need to take part in the winner-takes-all bunch sprint, it comes alive to take you to the line and the glory of the winner takes all! If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

defer strada road and gravel bike

There is a saying in the bike world that ‘Steel is real!’. Who has never ridden a steel bike in their life at some point? Deanima ‘grew up’ making with steel before moving to carbon, so it was only natural that they would come back later to build steel bikes. The DeFer is what they designed, it’s their interpretation of what a post carbon fibre steel bike should be – over sized tubes , internal headsets and cable routing – stiff but with that smooth steel feel. You can easily build a hash carbon bike but you can never take the smoothness out of steel.

Open to abuse and being hammered – steel is the most overlooked material, but its qualities mean it will never disappear. To build the DeFer they turned to their friends at Dedacciai as they needed a non standard tubeset, something that gave the stiffness and also the ride quality they wanted. Matched with internal headset, custom CNC dropouts and square chainstays the DeFer stands out from the crowd.

You love the ride that steel gives, the buzz and the ride. You want a modern take on a classic material, a bike that can take a beating and will be around for years to come. A bike that has the responsiveness of modern carbon designs. It may not be the lightest out there, but when you stand on the pedals every watt will go to the rear wheel. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you. You have been through a few carbon bikes and want to try something else, something that is not the standard steel frame, something that is different and gives a new perspective on a traditional material. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

The Defer Strada is available in rim and disc brake options and is now available as a gravel bike with 42mm clearance.

OQoc road bike

This is Deanima’s statement against the modern day fad of ‘hype’…. this is a simple, fast and lightweight steel frame. It’s against a lot of needless standards and fashion… it’s about going forward fast, it’s about the ride, it’s about the simplicity of what a race bike should be and always was. When Deanima produced this frame they also wanted to raise a few questions about steel frames of today – this frame weighs 1350g without paint (size 56cm) – this is what it used to be 20 years ago – fads come and go but good lightweight steel frames never go out of fashion! Make no mistake, this bike is no slouch and will be around long after the latest carbon stallone is long dead.

You hit the pave on the main drag just like you did when you started riding and as you pedal harder the bike starts to float over the pave, you backside hovering over the saddle, you can feel the rough surface through the bike, but the edge has been filtered out, as you come back on to the tarmac it’s all smooth as silk and peace rains again. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

You ride for pleasure, maybe race occasionally, you ride for the emotions more than the watts, you want to keep things simple and get back to the enjoyment of just riding. You have been through various carbon fibre bikes and are looking for something different, you want something to refresh your senses and give you a different perspective. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

soul

Gravel has, like all newborns, evolved and become more mature. While there are the hard core bike packing types that want to load up the house and disappear for a few weeks, there is also another bunch, the ultra light minimalist side. Enter the Soul, it’s a perfect bike for someone who one day wants to ride the fire trails but then swap out the gravel tyres for carbon hoops with road tyres and mix it up at the local evening crit – without the weight penalty and slack handling of a standard gravel bike. It’s also good for a weekend exploring, just add a seat pack and you’re good to go, ride the strade bianche or cut through the hills, wherever your journey leads you the Soul will take you there.

You don’t want to be restricted by a type of bike. Sometimes you want to rough it out on the gravel fire roads…. Other times you would like it smooth and fast on the road. You need a bike that can do it all. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

Sometimes you want to go out on a quick ride down by the river and head home, other times you feel like you want to stay out for longer with a seat and handlebar bag but want to travel light without the weight penalty. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

unblended

The bike that started it all! This is the first frame that Deanima ever offered. It’s self-assured, confident, and very smooth – you know exactly how the bike is going to behave. When they designed the Unblended, they didn’t just want to produce a standard tube to tube design, they wanted to make it modular, so they could reduce the number of joints and still offer custom geometry for the perfect fit. Some people might wonder what place a calliper brake bike has in this modern world, but to us it’s all about simplicity, low weight and aesthetics. Like any parent, the first born is always the most special.

You’re abit like Matt from DeAnima. You don’t see that there is anything wrong with 23mm tires, simple quick release wheels, calliper brakes and external cable routing…. Everything is just simple, works and you can just ride on and on! If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.

The road is never flat, it’s always rolling, there are no mountain passes to descend down and no massive bunch sprints to get involved in. You are at one with the bike and more interested in the ride and balance of the bike, you just want the simplicity of the Unblended. If that’s the rider you are then this is the bike for you.