Bike Check: Romario’s Rossin Futura USSR Forkmount Pursuit
I’ve already featured Romario’s collection a few times on here, with most recently his USSR Colnago. So now that you have a good sense of his “bike personality”, let’s rewind and take a look at the bike that started it all.
Like many of us, it all began online. Romario was fascinated by the fork-mount version of the Rossin Futura, and how could he not be? Romario, me, and I think many fixed gear enthusiasts, when we all first started looking at track bikes, that super aggressive shape was mesmerizing for some reason. And to Romario or me, this first glance has lead to hours of research: digging through hundreds of forum pages, trying to uncover every last bit of information available on these UFO looking bikes.
Romario, again, like many of us, never would have believed he’d one day see a Rossin Futura in real life, let alone own one and ride it from time to time. But one late night, while browsing eBay, what was bound to happen eventually did. With only two hours left to bid, he made his move:
“I told my wife how rare it is, she approved, I clicked on bid, I won.”
But that was only the beginning of the adventure. What Romario had bid on was just a frame set, but not just a random on. It was one that was actually owned by the USSR team, and might have even ridden during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, complete with scratches, yellowed paint, and cracks in the “aero putty.” Yes, that same Seoul Olympics that marked a pivotal moment in cycling history, especially in terms of bike design and the evolution of racing technology.
Traditionally, these bikes are paired with USSR Fluidisc wheels, and many would argue that’s the “right” thing to do. But why not spice things up a bit? Romario went French with the wheelset: a rear Mavic Comete, the version with the swappable hubs (The same ones from the Mavic 3G) that can be set up as a front or rear, for road or track. And up front you’ll find a Mavic Bulbaire, that unlike the FIR Jumbo 2 on the Colnago, maximizes lenticular curvature across the entire disc for better aerodynamics. Other wild choices? The saddle is the space-age-looking UltraPro “Bandit” made by Corima, and for the drivetrain Romario went for the iconic Stronglight Delta aero crankset.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
Rossin Futura USSR Pursuit
Chainring and Cog 52T Stronglight Delta Aero chainring, 16T Cog
Crank Stronglight Delta Aero
Seatpost and Saddle
Campagnolo Chorus aero seatpost, Corima Ultrapro saddle
Handlebar
Titanium forkmount bars
Wheels
650c Mavic Bulbair
700c Mavic Comete
This exact Rossin Futura is not only a piece of history, it’s also one of the few remaining examples that was actively raced. Many others didn’t survive: they were crashed, bent, repaired, repainted, or even had their fork-mounted handlebars cut off. Yes, that actually happened when the UCI banned fork-mounted setups. Just look at Amy Danger’s restoration for proof.
As always, I’m feeling super lucky to have the opportunity to photograph and share bikes like these, here on SSS. So let me know what bike you’d like to see on here!
And you? What was your online first aero crush?
🎞: Kodak Color Plus 200
📷: Leica M6
📍: Hong Kong
