During last century 50es and 60es economic boom it became more and more less suitable to manufacture bicycle wooden rims das aluminium was becoming cheaper and it was possible to put up big production lines offering the product with a competitive price.

It was only thanks to Giovanni’s tenacity that Cerchio Ghisallo survived through these years when the production continued despite of low profitability, Giovanni Cermenati passion allowed Cerchio Ghisallo to survive in a market more and more difficult despite wooden rim superior qualities which were recognized by many professional cyclists.

During these years product requests from abroad continued and many famous designers used wooden rims in their projects.

In the meanwhile Ghisallo became an international pole of attraction, Giovanni was lucky to meet great champions like Coppi, Bartali and Magni. In particular Bartali was a close acquaintance and also Magni who would have funded togheter with Giovanni the cycling museum at Ghisallo.

During last century 80es Giovanni’s son , Antonio, got the torch from Giovanni bringing new improvements to the product by introducing new items and bicycle parts.

On year 2009 Cermanti Family is received by his Holiness Pope Benedetto XVI in Saint Peter’s Squareduring Sunday audience, where a bicycle made entirely of wood is given as a present to the pope, prototype of a wooden bicycle line which Giovanni will continue to improve.

Internet promotion and the participation to international shows like Eurobike 2012 made exporting abroad growing, currently Cerchio Ghisallo has been sold and it is requested in
France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Latvia, Russia, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Swerige, Norway, Israel, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, China, Japan, U.S.A., Canada and Argentina.

it is proper to talk briefly about vintage world and it’s main event, Eroica in Gaiole in Chianti Tuscany, which has given a significant contribution to wooden rims promotion as best complements for the cyclist on white roads.

In its final years of activity, Cerchio Ghisallo continued to develop and refine its products, complementing its historic production of wooden bicycle rims with innovative solutions such as rims featuring a carbon-fibre reinforcement ring for the inner tube seat, wooden handlebars, and other components that combined traditional craftsmanship with technical innovation.

The workshop continued its activity while preserving a unique artisanal tradition, welcoming enthusiasts, collectors and cyclists from all over the world. The production of wooden rims and other components carried on in the spirit of quality, research and respect for a craft that had been passed down through three generations of the Cermenati family.

In 2026, after nearly eighty years of activity, the Cermenati family decided to bring the Cerchio Ghisallo journey to a close. Thus ends a business that spanned different eras, accompanied the evolution of cycling and preserved a heritage of artisanal knowledge recognized far beyond the borders of the Lake Como area.

What remains are the history, the products created, the friendships built over the years and the memories of the thousands of people who visited the workshop at the foot of the Madonna del Ghisallo Sanctuary. A human and cultural legacy that will continue to bear witness to the value of a business founded in 1946 and carried forward with passion for almost eight decades.