Guiseppe Marinoni is the perfect mix of irresistible: a 75-year-old irascible charmer who builds steel bikes by hand — and who broke the hour record in the 75-79 age group and wants to set another record at age 80.

We got to “know” Marinoni last night through a Cascade screening of filmmaker Tony Girardin’s “Marioni: The Fire in the Frame.”  It’s a delightful, life-affirming portrait and a testament to the power of spirit and will.

That’s not just through Marinoni’s story, but also through poignant observations of Jocelyn Lovell, who dominated Canadian road cycling in the 1970s and early ’80s before a bike vs. truck accident left him a quadriplegic at age 33. What’s more, the uniting of Marinoni and Lovell, both symbolically through a bike and later in person, is deeply moving.

Seattle’s Grand Illusion Cinema is screening the film tonight through May 5. If you love bikes, handcrafted steel frames, track racing, any kind of racing, any kind of riding, or charming characters, we urge you to see it!