Cycling spots not to miss...

It was several years ago, but I remember lots of cyclists in serious spandex whizzing through Varenna on Lake Como. You might look into that. Happy travels.

I am a cyclist, have been to Italy several times but have never cycled in Italy. From my travels there some great spots would be the hill towns in Tuscany, Dolomites, Piedmont and Puglia. You can ship your bike over there but you have to get a case to put it in. You can also get a folding bike that you can travel with.

How about placest shop for cool bike stuff... Any Ideas? Anyone know of places to tour? Campy? Colnago? Wilier? Pinarello? Fondrist?

Recently we were in the Collio region of Friuli and there were LOTS of serious cyclists. One of the best restaurants in the area, just outside of Marostica (Ristorante La Rosina) is owned by a cycling enthusiast who is very involved in the Giro and, in fact, part of the Giro goes through this region every couple of years because of his involvement. He also built a church nearby to honor cyclists. I seem to recall our guide saying there is a famous bike production facility in the area. There were maps all over showing various biking and walking routes - very organized - that I am sure you can find on the internet if you search for Collio.

If you decide to ship your bike with you on the airplane, a local bike shop might be able to supply a shipping box from bikes that were shipped to them. If you do put the bike on the plane, do not watch them loading it onto the plane. The baggage handlers will treat it like they do all other luggage.

Having been on 5 bike tours in Italy...I can tell you that the bike shops you are expecting do not exist. Bike shops are really small, and don't have a lot of bikes on display. The Italians build bikes from scratch! You can find bike shops, and they might offer a few bike jerseys and lots of parts, frames, etc. There are bike clubs, they usually ride on Sundays, not sure how to find them, unless you can communicate with the local bike shop to see if they sponsor the club. You will find it to be mostly male, I don't remember seeing any ladies! There is great cycling in about every region. We've been in Tuscany, Piedmonte, Marmemma, Umbria, and Western Sicily.
We have other regions on the bucket list, not done riding in Italy! Any of the roads that the Giro tours would be great to ride, expect challenges! the Giro takes place in May as I'm sure you know, won't work with your travel dates if you want to see some of it. We've been in a ton of hill top/small towns, and have a really hard time finding the bike shops, they are not a main draw for tourists. If you are not bringing your bikes, I think you'd be really disappointed with the rental bikes and day tours out of Florence should you decide to try to do a day ride. The main reason we go to Italy is to bring our tandem and tour. Only been to the country once without the bike, and that was to hike the Cinque Terre after a sales meeting in Austria. You might try a google search for the dates of your travel to see if you can uncover a race, but I don't remember; never heard of any bike races that late in the season in Italy (Pro race that is)

Hello Jennifer, Italy is the holy land for cyclists. Its a land of legendary cyclists, builders and races. Italians love cycling, they either ride or knows someone who rides. We've been to Italy 3 times (we will be returning in 2012) and each time there has been some focus on cycling. In Milan you will find Alberto Masi at the infamous Vigorelli Velodrome. Masi is considered one finest builders in Italy. Lake Como- above Bellagio, one must not miss the Madonna di Ghisallo perched high above Lago di Como. Historic chapel and unforgettable museum. Passo Stelvio, Pordoi the epic climbs of the Giro with monuments to Coppi. Thats just the beginning! Cordiali Saluti
David

Jennifer, I would like to add; I took my bike to Italy twice. We participated in the vintage cycling event, L' Eroica. It takes place on the first Sunday of October in the small town of Gaiole in Chianti. L' Eroica celebrates all things cycling from the early 1900s to 1980. Participants are required to ride bikes from that era and everyone is in period attire, some are driving cars and riding motorcycles from that era. Its so much fun! Bringing a bike can be extremely expensive. Airlines charge $200.00 average- one way!!!! I've used a Pro case travel soft pack for my bike. My wife is lucky, she borrows a beautiful Cinelli from our Italian friend. We are planning on doing L' Eroica in 2012 once again. Buono Notte
David