OK so I’ve been in Italy with family for the past week and have another week and a half here. I have yet to encounter a bike shop anywhere. Does anyone know of some good shops in the Cortona area? The family doesn’t get going till at least noon so I could take the car and zip around a bit within a 20-30km radius. I have looked on the internet but nothing really comes up. Thanks.
Funny that. I’m here in tuscany too. Stayed earlier in castellina in chianti. Rode their on my ritchey breakaway. Now in chiusi and on my ride today to montepulciano, I rode by a small little shop in acquaviva. Very small shop. I peeked through the window and saw some colnagos and a bianchi. I just had an amazing dinner in chiusi at Il Bucherro. The owner was a pretty dedicated cyclist. If you stop by, he probably knows where all the best cycling shops are. Google them and you may be able to just call and speak to the owner. I’m headed out tomorrow to Paris. And will hopefully be meeting up with a fellow STer to do some riding there if the weather cooperates. I love tuscany and will be headed back.
Siena is an hour away…I was in the general area and I rented a bike from a shop in that area for about a week.
It was a wilier with carb fork and stays. Don’t remember the drivetrain, but it worked fine…this was in 2006.
I rented a bike from Florence By Bike, which is obviously in Florence. They have a large fleet of decent rental bikes. I was staying in the countryside, but made the trip by car.
Funny that. I’m here in tuscany too. Stayed earlier in castellina in chianti. Rode their on my ritchey breakaway. Now in chiusi and on my ride today to montepulciano, I rode by a small little shop in acquaviva. Very small shop. I peeked through the window and saw some colnagos and a bianchi. I just had an amazing dinner in chiusi at Il Bucherro. The owner was a pretty dedicated cyclist. If you stop by, he probably knows where all the best cycling shops are. Google them and you may be able to just call and speak to the owner. I’m headed out tomorrow to Paris. And will hopefully be meeting up with a fellow STer to do some riding there if the weather cooperates. I love tuscany and will be headed back.
How many times did you eat at the Pizzeria?
Sorry maybe my post was not clear, I do not want to rent a bike, i would like to go to an actual shop and buy some jerseys and cool stuff we do do not get in NA. Thanks.
I still have my DF bike jersey…its a tiny shop though
Intersport had a sweet italian national team replica bib that I still have.
wish i had eaten there a thousand times. I love this pizzeria. simple preparation but oh so good! it’s too bad that i;m headed out tomorrow. we will be back though. seriously think that it was one of my best meals ever. one of the highlights of our tuscany trip…the other is castello la leccia…it’s the place we stayed in castellina in chianti…it just opened last month…seriously an amazing place…bring your bike. check them out! you get to stay in your own little tuscan castle!
i picked up 2 jerseys in chianti…one commemorating the chianti classico and the other all of tuscany…they were being sold in castellina in chianti and in radda.
We have a home in Castellina…I can’t wait to retire and move there. I eat at that Pizzeria for as many meals as possible.
you sir are one lucky man…castellina is seriously the best of all of the towns we saw. so quaint and serene. my wife and I don’t want to return home…we may join you in retiring out in castellina.
Let’s open a bike shop and rent to Americans. I’m not sure if you saw it, but there is a good public pool just outside of town.
Back to the subject: Best place to rent a bike is in Siena. (Where are you flying into?). Siena is much easier to get around in compared to Firenze, so driving to pick up a bike is no problem.
text message daniele at ecorent (google it). he will bring you a nice carbon fiber Giant road bike right to your accomodation and pick it up when you are done.
He services all of tuscany (he is outside of Lucca). have fun. the S222 road is amazing and is all over th other roads in tuscany for that matter.
EDIT: Just read you are not riding. ARE YOU INSANE?!?!?!??! the riding there is OFF THE HOOK!!!
Sue
Good old slow twitch, no REAL answers to the question. I DO NOT want to rent a bike, we have our own here. So yes we are riding, we know where to eat, thank you. Just looking for a bike shop. Maybe I should have put Lance in the thread!!!
Funny enough when I was there I did not see a lot of bike shops. I even did a Google search. I figured being Italy there would be tons of great shops. But if I did find one, they were pretty small. I was also looking for cool jerseys. I found most shops have an extremely limited selection and just sell replica team kits or ghastly neon jobbies. The “biggest” shop I saw was Florence By Bike, which I mentioned earlier. They sell a pretty cool team kit, but you can order it on-line and don’t need to drive up to Florence.
Yes I’ve pretty much given up on the bike shop idea in Italy. Will just look at the old buildings and ruins from now on I guess!!
Cicli Valentino at the lake if anyone is interested. Great shop!!!