The Top 5 Best Bikes On The Market

Here at Italy Bike Tours we’re not only serious about our tours, we’re serious about the bikes, too.

To make sure that all of our tours run smoothly and to give our customers the best in-saddle experience possible, we source the best hardware that guarantees the safest and most comfortable rides.

All the bikes in our fleet mix durability and style, but because our tours cover everything from road to gravel, we are constantly reviewing the market for the best bikes to suit different conditions and terrains.

So we thought we’d share our knowledge with you, and run down our favourite five current road bikes on the market. The fact that the brands we’ve selected are all based in close proximity to each other in Bergamo in the north of Italy, should tell you everything you need to know about our beautiful region.

There’s something for everyone here, and to suit every standard of rider – from beginner to seasoned saddle warrior.

Passoni Titanio Classica

There’s a lot happening behind the doors of the Passoni atelier. A Milan-based company that has decades of experience crafting custom frames for the serious cyclist, it uses only the best alloys available and a proprietary welding technique perfected over 30 years.

The Titanio Classica uses the company’s original frame design, and is made from tough, ultra-light titanium. It’s the perfect mixture of luxury, speed, impeccable design and geometry and lightness. No wonder this brand is often referred to as the Ferrari of bikes.

And it’s no wonder we feature them on some of our tours.

www.passoni.it

Bianchi Aria Ultegra (rim brake version, 2021)

Bianchi bikes come with a rich, long-standing racing tradition – the company started making bikes in Milan in 1885. Since its humble beginnings, the brand – now based in Bergamo - has become synonymous with innovation and is unparalleled when it comes to links with cycling lore.

This model – the Aria Ultegra – comes with aerodynamic features similar to its top-end Aquila and Oltre models, but at a fraction of the price. There’s aggressive geometry, a highly-rated Ultegra groupset, deep-rim wheels and, on this model, rim brakes.

With a carbon frame and forks, this is a road rider’s bike through and through.

www.bianchi.com

3T Exploro Team Force Gravel Bike

Gravel biking is one of the hot new trends in cycling, and allows you to truly experience the beating heart of a country by getting off the beaten path. Taking to gravel paths and cycleways off the beaten track, the terrain is likely not to be as smooth as roads and needs a specialist bike to endure it.

That’s why we have the 3T Exploro Team Force gravel bikes in our list.

This stunning bike is the Swiss-army knife of bikes – its wide tyres mean extra comfort on challenging surfaces, while its carbon frame and forks provide the kind of lightness you’d find in a road-only bike.

A true all-rounder, it’s the world’s first aero gravel bike from the company that invented gravel adventure bikes.

www.3T.bike

Bianchi E-Spillo Classic Altus Electric Hybrid Bike 2020

Proving that Bianchi can do it all, this electric hybrid bike is perfect for whizzing around town, stopping off at cafes for an espresso and a slice of Torta della Nonna.

But hybrid and electric bikes play an increasingly important role in our fleet – they’re perfect for riders of all levels to enjoy climbs when previously they would have had nightmares about them.

This model strikes the perfect balance between form and function, and boasts an aluminium frame, a seven-speed Shimano drivetrain, a 250W motor and has a range of 70km.

Another unrivalled masterpiece from Bianchi – never let it be said that a company with so much history can’t produce in an ever-evolving and growing market. A regola d’arte indeed.

www.bianchi.it

Titici F-XC02 Mountain Bike

In eastern Lombardy - and near to Milan, Bergamo and Lake Garda - Titici has been making custom-made bikes since 1961.

It mixes cutting-edge technology with the Italian penchant for style and aesthetic refinement, and all of its frames are hand-made and bespoke.

The F-XCO2 frame is agile and once again has the perfect combination to handle rougher terrains – it’s both race-ready as well as durable enough to absorb vibrations from off-road terrain.

Titici provides a really cool, interactive process of choosing the frame that suits you the best, and then, while its technicians and designers get busy building in its state-of-the-art atelier, you get to choose the components you want to adorn your highly personalised, one-in-a-million bike.

www.titici.com

So there you have it! A list of some of our favourite bikes on the market at the moment. If you have any questions on the bikes that we use for our road or gravel tours, don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more. Allow us to help you create the cycling trip of a lifetime.