 By Alex Stein, Shop Assistant and Bike Guide Don’t tell my Infinito, but I’ve fallen in love with Bianchi’s 2024 Specialissima. Whenever I can, I guide on our Specialissima Pro 50cm (S50), and it’s an absolute dream. We’ve gotten to know each other well… well enough that I’ve given her a nickname. I call her my Babydoll. It’s because she is so super light that she can come with me wherever I go. She comes in at 7.2kg including the saddlebag. The Specialissima has been our most rented road bike this season, by far. And that’s no surprise given that she’s designed for hill climbing. Our renters are smart enough to evaluate the terrain around here and choose the Specialissima for their ascent to the Madonna del Ghisallo, and all the other hills they take on around Lake Como. As you transition from flat to uphill, there’s a certain lack of friction that I notice relative to my own bike. It feels like the Specialissima just wants to go up the hill and she responds to every watt of power I give her.  From a visual standpoint, there is something unpretentious about the Specialissima. The green shade pairs well with Celeste lettering and black accents. The simplicity of the frame is striking for a bike that’s so good on the climbs, and that’s also found aero benefits over the prior model. You’ll benefit from the CV (Countervail vibration cancelling) carbon fiber technology, full Ultegra di2 12spd, 52/36 with 11/34 cassette, Velomann Palladium carbon wheels, all contributing to this light weight and responsive machine. I’m not the only one who is in enamored. Luca upgraded his Oltre to the Specialissima this year, and Imad’s on the S53 as much as he can. Here is what they are saying: “I like it because it’s an aggressive bike that is perfect for all courses; big hills, flats and technical descents.” – Imad, Guide, Shop Assistant and Former-Pro "I have the Specialissima RC so it's more rigid than the Pro version but it's the perfect fit for me. I feel comfortable and collected on the frame. It's a quick and responsive machine. With it's lightweight accessories my bike weighs under 7kg. Even though I have a bit of a belly I feel strong on the Specialissima and that it gives me the performance I want. It's impressive how Bianchi has gotten the bike to be so light even with the disc brakes. I'm also really enjoying Bianchi's in-house made carbon wheels, they're reliable, smooth, and solid." -Luca, Guide & Shop Owner 
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by Casey Thompson © 2021 Bike It! Bellagio, photos by Federica Roselli Photography
With the frame updates and disc brake addition from the classic Specialissima, we're happy to say that the new Specialissima's soul remains unchanged: it's just as quick, reactive, and comfortable, thanks to Bianchi's CV (Countervail) vibration-eliminating technology and the minor frame changes to become more aero (overall the bike still maintains its "classic" look). When descending, the disc brakes of course offer more confidence and security, but the bike itself has proved to be even more fluid and easier to control downhill that it comes naturally when riding. The classic Specialissima could sometimes feel even too light beneath your body (especially with a pair of ultralight wheels), but now the new disc version gives you a safer, more grounded feeling on the descents.
If you're a climber by nature, the Specialissima Disc is the bike that will allow you to enjoy the climb and feel quick (just like the classic Specialissima, it's predecessor). It accelerates with you and your climbing rhythm, helping you reach the top and perform as you desire and with less effort. The perfect ride to try out the Specialissima Disc this summer is the Ghisallo & Muro di Sormano route from Bellagio or our Into the Wild route from Varenna. Get ready to ride Bianchi's top steed at top speed! Reserve your Specialissima! 
 by Luca Negri © 2019 Bike It! Bellagio When we think of the “Made in Italy” concept, a long history of tradition, design, manual work, and attention to details come to mind. However, in many cases, Made in Italy does not always mean 100% Italian made because of extreme specialization and the outsourcing of production (and sometimes even design) in other countries becoming the norm. Fortunately, there are still today some true Italian made products. We can assure you that Nalini cycling apparel and gear are 100% Italian designed and produced. The Nalini headquarters in Mantova represents one of the only production sites in Italy where the production chain is completely on site. They start with a single thread, which eventually becomes a complete article of clothing. Behind this process there is a lot of history, research and development, and design that has boasted 100% customer satisfaction for decades.  Nalini & Bianchi Milano showroom  Sock spinning machine We had the opportunity to visit the factory, thanks to our Bianchi sales rep and Nalini’s Commerical Director for Italy. First we saw a small “museum” at the entrance, with several images of cycling photo finishes and jerseys from successful cyclists wearing Nalini products. Afterward, we took a tour of the entire factory, visiting each production room to witness the production phases firsthand. The factory is huge, larger than expected, and provides jobs to many of those who live in the town. At each section, the various production heads welcomed us; they are proud to be a part of Nalini and represent its value. The staff explained and showed us what each production team does for the different kinds of apparel. For example, we saw how socks are made using their specially-made machines. We also saw the entire process of idea and jersey design to the finished product. There is a lot of work put into making a custom jersey and it passes through the hands of several people—remember this when buying your next cycling jersey! Each part of their production line is extremely important, even the smallest of roles, to complete the final product. Nalini products still require manual labor, such as sewing various clothing parts/panels together, quality control, even the folding single packaging of each product by hand. The Nalini brand is part of MOA Sport, which also produces other big name brands and distributes them internationally. We are excited to announce that Bike It's 2020 cycling kits will be made by Nalini and will be available in our shop, as well as other Nalini apprel made for Bianchi. We were impressed with the factory tour and to talk in person with Nalini staff and see firsthand what the company is about. Choosing a brand isn’t always just about the name or fashion. With Nalini comes an Italian story and philosophy, so it makes sense that Nalini and Bianchi have partnered. It is also fitting for Bike It! to choose Nalini for our cycling apparel to align with our decision to have an all-Italian brand store and rental.
Bike It! Bellagio is selling its fleet of Bianchi bikes from the summer 2019 rental season. (As we are purchasing new bikes for our 2020 season!) All bikes are 2019 models and were used for 6.5 months. All bikes will be checked out, tuned up, and washed prior to the sale, of course.
Bike models for sale include the following: Bianchi Intenso
Bianchi Intenso Disc
Bianchi Oltre XR3 CV
Bianchi Infinito CV
Bianchi Infinito CV Disc *2018 frame, full 2019 components, bikes new since April 2019)
Bianchi Infinito CV Disc Ultegra di2 w/ carbon wheels
Bianchi Grizzly 29.3
Bianchi Manhattan E-sport Hybrid
Bianchi E-allroad Impulso
Bianchi Oltre XR4 CV *2017 previous Bianchi test bike, used since April 2019*
Bianchi Specialissima CV *2017 previous Bianchi test bike, used since April 2019*
Bianchi Via Nirone 2019 / Bianchi Impulso 2018
All bikes will be available for purchase beginning October 14, 2019. Purchasers who plan to pick up their bike in person at Bike It! Bellagio must submit a nonrefundable 50% deposit to reserve the bike until October 14, with the remainder of payment due at time of pickup or shipping. Purchasers who would like their bikes to be shipped must remit full payment (bike price and shipping) prior to shipping. Each bike comes with its Bianchi manual. All sales are final. Please call (+39 334 975 1604) or email ([email protected]) with questions or to purchase your 2019 Bianchi!  Elio Negri at the finish in Piazza Camerlata in Como, 1970 by Casey Thompson and Luca Negri © 2018 Bike It! Bellagio Italians are often described as “passionate” people. It’s not surprising, given the lengthy history and passion for the sport of cycling in Italy, that a true vocabulary of terms and expressions has been created over time. We have some cycling slang to share with you, attempting to translate the words and expressions as best we can. If you have some Italian cycling slang to add to our list, please share them with us. And we expect to hear you use some next time you ride with us and our team! Spesso gli italiani sono descritti come un popolo "passionale”. Non c’e’ da sorprendersi quindi, vista la grande storia e passione di questo paese per il ciclismo, che in Italia si sia creato col tempo un vero e proprio “vocabolario” di termini ed espressioni utilizzate nel mondo del ciclismo. ne abbiamo raccolte alcune e abbiamo provato a tradurre e a spiegarle….anche se sicuramente per esprimere tutta la loro carica emotiva bisogna impararle in lingua originale! Partiamo con "solo” 25 termini, siete liberi di impararli e aggiungerne altri!
 Elio winning the final Sprint!  by Casey Thompson © 2018 Bike It! Bellagio Bike It! Bellagio has created a Strava club to encourage YOU to get out and explore Lake Como on two wheels during your stay. Our mission is to create a small community of athletes from all around the world who have been to Lake Como and become inspired by the idea of exploration of an area through our challenges. We have created three challenges for you to take part in when you come to Lake Como! The first two promote the most famous climbs of the area and are close to home (Bellagio): The Madonna del Ghisallo and the Muro di Sormano, the two most important checkpoints of the annual Giro di Lombardia. Two of our guides from the “Easy Riders” crew, Elio and Mario, will be doing the Ghisallo and the Muro, respectively, for time, at the beginning of the season. Whoever comes closest to or matches Elio’s Ghisallo time during the season will win a prize. Whoever can beat Mario’s Muro di Sormano time during the season will win a prize as well…it may be tougher than you think! Be sure to record your activity and put it on Strava to make it count in the competition. The third challenge is the Bike It! Bellagio Official Climbing Challenge! Every week, we will feature a new climb and route to encourage you to get out and explore! During your stay, try our featured climb (and route) of the week and see how you do, as well as see how many other traveling cyclists are exploring the same roads as you. Anywhere you ride around Lake Como is scenic, fun, and unforgettable. This is not a challenge to see how fast you can climb, but rather to value our territory and give every area of the lake that may be missed by the average traveler a chance to be explored by you! However, we do have a challenge for the locals: participate in the challenge, complete each weekly stage from March to November, and you will be rewarded with some swag! Many athletes, at all levels, are Strava users. Strava—the “social network for athletes”—has become one of the most popular activity tracking applications since its launch in 2009. A type of social network, Strava allows users to share their rides, runs, hikes, swims, ski sessions … and so much more. I got on Strava in 2013, and I think it is one of the best apps for athletes around the world. Its idea of segments and challenges motivates many people to improve in their sport, as well as just get outside and have fun! In addition to using Strava for accomplishing segments or seeing how many minutes or seconds I am off a QOM or PR, I especially like Strava because it allows me to connect with other cyclists, runners, triathletes, and seeing their maps and photos of their typical rides or where they’re travelling! I like seeing where other people train, as it gives me an idea of what their terrain is like, and the photos let me see the beauty where they live. Our world is beautiful (especially Lake Como, Italy!), and there’s SO much to be explored. When I travel, I use Strava to look up popular rides or runs for the area. It’s a great tool that allows you to make your sport a part of your vacation time.
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AddressVia Valassina 103 Bellagio, Italy 22021
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Phone+39 334 975 1604
SHOP HOURS9:00-18:00
Cancellation policyTax ID/P..Iva 03707810135
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Shop shuttleDaily from Bellagio's town center, in front of Banca Intesa at 9:05 a.m., 9:20 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. *on reservation*.
Free parking at the shop |
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