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If you want an amazing holiday - grab an e-mountain bike from Bike It Bellagio and head for the hills. We are mum, dad and two boys (17 and 13). We don’t cycle much although we have been downhill mountain biking in the alps previously. The bikes were great levellers (the 17yr old pretended he never used turbo, mum and 13yr old loved turbo!). The routes were spectacular and so quiet. It felt like we were in a forgotten world at times. It was 32 degrees but we were mostly in the shade / not on hot tarmac so I can honestly say I did not feel hot at all. The routes avoided all traffic - we were mostly off road and when on roads they were super quiet with little traffic. We visited places we'd never ever have found on our own. Amazing!

Two families were neighbors for years in Alabama—sharing backyard barbecues, bike rides, and the kind of bond that grows strong over time. Charlie and Alex, the dads, often rode together, while their kids became fast friends. Even after one family relocated to Colorado, the connection remained strong, and they’ve made it a tradition to reunite for joint family vacations.

When we met Tes in the shop last year, we could tell he was serious about cycling. He took the Oltre Pro out for several days of big mountain rides and quickly recognized the potential for something much larger in our region. So when he reached out months later to plan an epic trip for his Sydney-based club, The Helldogs, we were thrilled.

Every year, we cross our fingers hoping the Giro d’Italia will pass through Lake Como—and this year, it did. It was pure excitement to see the pros take on some of our favorite local roads: the sweeping lakeside northeast stretch, the climb through Valsassina’s famed Cheese Valley, the dramatic descent into Lecco, and then a punchy ride over Monte Brianza—right near Luca’s hometown.

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.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Como, Bellagio is a picturesque town known for its stunning views, charming streets, and exquisite culinary offerings. Most visitors wander the streets of the downtown ZTL (Zona traffico limitato), but if you are spending several days in the area, there’s so much more to see beyond the central Borgo. One of the best ways to explore the area's gastronomic delights is through the Bike It Bellagio Tasting Tour. This unique experience combines the thrill of cycling with the joy of discovering local cuisine, making it a must-do for anyone visiting Bellagio, Italy. Enjoy the battery assist on your powerful e-bike and you don’t have to worry about straining yourself, but can instead enjoy the adventure.

Are you wondering what the weather is like on Lake Como? It's a matter of safety to be prepared for the elements when you are out on the bike. Here is the quick and dirty on riding and the weather throughout the year in Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna, the heart of Lake Como.

Looking for a way to spend the day with the family while you’re staying in Bellagio, Menaggio or Varenna? Why not bike between two of Northern Italy’s most beautiful lakes? The Pedalata a Porlezza route is perfect for families. Our ebikes will get you up the modest hills as you navigate bike paths and secondary roads, passing through small towns, beautiful farmlands, smaller lakes and campgrounds.

You’ve only got one day on the bike here at the center of Lake Como. From Bellagio you have access to the mountains above the town, and also to Menaggio and Varenna via the ferry system. You want to make the most of your day. What do you do?

You’re coming to Lake Como and staying in Varenna. If you’re looking for what to do while you’re there, consider spending a day with Bike It! Bellagio. Sign up for a custom tour, or equip yourself with one of our bikes to explore the area more broadly. Varenna is a colorful town tucked into the Pre-Alpine mountains around Lake Como. It is a main hub of the Lake Como ferry system with access to Menaggio and Bellagio directly on the car ferries that allow you to carry bikes. Our shop is just 25 minutes away – first a 15 minute ferry ride to Bellagio and then a 15-20 minute walk.

This year, Luca and I took our annual trip to the U.S. — October to late November—before we even closed our shop for the season. Grazie mille to Luca T. for working solo to keep the shop open and running for 2 weeks! Our first destination was St. George, UT, where I competed in the IM 70.3 Championships. From there we took a circuitous route back to Virginia (my home state) where my family lives, stopping in several places along the way. Luca has always wanted a cross-country experience, and it definitely lived up to his expectations. Our experience cemented the opinion that the U.S. is not only beautiful but truly huge, and we need to take additional routes to see even more in future trips. Here's a summary of our trip and the cool places we rode and that we recommend!

You may already be familiar with some our road biking routes from Varenna, like the famous Into the Wild and Valsassina: Valley of Cheese routes. However, nearly all of our new routes are partially or for the most part off-road! The famous climb to Passo Agueglio at 1,173m a.s.l. begins just across the street from the Varenna ferry, and the entire climb can be done on the road or mostly trail. The view from the top (and on the way) is one of the best on Lake Como, definitely worth the climb!

New colors, integrated seat post, a slightly more aero design, and disc brakes--Bianchi's new Specialissima Disc is the new top-of-the-line "all-rounder" road bike in 2021. We will have five of these lightweight, race machines available to rent this season! A couple of them already arrived in our sizes, so Luca and I took them for a little test ride last week. Where is a short, punchy climb to put the Specialissima's climbing prowess to the test? The Muro di Sormano, of course!

Luca told me that many years ago he and his brother, Fabio, rode from their home to Livigno, and ever since this has been one of my dream rides, to go from Lake Como to the heart of the Alps over three major passes. It was a last-minute decision the other day, and it was a great last-minute decision! Luca's mother, aunt, and life-long family friend were going to Livigno to do some duty-free shopping, so we took advantage of their trip to Livigno for a ride back home, grazie mille to them! Bormio, which we talked about in a previous blog as another popular cycling destination, especially known for being a starting point for the Stelvio and Gavia passes. Livigno is just about an hour drive from Bormio, and we've taken our cyclists there on a few of our trips, either as part of a ride or as a rest day excursion to explore this interesting, picturesque, rather big town, nestled in the middle of the alps at nearly 2000m a.s.l. Many pro teams and pro athletes go to Livigno and its vicinity for altitude training and for the many long and arduous passes. We actually dropped off some material to the Bahrein McLaren team for Fabio on the way out, we didn't see the team though because they were still out on their long ride for the week. It was already 16:30, so I imagine it must have been a long ride!

We were recently very lucky to have the time to go back to a special place for 3 days since tourism hasn't quite begun yet on Lake Como for this year. Tavarone is a tiny town in the Ligurian mountains, nestled in the Val di Vara--an outdoor paradise just like our Lake Como! It is very close to the Cinque Terre (the second most beautiful place in the world, after Lake Como of course :) )

May 4, 2020, was a great day for all of Italy. After 2 months of staying at home due to the Covid-19 situation, Italy is beginning to reopen and outdoor cycling is permitted. Today the Bike It! crew enjoyed a beautiful cycling around Lake Como! For our first ride in many weeks, we did a short loop with two climbs: Onno and Colma di Sormano, a route that many of our guests have ridden. It was great to get the legs spinning again and to be able to soak up the beautiful spring sun and get some fresh air.

There are so many beautiful biking routes on Lake Como, so many possibilities that you could stay in Bellagio for more than a month and not do the same route twice! Below are the routes that are the most popular rides for road cyclists and e-bikers! If you have one to three days to ride on Lake Como, definitely pick from this list when making your ride plan!

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.

Bike It! Bellagio's Onno & Ghisallino ride remains our most popular route for all kinds of cyclists. But did you know this route can also be done off road? With the trail version of this route, MTBers can gain new perspectives, sights, and, of course, spectacular views! Come into our shop for free GPX file of either O&G route. Need a GPS? Our Karoo GPS rentals have made MTB exploration easier for cyclists—cyclists can go off-road with navigation at hand. (O&G, 34KM, 700 M elevation)

Bellagio is the ultimate location for cycling—the stunning scenery of Lake Como, the challenge of the mythical climbs nearby, and its many excellent restaurant and cafés immersed in its romantic atmosphere--will have you falling in love with our incredible cycling destination. You'll want to return to Bellagio every year.

We're nearly one month away from opening for the 2019 season. We are excited to share some new things that we have in store for this season: new bikes (2019 Bianchis), new rental accessories (power meters and Karoo GPSs), new routes, and a new weekly shop ride schedule!

At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. The previous year we had done a tremendous tour with TriLakeComo around Como and then over to the Italian Alps to ride up the iconic Stelvio and Gavia passes--great guides, wonderful food, fantastic routes! But Rome to the Ghisallo was a 6-day pilgrimage from Rome to Como, over 500 miles with lots of climbing. Daunting! However, I love Casey and Luca and their team, so I put my faith in them. That was the right call.

We just returned from a week-long trip to the Alps with some strong riders from the States and Canada. This is our third trip to the Alps with touring cyclists, and each time it just gets better sharing the climbs along these iconic passes. The Alps aren’t as far away from Lake Como as one may think. Bormio is just a 3-hour drive! If you have a week or two for a cycling holiday, Lake Como and Bormio make the perfect match for an unforgettable trip. Start in Bellagio with us and warm up along some pre-Alpine climbs and lakeside rolling roads, before heading to the giants northeast of Lake Como. Much of Italy’s cycling history lies between us and Bormio. It’s a great way to relive some epic Giro d’Italia and Giro di Lombardia moments with your own eyes, doing the climbs yourself! Check out some pictures below:

English: 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!

My pilgrimages, or pellegrinaggi, to Rome have been not just a physical challenge, but a spiritual journey as well. I've cycled from Lecco to Rome, Italy—a 450-mile trip—four times so far. The first time, I was just 15 years old, cycling with my father, brother, and some friends from my small town of Castello di Brianza in northern Italy. We were cycling to Rome for the Jubilee in 2000, and we brought a plaque with us to gift to the Pope. The 2000 trip was also the only time that I returned to Lecco from Rome by bicycle.

Great news for tourists! As a non-EU tourist, you are eligible for tax reimbursements (a rebate). Specifically, residents of all countries are eligible for these “tax-free services” (except Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden).

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.

Cycling has always played a part in the Casa Don Guanella of Lecco on Lake Como, as the community director, Don Agostino Frasson (Father Agostino), is an avid cyclist himself. As many of you may know, I worked for the Casa Don Guanella community in Lecco for 8 years, and still today I feel a part of this community and now continue to volunteer and give my support. I am on the Granfondo Don Guanella race committee, using my territorial knowledge and helping with route planning and other organizational aspects.

There are several beautiful cycling destinations around the world. Every place has its own unique scenery, its specialties, its challenges, and its must-see’s. If someone were to ask me what Lake Como is like—declared the most beautiful lake in the world in 2014 by the Huffington Post—the first words that come to my mind are elegance, legend, and sacred.

Benvenuto a Bike It! Bellagio! Luca and I are excited to open our new bike shop in Bellagio this March. One photo that has always inspired both of us is the famous image of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, two Italian cycling rivals, where one is passing a water bottle to the other along the Col du Galibier during the 1952 Tour de France. The legend is that still today no one knows who is passing the water bottle to whom. This represents the values of the sport of cycling: integrity beyond the competition, friendship, sharing, and brotherhood through the efforts.