For starters, find some cyclists and ask around as to their preferred shop. Or just wander into two or three. Take a look at the selection and see how you聮re treated. The Italians take cycling pretty seriously, so you聮re not going to wander into too many shops that will do you wrong.
Bianchi 928 Carbon Bike
928 Carbon BikeWhat brand? Wow, that聮s a tough choice. is always reliable. Its 928 Carbon ($2,600 with Campagnolo Veloce running gear) would be a solid choice in a performance bike that聮s suitable for triathlons. You聮re also going to run into bikes from , which are absolutely lovely machines. A real classic is the Master X-Light, with real Italian steel in a lightweight, comfortable, and fast bike. The frame is around $1,900, then you can build with custom specs.
Two factories are near Aviano. One is , a much-admired Italian make. They make a true tri bike: the FT1 Triathlon. It聮s about $4,000, depending on whether you go with Shimano or Campagnolo running gear, and what level. But keep in mind, a tri bike is pretty specialized. Unless this is a super-serious pursuit of yours, I聮m inclined to recommend a good road bike.
Another local maker is , which is an unknown brand in the United States but well-regarded in Italy. They make a tri bike, too: the SPZ 2000-Speed Air. Expect to pay around $4,500 for it. The very handsome road-oriented Z-108 is more reasonably priced at around $3,500, with Campy Chorus running gear.
I think it would be way cool to visit a factory and pick a bike that way. And you MUST buy an Italian bike. Anything else would be聴how do they say?聴cosistupido!
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