Italy Florence, PIsa & Tuscany bike shopping?

I'm off to Italy at the begining of September with my gf, we're going on the train, and as Tuscany is Tommasini country I thought I might try my luck and see if I could find a special souvenir!

Anyone have any tips on places to look, places you've been? I have heard that steel frames aren't highly prized in Italy so their might be a chance to get a bargain?

We're getting the train to Florence, then through Pisa and on to Elba island and Tuscany.

Cheers, J

Find bike shops (and most small towns have one), and have a good look around, especially in dusty corners and the workshop. I picked up a steel NOS De Rosa for £250 in Italy about 6 years ago so bargains can still be had.

** Florence is an ****is a tourists honey trap, and Pisa is more grim town than anything found in the UK even up north (tower is worth 5 minutes, though - but only 5 minutes).

Go to Siena its amazing.
**

2nd in avoiding Pisa. Siena is fabulous, as mentioned already. Might have better luck with bike finding in Lucca though as it's a much bigger (and utterly spectacular) town.

Worth exploring the coast between Sestri Levante and La Spezia a little further north. Unbelievably pretty and also where they ran the individual time trial in this years Giro. The roads SP1 and SP566 are truly insane.

I went to Pisa in 1990 and it was ace, the tower was a treat but I couldn't convince my mum to buy me a mace from one of the market stalls 'round the edges.

I used to live on Elba when I was wee. My favourite place in the world.

Sounds like a great trip. Florence might be touristy, but it's for a reason :)

Last time I was in Rome I went round some old junky bike shops and there were a couple of nice bikes – one very nice - but none of the fantastical bargains I had been hoping for.

Thank for all the replies, yeah will give Pisa a wide berth, and Florence is only a brief stop, we're mainly going to be on Elba and around Tuscany chilling in the countryside. Will make time for Siena tho.

plurabelle, I have a feeling that my dreams of Italian cash convertors stuffed with 20 Euro Tommasini's may be stretching it a bit, but I will have a look inb those dusty corners nontheless! Any tips on Elba?

Lucca definately.. have time for proper look and ask around too .. my favourite town in tuscany, stunning location.. its north of the PI-FI-LI toll road.. about 1 hour drive from Pisa..

Now boys&girls Im from Quarrata PT were Cavendish currently live. I'm at my summer house in Forte dei Marmi and there are quite few old school bike shops and i know few of the owners, but i only manage to find few racing old Campy group set, as for road frames they asking qiute alot for it, tommasini,de rosa, bianchi all in mint cond.

To find a real bargin you need to go off the beaten track!!! alot of shops keep the old stuff for memory or they will sell it for decent price with a bit of luck really...!! Good luck

Thanks max, I think I'll just chill out and if I stumble across a bargain sobeit. Cheers.

Elba's beautiful – read, swim, eat, drink. Nothing specific I'm afraid. If I gave you restaurants they'd be horribly out of date. I need to go back; haven't been for a while.

I am thinking about cycle touring Italy next summer - anyone done anything similiar...?

Just got back from touring, spent a month in france and about a week in Italy.
Went from San Remo to Bonassola, very very hilly and hot. Absolutely beautiful as well

I don't know about the bike shopping but I've just come back from there myself

if you want to see the Ufitizi buy a ticket the day before from the ticket booth the other side of the monster queue and go the next day and spend your 3 hours doing something nice. It's really easy to find the non tourist places to and have some cracking food and wine at good prices.

Pisa is nice for the square and that's it.

I'm off to Tuscany on Saturday with my better half & 1 bicycle. Anyone been on any good rides near Florence (we're staying just to the East in Molino del Piano)? There seems to be lots of lovely hills and a good mountain to the south east. Anyone with any experience?