If you’re in the market for a bike, Italian bike brands are some of the best around.
Italy is well-known for exceptional quality bike manufacturing, especially for road bikes. There is an endless list of quality Italian brands that you can go to for both vintage and modern bikes.
Until the bike boom, most road bikes were made in Europe. In general, the best and most reliable of these came from Italy, and include legendary brands that are still commonplace in the pro peloton, such as Colnago, Pinarello, Bianchi, and Cinelli.
But these aren’t the only brands worth looking into – Italy is blessed with a huge volume of reputable brands, all of which offer unique and quality frames available for purchase.
So, here’s an A-Z guide to the most important Italian bike brands. Some of these you’ll know about already, and some are less well-known.
Let’s get started!
Alan
- Founded: 1972
- Origin: Turin, Italy
- Known For: Lightweight aluminum road bikes
Alan is a reputable Italian road bike brand that has been in the road bike market for over 50 years. The company specializes in the production of high-quality, lightweight, and durable bikes.
One of their unique selling points is the use of high-grade aluminum in the construction of their bikes – making them a less costly option than a lightweight carbon bike.
Alan bikes are ideal for long-distance rides and are designed to provide maximum comfort and efficiency. Alan’s innovative and avant-garde designs have earned them a reputation for being one of the most revered brands in Italy.
Atala
- Founded: 1907
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Steel Road Bikes
Though still producing bikes of all varieties, Atala’s glory days are in the past.
Atala produced several championship-winning racing bikes in the first half of the twentieth century, before fading into relative obscurity through financial difficulty in the late ’80s onwards.
Basso
- Founded: 1977
- Origin: San Zenone degli Ezzelini, Italy
- Known For: Quality Racing Bikes
One of the younger firms on this list, Basso was surprisingly founded not by former world champion Marino Basso, but by his brother Alcide.
Alcide started producing bespoke bikes from the family garage in 1974, before registering Basso as a company in 1977.
Basso was among the early pioneers of carbon fiber in bicycles, with their earliest carbon frameset being sent to the University of Graz for extensive research on the material’s properties and ability to withstand bending and torsional forces.
Battaglin
- Founded: 1982
- Origin: Marostica, Italy
- Known For: Steel racing bikes, Stephen Roche’s “Triple Crown” in 1987
One of the younger manufacturers on this list, the firm was founded by professional racer Giovanni Battaglin soon after winning the Vuelta-Giro double in 1981.
Battaglin put his racing expertise to use, rapidly gaining a stellar reputation and developing serious racing pedigree which peaked with Stephen Roche’s 1987 “Triple Crown” of Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and World Championship victories.
In 2014, Battaglin returned to the craft of custom steel bicycle frames under the Officina Battaglin (“Battaglin Workshop”) mark. This included 187 replicas of Roche’s custom 1987 Triple Crown bike, produced in 2017.
Benelli
- Founded: 1911
- Origin: Pesaro, Italy
- Known For: Mid-Range Carbon Bikes
Benelli is an Italian road bike brand that has been producing bikes for over a century. The company’s bikes are known for their excellent performance, style, and quality.
Benelli bikes are aimed at the keen amateur, with current models exclusively available in carbon fiber, with upper mid-range componentry such as Shimano 105 Di2. They also now produce gravel bikes and MTBs, so there is a Benelli bike for any terrain.
Benelli bikes are also equipped with advanced features such as hydraulic disc brakes, electronic shifting, and suspension systems.
However, bizarrely, the company was purchased by a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, who now produce a variety of motorbikes, and even weapons, under the name Benelli. This has somewhat impacted their reputation as a bike manufacturer.
Benotto
- Founded: 1931
- Origin: Turin, Italy
- Known For: Steel Road Bikes
Another Italian frame-builder with serious racing pedigree, the glory days for Benotto came in the 1960s-80s.
Benottos carried stars such as Roger de Vlaeminck and Francesco Moser to victory at the World Championships, Paris-Roubaix, and Milan-San Remo, while Ole Ritter set the hour record on a Benotto track bike in 1968.
Benotto is also notable for its successful expansion into Latin America, first to Venezuela in 1948 and later to Mexico.
Many of the Mexican-produced models are excellent, but the Italian-built Benottos are particularly special if you can get your hands on one.
Bianchi
- Founded: 1885
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Racing Bikes, Mountain Bikes
The oldest bike manufacturer still in existence, Bianchi is a true icon of the sport.
Bianchi – and its instantly-recognizable “Celeste” colorway – is synonymous with cycling legends such as Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani.
Vintage Bianchis rank among the most desirable and envy-inducing bikes around, and the company continues to produce high-end road bikes, time trial bikes, and track bikes to this day – alongside a more recent entry into the mountain bike market.
- Check out our Vintage Bianchi Road Bikes: Beginner’s Guide here!
Boeris
- Founded: 1910
- Origin: Turin, Italy
- Known For: High-Quality Carbon and Aluminum Road Bikes
Boeris is an Italian road bike brand known for its cutting-edge designs and innovative engineering.
Under their previous name – Ciclosport – they filed multiple revolutionary patents throughout the 20th century, making a name for themselves in the cycling world.
Boeris produce a wide range of high-quality road bikes, from carbon fiber, lightweight aluminum, and steel.
More recently, Boeris have ventured into the wider cycling market, producing gravel bikes, e-bikes, MTBs, and city bikes. However, they still produce the beautiful roadies that they became known for.
Boeris’ philosophy is to combine tradition with innovation, resulting in bikes that are not only beautiful but also functional. Boeris bikes are perfect for riders looking for a balance of performance and aesthetics.
Bottechia
- Founded: 1924
- Origin: Vittorio Veneto, Italy
- Known For: Steel Road Bikes
Named for the great Ottavio Bottechia who collaborated on the firm’s early frames, Bottechia has been producing bikes for almost a century.
Bottechias were pedaled to victory at the Tour de France by Greg LeMond in 1989, and at the Giro in 1957, 1966, and 1979.
The great Sheldon Brown notes that Campagnolo Super Record-equipped Bottechias from the mid-1980s are especially valued by vintage enthusiasts.
Alongside high-end racing bikes used as recently as 2010 at the Giro d’Italia, Bottechia also produce mountain bikes, electric bikes, and BMXs.
Campagnolo
- Founded: 1933
- Origin: Vicenza, Italy
- Known For: High-End Components Manufacturer
Campagnolo is the oldest, most prestigious, and most lusted-for component manufacturer still in existence.
At the height of technical excellence and beautiful design, early innovations by founder Tullio Campagnolo included the ingenious Cambio Corsa mechanism – a forerunner of the modern derailleur.
Campagnolo groupsets have outfitted more Tour de France-winning bikes than any other manufacturer, most recently Tadej Pogačar‘s victorious 2021 Colnago.
Cinelli
- Founded: 1948
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Road Bikes, Track Bikes
Another Italian icon with rich cycling heritage, Cinelli remains a major name in the sport.
Founded by Cino Cinelli, a decorated racer in his own right with multiple Classic victories to his name, Cinelli’s influence in twentieth-century bike design was arguably greater than the fame the manufacturer gained in its own right.
Alongside outstanding road bike frames, Cinelli also built a reputation for their innovative, outlandish “funny” track bikes with a deadly combination of speed and style – the Laser being a key example.
The Supercorsa (originally Speciale Corsa until a decal manufacturing mishap) remains in production over 70 years after its introduction, and is among the most iconic road bikes in history.
Cinelli continue to produce high-quality frames and components to this day and have a cult following – especially amongst fixie fanatics.
Ciöcc
- Founded: 1969
- Origin: Bergamo, Italy
- Known For: Racing bikes
Ciöcc was founded in 1969 by Giovanni Pelizzoli, a mechanic for the GS ZONCA racing team.
The 1980s marked the high point of the firm’s fortunes, as they provided racing bikes for the likes of Lucien van Impe and Davide Cassani, while Claudio Corti won the 1977 World Championships on a Ciöcc San Cristobal frame.
Ciöcc continues to manufacture frames in the present day.
Colnago
- Founded: 1952
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Legendary Racing Bikes
Colnago is one of the true heavyweights of elite cycling.
Alongside frame building, Ernesto Colnago built his early reputation as one of the most sought-after bike mechanics in the sport, including for the great Eddy Merckx.
With time, recognition – and then reverence – for his steel racing frames followed.
Colnago frames have a reputation for exceptional quality and creative innovation. The Colnago Master X-Light introduced in the late ’80s is widely regarded as among the greatest road bikes ever built.
- Check out our Colnago Vintage Bikes Guide here!
Columbus
- Founded: 1919
- Origin: Settala, Italy
- Known For: Legendary steel tubing
Few names are as intrinsically linked with exceptional vintage steel bikes as Columbus.
Columbus SLX tubing emerged as the main competitor to the ubiquitous TI Reynolds 531, and became the steel of choice for many iconic Italian manufacturers such as Cinelli, Pinarello, Colnago, and more.
De Rosa
- Founded: 1953
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Beautiful Road Bikes
De Rosa is a highly-revered Italian road bike brand that has been in the market for over 60 years. The company is renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, attention to detail, and superior quality while retaining a beautiful, classic, Italian aesthetic.
De Rosa bikes are also known for their excellent handling, thanks to their geometry and carbon fiber construction.
Older vintage models are available in aluminum and steel. They will set you back a fair sum, however, since they always have produced for the upper-end of the market.
De Rosa has an excellent reputation, not only historically, but in the modern cycling world. In the Tour de France 2021, for example, De Rosa sponsored the Corfdis team, and so De Rosa bikes were commonly seen in the pro peloton once again.
De Rosa bikes are perfect for cyclists looking for a bike that is not only high-performing but also beautiful.
Fondriest
- Founded: 1990
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Performance Road Bikes
Fondriest is an Italian road bike brand that was founded in the 1990s by the Italian professional road cyclist, Maurizio Fondriest.
The company specializes in the production of high-performance bikes that are designed for both amateur and professional cyclists. Fondriest bikes are known for their exceptional handling, lightweight, and stiffness.
Maurizio applied his knowledge of professional cycling to his company, and Fondriest bikes are, as such, extremely reliable and high-quality machines.
However, their relatively recent founding means that they aren’t well-known in the vintage road bike market.
Their best models were ridden by the Lampre team in the early 2000s, with the successful Italian cyclist Gilberto Simoni earning multiple top-20 finishes in Grand Tours on Fondriest bikes.
Gios
- Founded: 1948
- Origin: Turin, Italy
- Known For: Classic Racing Bikes
Tolmino Gios’ small bike shop in Turin, founded in 1948, was the birthplace of one of the most iconic Italian road bike brands.
The company initially found success with reliable, good-quality city bikes in the 1960s, but it was after stepping into professional racing bikes in the early ’70s that Gios bikes would achieve their greatest fame.
The bikes Gios provided for the Brooklyn cycling team were painted a deep blue to pay homage to the US flag, and the color is now inseparable from the Gios name.
Roger de Vlaeminck won seven Monuments, including three editions of Paris-Roubaix, riding a Gios Super Record for the Brooklyn team in the 1970s.
Guerciotti
- Founded: 1964
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Iconic Road Bike Frames
Guerciotti is an Italian road bike brand known for its exceptional craftsmanship, attention to detail, and high-quality frames.
They have commonly been ridden at the highest level, with riders such as Michele Scarponi, Davide Rebellin, and Gilberto Simoni having sported Guerciottis in Grand Tours.
They now produce a variety of bikes, including gravel, cyclocross, and mountain bikes. They remain well-known for their road bikes, however, as well as their iconic design, often featuring a metallic red finish.
Legnano
- Founded: 1902
- Origin: Legnano, Italy
- Known For: Legnano Team and Classic “Legnano Green” Road Bikes
Named after their founding city, Legnano is one of the oldest manufacturers in the game, having produced bikes for over 120 years.
Steeped in history, they were the sponsor of the famous men’s road cycling team of the same name between 1907 and 1966.
Some of the greatest Italian cyclists of all time rode for the team, and therefore sported Legnano bikes, including Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, and Ercole Baldini, earning them many wins in Grand Tours and cycling Classics.
Like Bianchi, the brand is known for its famous lime “Legnano Green” color, which remains on its modern designs to this day.
However, unlike Bianchi, Legnano bikes are not found as commonly in the modern pro peloton since the demise of the factory team.
Masi
- Founded: 1950s
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Known For: Classic Steel Racing Bikes
Faliero Masi started building frames at Milan’s iconic Velodromo Vigorelli in the early 1950s.
His reputation quickly grew, and Masi bikes were raced by many of the sport’s greatest names, including Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, and Felice Gimondi. Anquetil rode a Masi track bike during his successful 1956 Hour Record attempt.
In 1973, Faliero Masi entered a business deal with an American firm and relocated to the United States to reestablish the Masi brand there, alongside two of his top deputies. However, a bitter dispute followed, and Faliero returned to Italy, no longer permitted to sell bikes in America under his own name having sold the trademark in the original deal.
Moser
- Founded: 1979
- Origin: Trento, Italy
- Known For: Founded by legend Francisco Moser
Francesco Moser founded the Cicli Moser factory in 1979 at the close of his legendary career as a bike racer.
Arguably the greatest bike produced by the Moser factory was the magnificent Francesco Moser 51.151, released in 1987. Named for his iconic 1-Hour World Record, it featured Columbus SLX tubing and a Campagnolo Super Record groupset.
Confusingly, Moser Cicli was also the name of a bike brand founded by fellow Italian road racer Ermanno Moser back in 1933 – and to add to the confusion, Ermanno had also based his factory in Trento.
More recent models from Francesco Moser’s brand typically have F. Moser written on them, presumably to distinguish them as a result of this shared name.
Olympia
- Founded: 1893
- Origin: Vicenza, Italy
- Known For: Among the Oldest Italian Bike Brands
Olympia, perhaps in modern cycling better known for their mountain bike exploits, is one of the oldest Italian bike brands around, having been in production since the 19th century.
Their modern road bikes focus on efficiency, making some extremely high-quality aero road bikes with super-high-profile wheels, carbon fiber framesets, pro-standard groupsets, and electronic shifting.
Given such flagship features found on their road bikes, as well as their excellent reputation as a manufacturer, they are fairly costly machines.
However, many would argue that they remain worth the money. Since they are such an old manufacturer, there are many vintage models available, too.
Olmo
- Founded: 1939
- Origin: Celle Ligure
- Known For: High-Quality and Environmentally Conscious
Olmo is a cycling brand that was founded by Giuseppe Olmo, a former professional cyclist. The company began by producing high-quality racing bicycles, quickly gaining a reputation for excellence in the cycling world.
The brand is known for its innovative designs, advanced technology, and high-performance components. Olmo bikes are handmade in Italy, and the company prides itself on using only the finest materials and manufacturing techniques.
In addition to its bicycle line, Olmo also produces a range of cycling accessories, including helmets, clothing, and components.
The brand has a strong focus on sustainability and is committed to reducing its environmental impact through the use of eco-friendly materials and production methods.
Pinarello
- Founded: 1952
- Origin: Treviso, Italy
- Known For: Performance Racing Bikes
One of the most legendary Italian cycling brands, Pinarello is known for its performance-focused, peloton-quality racers. They have a long history of success in the cycling world, arguably due to the quality of their frames.
Pinarellos have been ridden to victory in numerous major cycling races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and the Vuelta a España.
Some of the world’s top professional cyclists have ridden Pinarello bikes, including Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, and Chris Froome.
Modern Pinarello bikes such as the Dogma line have been commonplace in the peloton in recent years, but their older models enjoyed similar esteem through a huge number of professional road cycling victories.
Pinarello has now also capitalized on the extremely fast-growing discipline of gravel cycling, producing one of the highest-quality gravel bikes on the market in the Pinarello Grevil.
Pinarello bikes are renowned for both their performance and aesthetics, with many beautiful vintage steel models, as well as their sleek and modern carbon models.
Tommasini
- Founded: 1957
- Origin: Grosseto, Italy
- Known For: Beautiful Racing Bikes
After a decade spent mastering his craft in a Milan bicycle factory, Irio Tommasini founded his own workshop in Tuscany in 1957.
After quickly developing a reputation for racing bikes that were lightning-quick and exceptionally rideable, Tommasini frames have been raced on by the likes of Eddy Merckx, Mario Cipollini, and Michele Bartoli, to name a few.
The company continues to produce outstanding steel frames, alongside more modern offerings. Irio Tommasini remains active within the firm, 65 years after he founded it – though it is now managed by his daughters, Roberta and Barbara.
Wilier Triestina
- Founded: 1906
- Origin: Rossano Veneto
- Known For: High-End Modern Bikes, Stunning Vintage Frames
Wilier has a long and storied history in the world of cycling, and the company has been a part of some of the most famous races in the world, with bikes ridden in all three of the Grand Tours.
Wilier has also sponsored some of the world’s best cycling teams, including the Lampre team and the Androni Giocattoli team.
One of Wilier’s most popular models is the Wilier Filante SLR. The Filante features a frame that is made using a special blend of carbon fiber, which makes it extremely lightweight and strong. The frame is also of iconic design, with a beautiful sky-blue marbled paint job.
You are missing Masi and Tommasini.
We have 2 Tommasinis and they are fantastic! Still hand built in Grosetto, Italy.
Thanks Mike, agreed! Both have been added now.
I have a Tommasini Fire with an aluminum Pinarello fork on it and it is a great bike. If I wanted to buy a new frameset from Tomassini I would buy an X-Fire which is made from stainless. After just cleaning some rust off of a Land Shark, stainless has a lot of attraction.
I also have a Moser Leader AX which I prefer to the 15.151 It is silver braze rather than lugged and it would be the perfect steel bike if it would take 28 mm tire. But it only fits 25’s. Fat butts like me need the larger tires.
Hi
Yes you left off one of the great bike manufacturer
GIOS
Great history and one of the best riding bikes you can own
Absolutely! We’ve added Gios now, thanks Paul.
How about Basso?
Thanks Richard, Basso now added to the list!
I have a 1973 Mirella road bike with campy setup. Who and where this bike from. Just curious.