Originally Posted by
J HY
very helpful reply, thank you!
I'll take a close look at the things you suggest...
Do you have a recommendation for a specific bike shop worth visiting?
Also, meeting an artisan frame builder and being measured for a custom classic steel frame is luring...do you have any suggestions in the area?
It's not close to Venice, but a trip to
Pegoretti in Caldonazzo might be worthwhile. Dario Pegoretti hand-builds steel bikes and does gorgeous paint jobs on them, and has been featured in English-language cycling publications online and offline.
Lake Caldonazzo is a popular resort for Italians and is close to the start of the
ciclopista del Brenta (Brenta river bike path), which is paved and well-marked down to almost near Cismon del Grappa, when you're on a secondary road that's a very popular cycling route until close to Bassano del Grappa. After that the route becomes difficult to navigate and often follows busy roads in the flat farmlands of the Venetian plain to connect to the Riviera del Brenta, ending at the ferry dock in Misurina.