buying a bike in Italy
I am going on a trip to italy at the end of summer. Just a cheap college student trek around Italy that I thought would be better/easier/fun with a bicycle. I don't think it will be worth it to ship my commuter bike to Italy and back so I was thinking about possibibly buying a bicycle in Italy. Heck I figure it maybe even be an oppurtunity to get a great Italian bike at a great price/discount (compared to US prices). I was hoping that maybe someone on this forum may have some experience or information that may help me out. I am not even sure where to start looking. But I do that know there are several respected bicycle builders/manufacturers in Italy.
What I am looking for...I currently commute daily on a older single 60's-70's Bianchi single speed conversion so I am partial to steel and don't mind used or older. I will take a lugged steel frame that has stood the test of decades over a carbon frame that is going to crack and be useless, and an aluminum frame that will dent more easily. I have been consumed with the idea of getting a track frame but am not ruling out a road bike. I would just rather not spend the extra money on a gruppo when I can get around with a single gear. I have seen alot of classy italian track frames online like DeBernadri, Cinelli, and DeRosa. What are the better manufacturers quality and value-wise? Any smaller frame builders that maybe able to deliver a better value of equal quality? I have read that the EAI bareknucle track frames were made by some smaller builders in somewhere in venice?
Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
p.s. I am not sure which section was the best to post this question to so sorry for posting it in a few different spots.