Italy’s bel paese nicknamed is well-deserved. After all, beauty is everywhere. From the rugged Dolomites to the sun-soaked Amalfi coast; across the spires of Naples and the obelisks of Rome. It’s a country where natural and man-made aesthetics meet, and make history, from the top to the tip of its boot. Italy has seemingly unearthed one cultural gem after another, regardless of whether you like your art in a gallery, on a plate, strutting along the catwalk or indeed flying by on two wheels.
Italy adores cycling and the Giro d’Italia is the country’s beloved bike race. And like its opera it’s a dramatic affair. It produces heroes, villains and, occasionally, gods. In the case of some riders they are one and the same. But it’s also a race that showcases the country’s stunning landscape and draws attention to its artists and artisans; winemakers are celebrated alongside Dante here.
So this week, with the 107th Giro now well underway, we too will shine a light on some good-looking products that are either made in Italy or are inspired by the three-week sporting spectacle. First up is a rather smart road bike from Bergamo…
3T adds a third bike to its made-in-italy line-up
The storied history of bike manufacturing in Italy is well documented; today 3T continues the lineage through its Bergamo factory. It’s added a road model to its made-in-Italy portfolio, with the Strada Italia joining the Racemax Italia and the Extrema Italia.
The new edition is something of an all-road offering; 3T says the Strada Italia strikes “a perfect balance between comfort and aerodynamics”. Certainly the comfort is likely to be enhanced by a design optimised around tires measuring 30-35mm. The carbon layup plays a part here too, with 3T saying that “the layup in the lower seat tube area has been refined” to give “vertical compliance without compromising energy transfer”.
As for the aerodynamic enhancements, the frame boasts a super-deep yet narrow head tube, a down tube that shields the water bottles and cages, and 3T's familiar curved cut-out seat tube. The frame is also paired with the brand’s Aeroflux carbon bars and a carbon MORE stem that help encourage an aero position as well routing the hydraulic hoses internally. The Strada Italia is designed for electronic groupsets only, so no cables to hide here.
A quick look at the geometry chart points to a bike that’s looking to balance speed and aero gains with a little more comfort. As 3T states, aerodynamic tube shapes are of little point if the rider can’t stay in an aerodynamic position. So while pros can contort themselves in to long and low positions, and then hold them, most amateurs aren’t quite as flexible. So here the stack height and reach aren’t too punishing - 554mm and 380mm respectively for a size 54 - but you still get the short chainstays of a pure race bike.
The Strada Italia is offered as a frameset, seatpost and cockpit option as well as in a number of complete builds that utilises SRAM and Shimano electronic groupsets. The frameset retails at £5,487 / US$6,599, while the bikes start from £7,226 / US$8,699.
Nimbl realease premium road shoe in Giro colorway
The iconic Stelvio pass features in tappa 16 of this year’s Giro. It’s likely to be a telling stage in the race for the maglia rosa, particularly as it comes after a rest day, where good legs have a habit of turning bad. And the Italian premium shoe brand Nimbl are paying homage to the legendary climb with the limited release of a Giro themed version of its Grand Tour conquering handmade road shoe, the Exceed Ultimate.
Unsurprisingly, Nimbl has opted for a white shoe that features pink details; you get a pink logo, pink stitching and a pink inner material. As for the construction, it’s the same shoe that Primož Roglič, Jonas Vingegard and Sepp Kuss wore in their 2023 wins at the Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta. This means a distinctive monocoque carbon ‘chassis’, two BOA Li2 dials and a minimalist leather upper that combine to create what Nimbl describes as ‘best in class power transfer, comfort and fit. It also means a £470 price tag, should you wish to purchase one of the 200 pairs made.
Cav and Oakley’s Giro collection
While Mark Cavendish might not be competing in this year’s edition of the corsa rosa, his previous 17 stage victories more than qualify him as the face for Oakley’s new Giro d’Italia Collection. The US brand is the official eyewear and helmet partner of the race, and products from both categories are featured here, delivered with some Giro themed colors and artwork.
Both the Encoder Strike sunglasses and the ARO5 race helmet are delivered in a pink and black colorway. The glasses, which feature a Prizm™ lens, are designed to offer plenty of coverage with a wider field of view and have a pattern on the arms, which Oakley says is inspired by the mountain ascents that are at the heart of each and every Giro. The helmet, which focuses on aerodynamics and ventilation (it boasts 19 ports to help increase airflow) has the race logo printed on the top. Both are available to buy now.
Bravur's Giro inspired timepiece
While this watch isn’t made in Italy - Bravur is Swedish - it does feature plenty of Giro-inspired details befitting its La Corsa Rosa name.
This fourth iteration, released to pay homage to the race and part of the brand’s Grand Tour Chronograph series, uses three shades of pink on the sub-dials. There’s also an upside ‘13’ on the minute track, replicating the race-number superstition, as well as a road textured dial. The 38mm case is offered in two different finishes - stainless steel and black PVD.
Other details include a Swiss-made automatic movement, a sapphire crystal on the front and rear, 10 ATM water resistance and a start/stop chronograph function should you fancy wearing the timepiece while doing a spot of interval training on the bike. The La Corsa Rosa IV retails from $2,550 / £2,460.
