With the mounting pressure from US tariffs on bikes made in Asia, is the cycling industry heading for an era of more home-grown production? If so, Italy is in a fine place to bring more production onshore and return to the glory days of Italian-made bicycles.
At its peak, Italian bike manufacturing was the envy of the world. Bicycle behemoth Bianchi at one point produced 70,000 bicycles in Italy every year.
With the brand having recently opened a new assembly facility and tripled the number of bikes it produces in Italy, there's an argument that the Italian bike industry is as healthy as it has been since its 20th-century heyday.
Pinarello and Colnago were once all-Italian frame builders of the highest order, along with expert craftsmen such as De Rosa, Masi, Wilier Triestina, Legnano, Olmo, Benotto and Cinelli.
The best components came out of Italy, from Campagnolo, 3T, Cinelli, Selle Italia and Miche, to name a few.
Italy produced cutting-edge designs too. Alan (the Italian frame maker that pioneered both aluminium and carbon frames using bonding technology from aerospace) and Cinelli brought aero to the fore with the groundbreaking Laser.
Then there's the original racing innovation: Campagnolo's invention of the quick-release axle, which changed racing forever.
- Read more: Trump's tariffs will be ‘devastating’ for US bike industry, according to open letter to President
Moving overseas
Like most industries in the West, the lure of cheaper production in East Asia changed the Italian manufacturing base forever. The largest bike brands – Bianchi, Colnago and Pinarello – moved almost all of their production and manufacturing to Asia.
Unlike the UK and the USA, however, Italy has managed to retain a large amount of manufacturing at home. Saddle specialists Selle Royal (including Fizik), Selle Italia and Selle San Marco have all continued production in Italy.
Clothing has always had a strong Italian base, too. Sidi shoes, Northwave, Castelli, Sportful and others continue to produce their kit in Italy. Helmets and sunglasses are also still a huge part of the Italian cycling industry, with the likes of MET, Kask, Limar and Rudy Project.
Even the German brand Abus bases its helmet manufacturing in Italy.
Homegrown talents
Smaller frame manufacturers have continued to produce proudly in Italy, but are we seeing a return of the larger brands?
This recent shift has been spearheaded by Bianchi, which recently invested millions in a new state-of-the-art facility, transforming its headquarters into a production and assembly hub capable of building up to 1,500 bikes a day.
On a much smaller scale, Sarto has been crafting handmade framesets since Antonio Sarto and his brothers started in the 1950s (initially contracting to other brands). In 1983, it shifted focus to designing and building its framesets, initially out of steel, before transitioning to carbon fibre in 2003.
Today, Sarto makes some of the finest custom carbon framesets you’ll find, with features such as custom weaves and forged carbon junctions.
Tomasso Gusso, Sarto’s marketing director, says: “We’d love to [see more manufacturing in Italy]. Our production is true craftsmanship: our frames are exclusively hand-built in-house at our headquarters in Venice, Italy.”
Gusso says Sarto is in a position to produce bikes wholly made in Europe (mainly, Italy). In doing so, it satisfies the Italian government’s definition of products ‘made in Italy’ and is also the name of its domestic industrial production initiative.
“This makes us independent from external suppliers who might be affected by tariffs, exchange rates or commercial and political factors that can impact the cost and availability of materials and components.”
One day, we may see the opportunity for more component manufacturing in Italy. This isn't particularly complex to achieve, but it will likely remain confined to the high-end segment of the bike industry. The likes of Colnago, with the C-series, and 3T with its Italia models, continue small-scale carbon manufacturing in Italy.
Sitting somewhere between Bianchi and Sarto are Bassano and Veneto-based Basso bikes, part of the Stardue group that also includes Lee Cougan and Microtech. Basso started as a steel builder, much like Bianchi and Sarto, but transitioned into carbon fibre, and like Sarto, has kept production based mainly in Italy.
Leonardo Basso, product and marketing manager at Basso, sees the current upheaval stemming from first the pandemic and now Trump's chaotic approach to international trade as an opportunity.
"We’re coming out of a roller coaster, much like the rest of the sporting goods industry," he says. "Italy is often called the home of cycling, and I believe it truly was. Then, somewhere along the way, that identity was lost."
"But now, I think we’re ready to reclaim that position. There’s renewed energy, creativity and ambition in the Italian bike industry, and we’re proud to be part of that resurgence."
Basso is close to having a completely made-in-Europe, if not Italy, bike within the range.
Leonardo says: "Our current SV model with Campagnolo Super Record 13 and Bora WTO wheels – everything on that build is made within Europe, except for small items like tyres, bar tape and inner tubes. So yes, a fully European-made bike is very much a reality for us."
For Basso, it's being in cycling's Italian heartland that defines the bikes the brand builds. Leonardo explains: "Living, riding and producing in the Bassano and Veneto region has deeply shaped who we are as a brand. It defines what we stand for.
"By developing, prototyping and manufacturing locally, we’re able to significantly reduce development time and perfect the finer details of our products. The local territory isn’t just our home – it’s a core part of our identity."
Super steel
Pegoretti, the eponymous brand of frame-building legend Dario Pegoretti, produced some of the most desirable steel and aluminium bikes ever made. Since Dario’s passing in 2018, the Pegoretti brand has continued to manufacture some of the finest metal bikes under the control of Cristina Würdig, CEO and co-owner at Officina Dario Pegoretti Srl.
Würdig explains: “We all are great 'dreamers’ at Officina Dario Pegoretti and since Dario's era, had the resilience and passion to fight for what we believe in."
When I ask if Pegoretti believes Italy can once again be a manufacturing powerhouse in the global bike industry, for both frames and components, Würdig is hopeful.
“We want to believe that more and more small production comes back to Italy (or Europe). I hope that these first signals are the beginning of a great trend. If more companies will produce in Italy or Europe, it will be very natural that component manufacturers might also come back, at least in the high-end segment.
“We already have many suppliers in our area, and it makes work more flexible, planning easier, and new product development almost a teamwork with our suppliers.
"In a world that every day fights for a more sustainable world and with more attention to our planet, I really would hope to see cyclists pay more attention to what they buy, where it comes from and how long it lasts.
“We would love to see a complete Italian-made Pegoretti bicycle, but maybe saying completely made within Europe could be a realistic goal.”
Würdig sees this more local production as much more important, not only for the future of the industry, but also for the planet. He explains: “I always say to our young guys in the workshop, 'If each of us does their little part to respect the planet, we can make a difference, and young people will be able to get their jobs close to their hometown again'."
British design, Italian made
Dom Mason, founder and designer at Mason Cycles, a British brand with Italian builders, told me: "I worked with the Taiwanese makers for a long time, over 15 years, and they made and still make excellent frame tubing, frames and bicycles.”
Mason continues: "There were many reasons that I chose to work with small Italian builders when I started Mason. One of the main reasons was that, although the products we were making with the previous brand were very good, I felt kind of divorced from the creative and making experience."
“I'm an engineer, designer and maker, and had a yearning to work directly with these highly skilled artisans... holding tubes, working through problems, getting dirt under my fingernails, and ultimately learning from their years of experience with metal frames.
“Some of our makers have over 65 years of experience with metal frame construction,”
For Mason, the idea of building closer to home also became an important factor. “Even 10 years ago, I was feeling uneasy with shipping containers across the world," he says.
"I wanted to try and keep everything within Europe if possible. This was for ethical reasons, but it has turned out to be beneficial in the current climate since Brexit."
As for whether we will see a return to larger-scale manufacturing in Italy, Mason is positive. "Italy was originally the powerhouse of bicycle manufacturing in the world," he says. "They built up huge skills and heritage within metal frame making.”
However, countries such as Taiwan expanded their manufacturing capabilities rapidly, eclipsing the Italian cycle industry.
Mason continues: “This was also one of my initial fascinations with working with the small Italian workshops. I knew that many of them were still there and there was so much experience and talent that I knew could produce great things, and I felt I wanted to be part of it and promote it.
“I believe there is certainly the potential for a return to larger-scale frame manufacture in Italy. The understanding, heritage and passion are there. Elite tube makers like Columbus and Dedacciai are there, there is plenty of space and industrial areas to be brought back up to full use, and shipping from within Europe has become more attractive for many reasons."
Mason is not alone in choosing Italy to build its framesets and bikes. Legendary London bike shop and brand Condor has an Italian connection that’s lasted for decades. It continues today, with classic steel, carbon and aluminium bikes handmade in Italy.
A balanced approach
When it comes to components and accessories, Italy remains strong, particularly in the industrial north. Alex Locatelli, senior product manager at Fizik, tells us: “At Fizik, we’re very proud to say that a great majority of our saddles are produced at our HQ in Italy, and the design, being part of our DNA, has always been preserved in Italy.
“Saddles are the core business of our company group, and we keep investing not only in innovation, but also in protecting our know-how. Alongside the Italian production, we also have our own production in Asia, where, still, most of the bike assemblers are."
He continues: “Even within Asian production, the design process comes from our HQ. It’s important to be close to where the bike production is; that’s why both the Italian and Asian production remain relevant.
"In the past years, there’s without doubt a trend to bring bike production back to the EU, which is pushed by serving the growing European market with a more flexible approach and having a much deeper production control.”
Italian manufacturing is strong – and it's getting stronger
It’s apparent that there is a shift with small-scale manufacturing moving back, and growing again, in Italy – and, by extension, Europe.
Aside from politicking, tariffs and other extraneous factors beyond the bike business, it seems there is a genuine want within the industry to revitalise manufacturing on home soil.
The shift can also be seen as a response to both the dramatic increase in shipping costs post-pandemic and a political shift (especially in Europe) to more responsible manufacturing and greener options.
Asian manufacturing isn’t going to go away anytime soon, and neither should it. The infrastructure, manufacturing and design expertise are in many cases of the highest order.
Over the last few decades, we have seen some major brands move to a more regional approach, investing and expanding to supply local markets.
For instance, major brands such as Giant, Cannondale, Canyon and Cube have established factories in Europe, and now Bianchi is assembling bikes for its domestic markets on the continent. Meanwhile, their Asian counterparts continue to assemble bikes for that region.
I think the positives of focusing manufacturing bases around a more regional approach can only be a good thing. We’ll see supporting industry and expertise decentralised.
We’ve already seen engineering centres that serve cycling in Belgium and here in the UK, alongside more established centres in Italy and Germany. That can only help smaller brands and startups compete. It’ll also give more opportunities to train designers and engineers, and more opportunities for graduates, too.
Let's also not forget that bicycling is full of materials that don’t exactly have green credentials: carbon in our frames, polyester dominating our clothing and myriad plastics in components and accessories.
So, any attempt to reduce the environmental impact of our sport should be supported and encouraged. If that means less global shipping to reduce our carbon footprint, I’m all for it, even if it does come with a small increase in prices.
