A one of a kind bike | Part 1

It all started on a trip to Italy with my wife in late 2018. As many of you know, Italy is defined by its masterpieces of art and design. It is the country that produced the Sistine Chapel and the Mona Lisa, Prada, and Ferrari. And the place where the Roman Empire and the Renaissance were born. Likewise, when it comes to cycling and cycling brands, Italy has many renowned names. Iconic racers ike Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani, and seminal bike brands like Campagnolo, Colnago, Pinarello, and De Rosa to name just a few.

After arriving in Rome and spending a few days reveling in the eternal city, we set out to see as much of Italy as possible in our remaining 10 days there. Our trip culminated in the beautiful northern city of Verona. As Italian cities go, Verona has it all, an ancient Roman amphitheater, beautiful renaissance architecture, spectacular Michelin-rated restaurants, and, to my delight, an eclectic bike shop, Chesini.

Like many American bike shops, Chesini is dominated by one bike brand, and in this case, it's not Specialized it's Chesini's beautiful handmade steel and titanium frames. I was enthralled in the stunning layout of the shop and the array of bikes. Walls were decorated with Italian frescos, there were ornately painted wood beams on the ceiling and each bike was displayed like a jewel. This was a temple of bike building and after getting a tour of their workshop, I understood why this bike brand has been around for nearly a hundred years. Chesini is truly a one-of-a-kind builder making unique bikes crafted with passion and soul for each customer's wants and needs. The shop captured my imagination, and It epitomized the spirit of cycling, a spirit shared by us at LSD. One look at their website, and you can see the delight with which they view each custom creation, each imbued with a certain sense of joy that only cycling can give you..... more to come