Antik bike Europe Tour 2025
Day 1 - From Prague through Austria to Italy
It looks easy. Get in the car and go. Preparations and planning, arranging and organizing private collections, and the varied museum opening hours have kept us busy. We can go. Breakfast was stylish - in Český Krumlov and right in one of the oldest buildings - the Krumlov Mill, which also houses the motorcycle museum.
Museum of historical motorcycles, Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Motorcycles of various Czech and foreign brands can be seen in the museum in the premises of the ancient Krumlov mill. Among other things, you can admire other objects related to the history of motoring and several bicycles.
An integral part of the Museum of Vintage Motorcycles is also a sales gallery displaying antique furniture, clocks and antique decorations. Tower clocks are also on display in museum.
The Museum is located in the ancient building of the Krumlov Mill, which is situated on the banks of the Vltava River under the Český Krumlov Castle and is one of the oldest buildings in Český Krumlov. It served as a town mill for many centuries.
Address: Široká 80, 381 01 Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Contact: https://www.krumlovskymlyn.cz
319/A - Motorcycle museum Český Krumlov
Krumlov mill
A beautiful town, one of the oldest and most beautiful houses in Český Krumlov, right in the heart of the old town - museum, antique shop, sales gallery, restaurants and accommodation. All in an absolutely wonderful atmosphere.
STOP 1: Das Salvator – Porsche museum, St.Salvator, Austria
We are still looking for Porsche bikes, whether they were just used for advertising or were directly designed or manufactured by Porsche technicians.
The Gerhard Porsche Museum, a unique collection that you might not expect to find behind the facade of the Das Salvator - Iris Porsche Landhotel. Right next to the hotel, car enthusiasts, car historians and even those who are not particularly interested in motorsport will be amazed. In a lovingly restored barn, which is directly connected to the hotel, there is a car museum with exhibits from the very beginnings of automotive history to the present day of motorsport.
Address: Markplatz 6, 9361 St.Salvador, Austria
Contact: https://www.das-salvator.at/automuseum/
85/A - Das Salvator – Porsche museum part 1
Many more automotive beauties have been on display in the new wing of the building since 2016. You can look forward to up to 20 historical agricultural machines that offer a glimpse into the agricultural practices of yesteryear. The museum also offers 15 new racing and sports cars, the most famous of which is the unique Porsche 904. The real attractions include the Red Bull Formula 1 car and Jochen Rindt's original Porsche 906 racing car.
85/B - Das Salvator – Porsche museum - Part 2
The Porsche company is known above all for top cars. But we cannot overlook her experiments with the bicycle.
Evening Italy welcomed us with its hospitality and there were plenty of experiences for the first day.
Day 2 - Two large private collections and the smell of gasoline in Brescia in the evening
STOP 2: Expo 2025 "PEDALANDO NELLA STORIA", Cittadella – Italy
The exhibition "PEDALANDO NELLA STORIA" with bicycles from collection Dorina eánd Gianfranco Trevisian was prepared and it was opened on June 2025 in the Church of Torresino in Cittadella along the "Via dei Carraresi". Many bicycles belonging to past and present champions between 1894 and 2021 are on display to admire.
Address: S.M del Torresino, Via G. Garibaldi 54, 35013 Cittadella (PD) Itálie
Contact: https://viadeicarraresi.it
Contact Gianfranco Trevisan: https://www.facebook.com/gianfranco.trevisan
416/B - Expo 2025 "PEDALANDO NELLA STORIA"
Gianfranco Trevisan as a racer and collector
A two-part book with detailed photographs of the essential bicycles from Gianfranco Trevisan's collection. Beautiful photographs and lots of useful information.
416/D - Bicycle collection of Gianfranco Trevisan
We saved a small snack at the Citadella and the bad weather for a trip to the unique BICICLERIA bicycle collection in Vicenza.
STOP 3: BICICLERIA - Museo della Bicicletta Italiana, Vicenza – Italy
The collection of Mario Cionfoli & Rigon Stefano
Fantastic collection of mainly sports bikes. The museum has a legitimately large number of Italian machines. Many of them are associated with the history of riders and famous racers. The vast majority of the bikes on display are in authentic condition - an absolute treat for collectors!
Visiting the museum must be arranged in advance.
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/Bicicleria
Address: Strada Marosticanna, 509/A, 36100 Vicenza - Italy
430 - BICICLERIA - Museo della Bicicletta Italiana
Evening Brescia welcomed us with the smell of gasoline and the ubiquitous car veterans.
Day 3 - Race Mille Miglia and Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia
STOP 4: Museo Mille Miglia, Brescia – Italy
Museo Mille Miglia and historic bikes
The historic bicycles you won't find in the museum. If you're lucky, there are also events for historic bikes here several times a year. The photo gallery is from 2024.
Museum
The museum is dedicated to the "Red Arrow" race and its creation was brought to life thanks to the Mille Miglia Museum Association. It was founded in December 1996 by a group of Brescia businessmen known as the "Friends of the Mille Miglia". The association now has 50 shareholders. The new museum was opened to the public on 10 November 2004. Part of this project was the restoration of the Sant'Eufemia monastery complex, which is owned by the municipality of Brescia. The building has enormous archaeological, historical and architectural value and has been in constant decline for some time.
Contact: https://www.museomillemiglia.it/it
Adresa: Viale della Bornata, 123, 25135 Sant'Eufemia (Bs), Italy
STOP 5: Race Mille Miglia 2025 Brescia
The Mille Miglia race is still held today, but it is a very prestigious veteran rally. In its original form, the Mille Miglia has been held since 1927 and over the course of three decades has gone down in history as one of the toughest races in the world. The name of the race means "a thousand miles" in Italian, so the route has always been approximately 1,600 km and has led in various modifications from the city of Brescia to Rome and back again.
433/C - Race Mille Miglia 2025
STOP 6: Exhibition 2025: Heart of the Race
"Kahane heart of the race" refers to an art project by Elizabeth Ann Kahane, which documents the mechanics and their dedication in the Mille Miglia classic car race in Brescia, Italy. Kahane's project, titled "HEART OF THE RACE, Master Mechanics of the Mille Miglia," involved creating portraits of the mechanics and documenting their work both before and during the race. The project culminated in an exhibition at the Museo Mille Miglia.
Day 4 - All day in Milan and surroundings
Vigorelli velodrom - cult place!
Address: Via Arona, 19, 20149 Milano MI, Itálie
The 397m-long outdoor velodrome was built in 1935 and is now a protected building as the area is filled with skyscrapers, offices and new apartments. It was bombed during World War II but hosted Fausto Coppi’s Hour Record attempt in 1942. A total of 150 records have been set on the boards, with Jacques Anquetil (1956), Ercole Baldini (1956) and Roger Riviere (1957 and 1958) among the riders to break the Hour Record on the track. In 1986, Francesco Moser set a sea-level Hour Record on a disc-wheel aerobike, having set a new outright record in Mexico two years previously.
Legendary Italian track sprinter Antonio Maspes trained on the Vigorelli and was apparently the only rider able to hold a track stand on the steep 45° banking.
The Vigorelli has hosted 23 Giro d’Italia stage finishes and the finish of Il Lombardia until 1985, when Sean Kelly won
STOP 7: Antik shops in Milano
We spent a large part of the day browsing through shops with necessary treasures and eating good food.
STOP 8: La Chiesetta delle Biciclette, Limbiate - Italy
The Chiesetta delle Biciclette - a unique museum dedicated to the history of the bicycle has found its place in a stunning building. The original church - the first ever built in Limbiate - has now become a place where the past and the present merge through a passion for culture, history and innovation.
The collection focuses on bicycles manufactured between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, a period that could be described as the "golden age of the bicycle". During this period, the bicycle underwent an extraordinary evolution, from a means of public transport to a symbol of freedom and modernity.
The small church houses almost 100 historical bicycles from different parts of Europe, which have been carefully collected and restored; many more are still being restored and will be exhibited at a later date. The fantastic and friendly atmosphere of the founder Adriano Vettorato and his friends made our visit a fantastic experience.
Address: Via Mazzini 5,208 12 Limbiate (MB), Itálie
Contact: lachiesettadellebiciclette@gmail.com
Visits to the museum must be arranged individually.
426 - La Chiesetta delle Biciclette, Limbiate
It was an inconspicuous building – an old church. We got a recommendation from friends and I probably never experienced what awaited us. A very nice and human meeting, lots of friends, we talked a lot – we had a great time. Thank you friends.
And in the evening: classic Italy and in a bar with local guys from a small village. That also had its charm, even though the restaurant didn’t even have cutlery and the chef advised us to order food from a delivery service!
Day 5- A quick morning prayer and off to Switzerland
STOP 9: Madonna del Ghisallo – Patrona dei Ciclisti, Magreglio - Italy
Madonna del Ghisallo Sanctuary and Cycling Museum are located in Magreglio in the province of Como, on a hill which is very popular among bikers and has been home of many famous competitions; here there’s a beautiful landscape on Lake Como.
Ghisallo’s hill links Valassina with the high part of the Lake. On the top at 754 meters above sea level, there’s a small church: Madonna del Ghisallo Sanctuary. A legend says that its name comes from a certain Ghisallo, which was attacked by robbers and wanted a Church to be built there. It keeps important relics about the world of cycling.
The memory of the phenomenal lover and promoter of bicycle history, Liciano Berutti, was added in 2025.
Contact: https://www.museodelghisallo.it
Address: Via Gino Bartali, 4 - 22030 Magreglio (CO), Italy
This is not our first time here and this bar literally just a few hundred meters below the summit has a great atmosphere and holds a great beer variety.
%album(29071,8,8)%
Stop 10: Museo del Cyclismo - Ghisallo, Magreglio - Italy
Madonna del Ghisallo Sanctuary and Cycling Museum are located in Magreglio in the province of Como, on a hill which is very popular among bikers and has been home of many famous competitions; here there’s a beautiful landscape on Lake Como.
A few photos from our last visit in 2025. The other galleries are from our visit in 2022.
Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo 2025
The Museum, founded in 2006 by the biker Fiorenzo Magni, is dedicated to the bike world and for this reason it promotes this sport with all its values and memories. It has 3 floors and it includes a collection about cycling like the one of “Pink Jersey”. All bicycles on the display are in original condition – it is absolutelly „paradise“ for bicycle collectors!
Contact: https://www.museodelghisallo.it
Address: Via Gino Bartali, 4 - 22030 Magreglio (CO), Italy
284/A. Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo
The best of bicycles are on display inside a special glass boxes on an exclusive place: Authentic bicycles: Legnano – Fausto Coppi, Willier – Florenzo Magni, Legnano – Gino Bartali.
284/B. Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo
284/C. Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo
The Giro d'Italia is the second oldest and most difficult cycling stage race, founded in 1909. Its length is usually 2,500–4,000 km in 10–22 stages. It is traditionally held in May as the first of the three Giro - Tour - Vuelta
The leader of the overall standings wears a pink jersey (maglia rosa). Similar to its counterpart, the yellow jersey from the Tour de France, there is also an origin in the color of the organizer's paper - the newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport
284/D. Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo
284/E. Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo
Stop 11: Expo 2025: "Triple Crown", Museo del Cyclismo Ghisallo, Magreglio - Italy
Expo 2025: "Triple Crown"- Le biciclette di Tadej Pogacar
Madonna del Ghisallo Sanctuary and Cycling Museum are located in Magreglio in the province of Como, on a hill which is very popular among bikers and has been home of many famous competitions; here there’s a beautiful landscape on Lake Como.
Contact: https://www.museodelghisallo.it
Address: Via Gino Bartali, 4 - 22030 Magreglio (CO), Italy
421/A - Expo 2025: "Triple Crown"
Colnago Y1Rs: UAE Team Emirates' new bike
This is the exact model Tadej Pogačar rode in the 2025 Tour de France.
Specifications:
SRAM Red E1 AXS and ENVE SES 4.5 LTD World Champs
Colnago Y1Rs Carbon Monocoque
YSWC - World Champs Edition
SRAM Red E1 AXS (12-speed, wireless)
Crankset: SRAM Red E1, 170 mm, 48/35
Cassette: SRAM Red E1 10-33
Chaining: SRAM Red Flattop
ENVE SES 4.5 LTD - Limited Edition World Champs
Cockpit: Colnago CC. Integrated Y1 steering wheel
Brakes: SRAM Red E1 Hydraulic
Price: €17,000.
Stop 12: Expo 2025 “Eddy Merckx: Eighty Years of a Legend”, Magreglio – Italy
The exhibition “Eddy Merckx: Eighty Years of a Legend” was inaugurated on May 3, 2025. Curated by architect Carola Gentilini, Director of the Madonna del Ghisallo Cycling Museum, the exhibition is dedicated to celebrating the 80th birthday of the greatest champion of all time. Through objects, images, videos, and personal accounts, the exhibition recounts his glorious victories and the impact he had on cycling and global sport.
Contact: https://www.museodelghisallo.it
Address: Via Gino Bartali, 4 - 22030 Magreglio (CO), Italy
417/A - Expo 2025 - Eddy Merckx
417/B - Expo 2025 - Eddy Merckx
417/C - Expo 2025 - Eddy Merckx
417/D - Expo 2025 - Eddy Merckx
Traveling around Switzerland is an experience in itself. We must have been good and happened upon the Tour de Swisse race high up in the mountains.
More info: https://www.tourdesuisse.ch/en/
Stop 13: F 22 - Mobility | Museum | Mountain | Magic - Albula Pass, Switzerland
Hidden in an industrial warehouse on the foot of the mighty Albula Pass in the Swiss Alps, Adrian Elmiger has brought together one of the world’s best collections of carbon racing bicycles, spiced up with an eclectic mix of classic SUVs, motorbikes, snowboards and artifacts of 1990s pop culture. Although not a traditional public museum, this collection offers a unique blend of "mobility" and "magic."
Contact: https://www.instagram.com/luc.latour
Address: Albula Pass, Switzerland
Big report, interview and photo gallery
„From carbon bikes to quirky offroaders, this Swiss collector conserves yesterday’s cool“ www.classicdriver.com
Photos: Andrea Klainguti
A quick look at the depository
Day 6 - We will end our journey through Switzerland at Lake Constance.
Just look at these four photos, imagine a rich homemade breakfast, the smell of coffee and lovely hosts, and I really don't know who would want to leave... But another hard day full of bikes awaits us!
Waking up under the Albula pass
Stop 14: Start Tour de Suisse
Stop 15: Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen, Germany
The Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen is a museum in Friedrichshafen, Germany, the birthplace of the Zeppelin airship. The museum houses the largest collection of airship travel in the world and chronicles the history of Zeppelin airships. The museum has been at its current location at Hafenbahnhof since reopening in 1996.
Address: Seestrase 22, 88045 Friedrichshafen, Germany
Contact: https://www.zeppelin-museum.de/en
86/A - Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen
Paul Jaray
Paul Jaray (1889–1974), a Zeppelin aerodynamicist, invented the "J-Rad" in 1919 - 1921, pioneering a series-produced, level-driven recumbent bicycle designed to reduce air resistance. Built by Hesperus-Werke in Stuttgart (1922–1923), about 2,000 units were sold before production ceased due to fatal accidents from faulty materials.
Key History and Features of the J-Rad
Design & Engineering: Unlike conventional bicycles, the Jaray bike was a recumbent design, allowing the rider to sit upright with legs extended forward to reduce aerodynamic drag. It featured a unique lever-driven (treadle) system rather than a chain-driven mechanism.
Production: Approximately 2,000 of these "J-Rad" machines were produced between 1922 and 1923, primarily finding success in the Netherlands.
Performance: Prototypes included variations with 26-inch wheels and later models with smaller front wheels for improved handling. It featured 3-speed gearing via adjustable leverage points.
Safety & Discontinuation: The bike was considered fast and efficient, but production stopped in 1923 following fatal accidents attributed to poor-quality, economical raw materials rather than a flawed fundamental design.
Significance: Jaray, also known for his work in automotive streamlining, applied his wind-tunnel expertise to make the bicycle more efficient, with some models designed to include optional, removable, or clip-on, streamlined "skirts" or canopies.
Last drink, last view of the lake and the way home….
