Renting a bike in Italy and Croatia?

[sweet_johnny]

Hey guys... a friend is traveling to Rome and Dubrovnik in Aug. 2016 and looking to do some bike riding. Does anyone have any leads on:
a) Where to rent a road bike in those cities? (Preference would be from a LBS)
b) Where to hook up with a group ride?

[miguel]

I was in Dubrovnik after PBP this year. I would not recommend riding around there. Very tight streets and fast drivers - outside of the walled city. The walled city is small enough to walk around 10x over in the time it would take to think about a bike.

[dave thompson]

Is your friend thinking of cycling in Rome? Rome is a very old, dense city that's not at all welcoming to cycles. It's the least friendly to traffic city I've been in.

[bshell]

I went there several years ago to visit family (Dubrovnik/Cavtat and nearby villages only) and kept my eyes out for riding conditions...no thanks.

I was there for 15 days in July(might have been early August? I can't even remember) and didn't see a single 'cyclist'. Roads were narrow/curvy. And it was hot. I would run @ 7am and it was mid to high 80*s an hour later.

Better to take a dip in the Adriatic (bathwater warm), grab something in a cafe and take in the mega yachts/hot euros vacationing...

[cnighbor1]

Croatia has a web site about its great riding
I was in walled city and talked to a touring cyclist he had ridden up the coast
so maybe Croatia OK to ride perhaps side roads is the key

[Vinci]

Is your friend thinking of cycling in Rome? Rome is a very old, dense city that's not at all welcoming to cycles. It's the least friendly to traffic city I've been in.
This was my take-away when I visited last year.

There are probably some really cool places to ride outside of town, but you aren't going to want to ride TO those places. The streets are crazy.