DSC00528DSC00550DSC00555DSC00563DSC00557Two years ago, when I first visited Pave Culture Cycliste in Barcelona, I put the shop on my top five list of best shops. After my second visit last week, it is solidly in first place. The shop has almost doubled in size, incorporating a new cafe, and a huge section devoted to Assos. This is in addition to an already established Rapha section, and one of the prettiest displays of bicycles I’ve ever seen. To say this shop is “designed” is an understatement. Every corner has been thoughtfully laid out to best showcase the products. The helmets, shoes and parts are displayed in a manner that should satisfy the most discerning customers. Also new is a small section devoted to displaying vintage bicycles where they had two Olmos, one Colnago, and a Guerciotti. Mountain bikes are another new addition, albeit a small selection. This shop is truly a magical place to be. I spent over an hour, but could have browsed or chatted all day long. With the cafe and a small selection of wine available, I suspect others have the same feeling. One final note on Pave: they have included bicycles from Bob Parlee. There were three in the beautiful display, as well as a customer’s bike in the rack when I visited. It is wonderful to see Bob Parlee’s creations in Europe. Pave has a deep understanding of the aura of cycling which they have transformed into a tangible space where you can drink it in.