Many towns have bicycle-hire shops and although it is a popular mode of transport within certain regions, long-distance cycling around Italy is only for the very fit as seventy-five percent of the country is hilly. Some of the most popular biking routes include those through the Tuscan and Veneto regions.
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
If you are planning a cycling trip through Italy you need to be prepared. Here are some handy hints and absolute essentials:
- a basic repair kit and knowledge of bicycle repair. Make sure you take spare inner tubes, tools for adjusting seat heights
- extra snack food and water (it can be a long way between towns in some parts, particularly if you get marooned with an injury or fault on your bike)
- pack light! You can buy extra food as you go and you really only need bike riding gear and a change of clothes for evenings in town.
- maps (detailed for side roads that you might take)
- itinerary – give someone a copy of your itinerary and check in with them every few days so they know you are okay.
- helpful hints – there are lots of people
that have biked through Italy and a lot
of them have put up details on websites.
CAN
YOU FIX YOUR BIKE?
If you are not going with a tour or with
someone that knows there bikes then you
need to have a working knowledge of your
bike components. Most people that embark
on this kind of holiday know their apparatus
but obvious essentials are:
- spair inner tubes
- tyre repair kit
- tools for adjusting brakes, seat height,
and other parts of your bike
A trip to your local bike shop would be
the best place for more advice.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
There are a lot of popular travel routes through Italy. A lot of them
include regions in Tuscany, Chianti and Sicily.
Some very easy cycling routes include the following:
1. Rent a bike from the Bassetto Guesthouse in Certaldo in central
Tuscany www.bassettoguesthouse.com and take the 14km route to the
famous hilltop town of San Gimignano. There is a back route on a dirt road
that takes you past small villages, churches and farms. It's an ondulating
ride but should take about 2 hours. Coming back go along the main road and
cruise the easy down hill section back to the guesthouse. The Bassetto
Guesthouse actually has biking itineraries and maps, mountain bikes and a
guide can accompany you if requested. There are lots of good rides from here
to neighbouring small towns.
2. The main road to Volterra from San Gimignano provides an excellent
experience of the different areas of Tuscany from the rolling vineyards to
sunflower fields and farms. Follow the main route out of San Gimignano from
the back gate and follow the signs to Volterra. The last section into
Volterra is pretty steep. 3.For some more itinerary advice check out this link -
www.web.outsideonline.com
SAFETY
Always inform someone of your intended route
and check in with them as regularly as possible.
Make sure you have checked the weather forecast
and know what the normal weather is for
that time of year.
RENTAL COMPANIES AND TOURS
There are a number of companies that rent bikes through the nearby Tuscan countryside.
IbikeItaly.com is one of the most
popular companies offering fully supported
single and two-day bike rides. They provide
shuttles from the Florence city centre and
21 speed bicycles, meals and bilingual guides.
For information go to their website www.ibikeitaly.com.
Euro-Bike and Walking Tours www.eurobike.com
offers similar tours by bike starting with
Florence and venturing out to nearby small
towns. Go to their website for more details
or contact them at info@eurobike.com.
Their postal address is PO Box 990, DeKalb,
IL 60115 – USA.
La Dolce Vita also offers biking tours throughout
Tuscany, the Veneto and Sicily.
Go to their website - www.dolcetours.com
for full itineraries and prices. Their Chianti
Classico tour passes through the vineyards,
olive groves and cypress regions around
San Gimignano, the Gothic city of Siena
and to Certaldo, the birthplace of Boccaccio.
Bike Vacations www.vangoghtours.com
This company offers biking tours in Holland,
France and Italy. This agriturismo offers
mountain bike riding in the wooded mountains
of Cortona.
Agriturismo Da Domenico
This agriturismo offers mountain bike riding
in the wooded mountains of Cortona. www.agriturismodadomenico.com.
The Bassetto Guesthouse is a travellers
lodge in Certaldo, Tuscany. You can rent
a mountain bike each day and travel around
the region. See www.bassettoguesthouse.com
for some more details or email info@bassettoguesthouse.com
Cycle Italia
A small group that has combined their passion
for cycling with their passion for the Italian
countryside, wine and cuisine. They run
groups for longer trips, smaller groups
etc. www.cycleitalia.com.
