You’ve dreamed of an adventure in Italy for years. Now you want to make it happen. What better and more authentic way to experience Italy than escaping from the main tourist routes and exploring the amazing countryside as the Italians do - by bicycle. But can I do this? I’m not an expert cyclist! Or I cycle, but my traveling companions do not! Can we all enjoy a bike tour?

YES!! But there are many companies offer cycling tours in Italy, and selecting the right tour and operator is critical to making sure your trip of a lifetime is stress-free and relaxing.

1. I don’t like hills.

There are 20 distinct regions in Italy, each with their own history, culture, and unique food and wine. Tuscany is probably the best known region to US tourists, but the ideal location for your bike adventure may be a region you haven’t considered yet. The terrain, and the time of year you wish to visit should all play a role in your decision. Tuscany is beautiful, but quite hilly, and busy with tourist traffic during the summer. But spring and fall are wonderful times to visit, and an electric bike will make those hills much flatter!

We speak directly with each and every client before they book a tour to understand their capabilities and desires for their Italy adventure. We recommend the areas we think are the best fit, and craft a set of routes that fit your unique profile. If you are very uncomfortable on hills and in traffic, we have a great tour with flat terrain on dedicated bike paths for most of the week. When your adventure begins, we are personally there leading your tour all week, knowing your concerns and desires, ready to adapt as necessary to ensure a great experience.

2. I’m nervous about cycling on the road with those crazy Italian drivers.

Those crazy Italian drivers are actually much nicer to cyclists than drivers in the US, as most cycle themselves! Guests are surprised when an Italian driver waits patiently behind them for an extended period of time, until they have room to pass. While there is the occasional rude Italian, we’ve never had an incident involving a vehicle.

Each bike tour should begin with a review of cycling safety on the road. Also, the route designer should be familiar enough with the area to design the route to minimize dangerous crossings, busy roads. Training in risk management and safe program design is key. It is not just as easy as planning a route from point A to point B.

3. What if I can’t keep up? Or if I want to stop and take a photo?

Larger tour groups can require guests to ride in a large group, led by a guide and followed by a support vehicle. If you continually fall behind, the support van may insist on picking you up.

Relying on the group riding together at the same pace is frustrating for everyone, from experts to casual riders. You should be free to enjoy your day at your own pace. Your tour should provide options – tools for self-navigation as well as the option to ride with a guide that not only leads the ride but is experienced in keeping track of the group, sees you’ve stopped for a photo, and waits. This is really only possible for smaller groups.

We prefer to use a GPS for navigation, which we provide and teach you to use, as it can help you find your way back to the route if you make a wrong turn. Turn by turn directions are useless if you get off the route. And we plant a little tracker in your bike bag, so if you want to check out that castle over there and can’t quite find your way back, we’ll find you!

4. My neck/butt/wrists hurt sometimes when I ride. Will I be able to survive the week on a bike?

All these problems can be solved with proper fitting to your bike. But very few guides are experts in bike fitting. Before you arrive, you should be asked to complete a form with your body measurements for your bike, as well as identify any physical issues that bother you when you bike – neck issues, wrist pain, sore knees. Your tour should then begin with a proper fitting of your bike to you. This should be more than just raising and lowering the seat.

We ask each guest to complete a comprehensive bike fit form, and also ask for a photo of you by the bike you ride at home. Throughout the week, Vernon works with each client to customize the fit of their bike; from changing the stem length to bringing along an extra bike a bit smaller/larger “just in case”. We’ve learned taking the time here makes a huge difference in the comfort of our guests over the week. If you have a saddle that you love, bring it, and we’ll put it on your bike.

5. What if I decide I need a rest day?

Working in a rest day should always be an option. Sometimes taking a day off the bike  gives you the break you need to finish the trip off strong. But how do you get to the next hotel?

For many bike tour companies, the solution is to transfer non-riding guests in the support van. This means you spend good portion of your rest day following cyclists in a van, not a lot of fun. On top of this, in Italy, this is actually not allowed - bike guides cannot legally transport clients in non-emergency situations. If you need a ride up a hill, that’s fine. But if it is known that a guest will not be riding, a transfer should be provided by a professional service that has licensed drivers with the proper liability coverage. The majority of bike tour companies do not hire professional drivers, but simply ask their guides to do double duty.

We rely on professional transfer companies to move our luggage to the next hotel. That way, anyone who wants a rest day can be safely transferred directly to our next destination. We will help you plan your rest day, recommending museums, shopping, sights, setting up a private city tour, or you can just relax by the pool until your travelling companions arrive.

6. I’d like to ride every day, but what if I find out I can’t finish the ride?

Most tours now provide at least two options for routes, short and long. In order to abide by the restrictions on guides only driving in emergency situations, however, the short route should not rely on a transfer in the support vehicle. A good guide should be available to discuss in detail the route – length, number and length of hills – and provide specific guidance as to how YOU will do on the ride.

We believe you have come to Italy to explore by bike, and our job is to adapt the week to you. We know the area, we have many options for you, we’ve watched you ride. We will recommend a route that you can complete. We might meet you at the bottom of the one big hill to give you a lift to the top; we suggest several options to match your capabilities. We very rarely have a guest who cannot complete the ride, but we’ll take care of you if you cannot!

7. Some of my traveling companions are not interested in cycling. Can we all enjoy a cycling tour?

Cycling tours often advertise that they welcome non-cyclists. But this often means that they are riding along in the support van with the guide all day – not terribly exciting, and again, not legal in Italy. A well designed tour for a mixed group should have separate activities for non-cyclists during the ride, and arrange the day to maximize opportunities for the entire group to experience Italy together.

Most of the groups we work with include non-cyclists. A typical day might have non-riders transfer to our next destination where they enjoy a private walking tour. The cyclists arrive, the group can lunch together before our afternoon winery tour and tasting.

We hope these tips encourage you to take the plunge and try that cycling tour! Please feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn more, ask questions, or to discuss your particular situation. We’re always happy to chat about Italy!

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