We used all our experience to design cycling routes that you will not easily forget, and our back office has selected charming hotels and food and wine experiences that will make you appreciate the best of our Bella Italia.
But we know that your travel experience begins long before the day of our meeting.
To help you better prepare for this trip, we have compiled the most important information here that will help you make your cycling holiday perfect. Checklists, tips for responsible travel, FAQs, daily schedules, planning the ideal workout for the weeks leading up to your trip and more.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to listen to you.
We recommend you to bring this list of items with you, to make your vacation as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. But feel free to change it according to your habits. But try not to make your luggage too heavy.
In Italy, for this type of holiday, the style of clothing is very casual and comfortable. For both men and women. Jacket and tie are not necessary even in the most elegant restaurants. But of course it’s up to you.
Q: What are the meals like on the tour?
A: Each tour includes all breakfasts, and all dinners.
Usually italian restaurants starts serving dinner not before 20.00, and we involve our guests with conviviality and delicious food and wine. We will have the opportunity to try the high quality of the Italian cuisine of some of the most famous starred chefs, but also the food of the typical country trattorias. All special requests (i.e. vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets) will be handled with care, so we ask you to report these requests to us in advance.
Q: Is wine included in the cost of my trip?
A: Many of the best wines in the world are produced in Italy. Here wine is considered an essential part of the meal, and cannot be missing. Oenology, an art that dates back to local civilizations some thousands of years ago, is an integral part of the culture and history of this country.
For this reason, in some of our tours we offer our guests a high quality dinner which includes a selection of great wines. In addition to this, guests will be able to visit some of the most important regional wineries, where it will be possible to taste the various types of wines produced.
In the remaining dinners, the wine, the price of which depends on the customer’s choice, and any other alcoholic beverages, are not included in the cost of the tour and must be considered an additional cost that our guest will pay among the extras at the end of the holiday.
Q: My partner doesn’t ride a bike. Do you welcome non-cyclists?
A: We absolutely welcome non-cyclist guests, who will find cities and places of art and culture to visit. Off course they will be able to participate in the experiences foreseen by the Tour program, such as, for example, the visit to the cellars, the boat tour on Lake Como, etc. Furthermore, almost all of our resorts have a swimming pool, solarium and SPA, for total relaxation under the Italian sun.
Q: If I feel too tired to continue while cycling, what happens?
A: Every day tour our VAN will follow the cyclists. The guide/driver will assist us in the event of a mechanical accident, he will have water, energy drinks and gels with him, and mostly he will be warning our presence to oncoming car traffic. But, if you are too tired to continue or the climb is too hard, he will take you and your bike right to destination.
Q: What kind of training do you recommend in preparation for the Tour?
A: No specific preparation is required, so keep doing what you’ve always done with your bike. We will travel about 70 km (45 miles) per day and, with a few exceptions, the climbs will always be within everyone’s reach. The pace and speed that the Guide will maintain will be such as to allow you to pedal relaxed while remaining as united as possible. However, if you want to challenge yourself and tackle a climb at a higher pace, feel free to do so. When you get to the top, await the arrival of the Guide and the other guests.
Q: How can I be sure that I will have the right bike for me?
A: our bikes are produced by Pinarello, one of the major Italian brands. Are top of the range, and after each tour all bikes are checked by professional mechanics, who subject it to an accurate maintenance on every component. But you must know that our bike can never be perfectly your “own” bike. However, our back office will send you a scheme on which you will have to write down some basic measures, through which our mechanic will be able to prepare and deliver the bike that is right for you. After a few kilometers you will feel it “like yours”. If you wish, we also have at your disposal e-bike bicycles with electric motors.
Q: do I have to bring the pedals with me to use my cycling shoes?
A: No, it is not necessary. As said before, we’ll be able to adapt the bike to your measurements, and you’ll can use it without any discomfort. But it is absolutely important for a cyclist to always use their own shoes. For this reason, in the form that our back office will send you, we ask you to indicate the manufacturer and the type of the pedals you usually use. We will arrange to install a pair exactly the same as yours.
Q: Can I bring and use my bicycle on the tour?
A: Yes, of course. Using your own bicycle is certainly an favorable choice to avoids any possible adaptation problem. But we can guarantee that the Pinarello bikes that we offer to our guests are excellent bikes, of the highest quality, which meet the needs even of the most experienced cyclists.
However, it is a personal decision, also conditioned by the means of transportation you will use to get to us. Traveling by car or plane certainly has very different costs for the transport of your bike.
Q: do i need to bring my own helmet?
A: Yes, the helmet is a very personal item and each guest has to use their own. Even for hygienic reasons.
In the VAN, however, we always keep a couple to use in case of need.
The tours schedule includes a cycling ride every day.
The day always begins with a breakfast suitable to “fill the tank” of the necessary energy. Immediately after, before wear the cycling clothes, a briefing with the guides to analyze the route of the day, the altitude difficulties, the characteristic places and the panoramic beauties that the territory will give us. At about 10.30 you fill your bottle, put energy gels and your phone in your pocket, and off you go. The Guide in front and the VAN behind, which will give us support for any need and will constantly signal our presence to oncoming car traffic.
About halfway along the route, the Guide will choose a suitable and characteristic place for a light lunch. Espresso coffee in these parts is almost mandatory. And then we leave to complete the journey and return to the hotel, usually between 3 and 4 pm.
The rest of the afternoon will be dedicated to relaxation (all our hotels have an outdoor swimming pool or SPA). Often, cultural or eno-gastronomic activities will be organized in which, if you want, you can participate.
Dinners are always included in the cost of our tours. In some you can taste the dishes made by starred chefs, in others you will experience the emotions and cuisine of the typical Italian ristorante.
Every evening, during dinner, the Guide will communicate any changes to the program for the following day, especially depending on the forecast weather conditions.
Our tours are organized with groups of 6/8 guests maximum, and at least one guide and one mechanic. We deliberately do not exceed this limit of people, both for safety reasons during the excursions and because we want to devote the utmost attention to each of the participants.
After breakfast the Guide will explain the characteristics of the route with the help of a map. However, for everyday ride, you can download a Koomot file to your Garmin cycle computer so you can always keep a GPS track.
We think it is very nice to ride all together, so the pace and average speed that the Guide will set will be suitable to ensure that the group of guests always remains compact. If you want to, however, feel free to challenge yourself on a climb or section of the route that you want to pedal at a higher pace. You will wait for the other guests to get to the top.
Always remember to respect the behavioral rules of the highway code We care about your safety, but to make sure that everything goes well, your behavior must also be adequate.
Remember that:
1 kilometer equals 0.62 miles. So 10 km equals 6.2 miles. This is 10 x 0.62.
1 meter equals 3.28 feet. So 100 meters equals 328 feet. This is 100 x 3.28.