Private Biking Trips in Tuscany

The situation : you and family or friends wish a private bicycling trip in Tuscany, cycling exactly the distance and difficultly that suits you.  Sustainable travel appeals to you, as does Slow Travel, slowing down to learn the complex history and culture of the region. You need top quality bikes that are professionally fitted to you, are delivered and are collected. You want  glorious landscape, plus a wonderful trattoria meal or delicious picnic at the end of a long morning. You need a simpatico, highly experienced, English speaking guide who offers local support on every day that you are cycling.

The caveat : you don’t want to join a group of other Americans in an organized group bike tour.

The solution : Insider’s Italy ! We plan such private trips with joy and ease. One notable one was last July, for a lovely repeat San Francisco client and family (four adults and children aged 12 to 18) who they told us that they had “the best time of our lives”.

How does it work ? Our colleagues who coordinate private biking trips — a Tuscan couple who are professional bikers with 17 years of experience — fit you on your arrival afternoon with the best suited bikes for you (most often 24 speed hybrids), then the next morning deliver them fully equipped (excellent helmet and water bottle included !)

They also provide you with detailed riding route maps and cue sheets and will be with you every day, serving as guides and local support for every kilometer you cycle. Routes are very carefully selected and deeply familiar to your guides. When routes are not circular they also provide pick up and drop off services. Our July clients cycled on two successive days, the third day spent  walking — a refreshing change of pace and allowing access to different landscape and locations — and followed with three more days of cycling.

For strong riders the daily ride can be extended, while for less strong bikers every day’s itinerary includes a shorter option. Average daily distances for most of the trips we have planned is 30 kilometers.

The landscape you will be cycling in looks like this

Routes visit splendid hill towns and abbeys, traverse broad valleys of  vineyards and sunflowers, take sinuous country roads, cypress-lined lanes and country routes through olive groves and oak forests.

Our Accomodation Planning service ensures of course that you have a lovely place to stay. One favorite inn, perfectly sited for biking itineraries, is this splendid six-room hotel, surrounded by vineyards and olives, a dream to come back to after a day on two wheels. The location is near Pienza and Montepulciano. If you are a larger group, you can take over the whole inn. Older kids would love having the garden facing rooms while adults can be a few steps away in the main house, which has two suites and a charming double.

And of course we coordinate all of the special, extra services that make for rich, full days : cooking classes, vineyard visits, opportunities to attend a mass with Gregorian Chant, restaurant bookings — and Insider’s touring and sightseeing with a special eye for tailor-made opportunities and adventures that are off the beaten path. Please contact us, or complete our no obligation travel planning survey and we will be right back in touch with a detailed, preliminary proposal.