Inspired Italy

An electric bike provides you with powered assistance to supplement your own efforts as you pedal to your next destination. It isn’t cheating! You still have to use your own muscles to push the pedals around, but your level of effort is determined by the power-assist setting that you select. And remember, when you stop pedalling, there is no power! On our bikes which use the best electric assist system from world leaders Bosch, there are five power settings, Off, Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo.

2. CYCLING WEATHER

The wind is the cyclists biggest enemy and the Mediterranean climate is perfect for leisure cycling. The southern European summer high-pressure weather systems have little or no or wind and make ideal holiday cycling conditions. 

Riding in a small group and sharing your experience helps you along your way, providing encouragement, pace and support. An experience shared is an experience doubled!

4. MANAGEABLE RIDES

Understand your ride before you set out. Learn where you can stop and at what pace you intend. Don’t be too aggressive with your pace. 15 km/h 10 mph is an easily achievable average for a leisurely holiday mode! And remember, on a bike journey, its about pace, not speed! Your ride might be 2hrs saddle time, but you have 8 hrs in which to cover the ground.

5. TERRAIN

Don’t be afraid of the climbs. On an electric bike, you can engage a little more assistance and take your time to ascend. Take in the views and vistas on your way up and do it a few metres at a time. It isn’t one hill, its lots of little hills!

This is super important for reasons of comfort and safety. Most ‘casual’ and leisure cyclists set the seat height far too low, preferring to be able to touch the ground whilst sitting in the saddle. This isn’t a good position because it makes you use your legs a lot more than you would with the saddle set at the correct height. You should be ‘fitted’ to the bike before you start to make sure that the seat height is correct. And don’t be afraid to adjust the height during the ride.

7. USE YOUR GEARS

It doesn’t really matter how many gears the bike has, they are all there to be used! So use them! Don’t ‘grind’ Spin! As a casual or leisure rider, you should aim to turn the pedals at around 70 to 90 rpm and use the gears to maintain this rhythm. It’s called ‘cadence’ and it is a great help if you can get it right!

Cyclists call this ‘fuelling’. And that is what it is. Particularly when you are cycling in a warmer climate, you will lose far more body fluid than you realise. Drink regularly from your water bottle and maybe tuck a banana or oat biscuit in your pannier to nibble on during the ride. You should always stop for coffee, lunch and ice cream along the way.

9. BUILD UP SLOWLY

The main issue that affects casual and leisure cyclists on a cycling holiday is the dreaded ‘sore bottom’! No amount of padding, natural or otherwise, will entirely remove this if you’re a ‘newbie’, but ‘familiarity’ does help a great deal. Spend as much time as you can get used to a bike, any bike, prior to your holiday. It helps reduce the sore bottom syndrome!

10. COMFY CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT

For the casual and leisure cyclist a step-through frame, with suspension front forks helps the riders comfort enormously. If you can, insist on a ‘suspension seat post’ and a gel seat too. The suspension post helps reduce small impacts and vibration and the gel seat holds to your shape, all aiding your comfort. Also, make sure that your bike is a more upright position. Casual and leisure riders find this more comfortable.

You should take with you a few basics: A good pair of UV sunglasses; make sure that a helmet is provided otherwise take your own; cycling gloves can help if you’re not used to cycling. They have padding in the palm area and help reduce the pressure on your hands; a water bottle is essential. They are usually 500ml or 750ml. Make sure that you top it up at every opportunity.

12. REST & RECOVER

When you arrive at your destination hotel, rest! Having taken a good long drink to rehydrate your body, lie down for 30 to 60 mins and allow your legs (and your bottom) time to recover. Don’t stay up all night propping up the bar! Have a well-balanced meal and get a good nights sleep! 

13. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY

In Italy, there are electric bikes for children too! And if your family is very young, try our Roman Child Chariot (Burley Bee). It’s all much more enjoyable with an electric bike!

Cycling with a guide removes the unknowns from your ride and you’ll get help and support with your technique.

A good bike guide helps you see your environment through different eyes and with local knowledge they’ll offer stories and anecdotes.

And of course, they are there to address any technical issues, whether it’s your riding position, cadence or to adjust your seat height. Get more from your cycling holiday with a guide!

But honestly, you won’t need them, because each day is planned with just enough saddle time and time off the bike. 

Our ‘Easier Cycling’ adventures are designed to be exactly that – easier, fun and interesting experiences around most corners!

What Is Cycling Like in Italy?

ITALIAN’S LOVE CYCLISTS AND IT IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN THE COUNTRY.

They are deeply passionate about the sport, whether it’s the Giro d’Italia or popping to the pasticceria for the daily bread.

Your itinerary is carefully planned in advance and whether you elect to try a self-guided or the guided experience, you’ll take the quieter roads and a few cycle tracks to see the very best of rural Italy. Whilst your view of Italian drivers is probably not particularly good, they really do respect cyclists far more than most other countries. 

Food, wine, views and vistas, history and art are all very much in evidence along your chosen route. Just because it’s an ‘easier’ ride, doesn’t mean to say that you can’t experience the best that Italy has to offer. 

For example, the riverside ride along the banks of the River Tiber, the river that flows through Rome and following the shores of Lake Trasimeno is where Hannibal, who crossed the Alps with his elephants, fought the Roman Legions in 246BC. History is around every turn in Italy!

Should I Bring My Helmet? 

That is entirely your choice. We provide helmets but if you prefer to use your own, that’s great. 

With each bike, we provide the following: a water bottle, a rearview mirror, a pannier, a pump, a spare inner tube, a hi-vis safety jacket, a rain cape, a bike computer and a battery charger. One person per group also carries a Bosch GPS with route preloaded, multi-tool kit, map and first aid kit.

Our youngest guest is Heidi aged 9, who cycled on an electric bike with her sister India 13, and Mum and Dad covering 140 miles over 4 days through Umbria. You can watch a video of Heidi here – 🔺 Family Bike Tours | Cycling Holidays with Children

Then there was Geoffrey! He was 85 at the time of his cycling trip in Umbria. You can see Geoffrey cycling here – 🔺 Meet Geoffrey