Guided Bike Tours through Rural Italy
Guide, Host, Advisor, Entertainer, Historian, Gossip, Friend & Support | Meet your Inspired ITALY Guide
14 Wheel Turning Reasons to Take an Inspired ITALY Guided Bike Tour of Italy
Joining an Inspired ITALY small group, guided cycle tour as a solo traveller, cycling tour virgin or even as a Lycra-clad mad-keen cyclist, means that you experience Italy through the eyes of local knowledge, history, gossip and perspective.
1. Extend Your View Far Beyond the Visible Horizon
When you cycle with a good guide from the local community you will see more than simply what is in front of you. Suddenly a beautiful peaceful valley becomes a WWII frontline, a river a boundary, a track an ancient Roman road. You see far more than the beautiful countryside and landscape with your guide.
2. Visit Less Well Known, Hidden Sights & Landmarks
Visit less well known, hidden sights and landmarks along your route where the past comes to life and legends are revealed through the descriptions and commentary of your escort. Italy’s regions abound with history and local events that may escape the greater world. There are stories from 2,500 years ago, a monument to WWII victims, an Etruscan gravesite and the holiday home of a well know personality.
3. Never Lost – Never Late
It is fun to learn to read the road signs, road numbers and pronounce the village names. But you really don’t have to worry about things such as where you are, where you’re going or are you on time. Your guide knows every twist and turn of your route by heart. Of course, you may prefer to understand the details of the day. Each morning and evening your guide provides a brief about the day ahead. Those who are particularly keen you can share the route with you using Google Maps or a GPX file of your actual ride is available in advance!
4. Inspired ITALY Guides are Seasoned Social Hosts.
They join you for each meal from breakfast to after-dinner drinks. You enjoy the same foods together and they are always available to assist, support, or just chat. Answering your queries from what time does the bar open to how to ask for something from the pharmacy is stock in trade while all the time your guide ensures that the atmosphere is always relaxed, fun and enjoyable.
5. We’re Qualified First Aiders
Whether dehydration or a simple headache, your guide is specially trained for such events. They are qualified first aiders trained by the British Association of Ski Patrollers on the Mountain First Aid course! No, we don’t expect snow in Tuscany, Umbria or Emilia Romagna, but the etiquette is the same!
6. Age is an Advantage When it Comes to Guiding!
And your Inspired ITALY guide is probably a little more mature than many of their contemporaries!
7. Your Guide is Your Companion
Your guide is your companion and is extremely experienced in dealing with mixed groups. Settle back and enjoy the ride as everything is taken care of, even your coffee order! At the same time, you are not insulated from the experience. Of course, you can order your own coffee should you prefer. Indeed, you are encouraged to do so!
8. A Comfortable Pace
Your guide ensures that the cycling pace is comfortable for everyone in the group and that you have plenty of time for the best lunches, ice creams and coffee stops!
9. Any Technical Issues are Dealt with Immediately & Without Fuss
Your guide is proficient with a multitool and takes full responsibility for checking your bike and making sure that you are safe on the road.
10. Brush Up on Your Cycling Skills
If you are brushing up on your cycling skills a cycling adventure can be a great way to get back into the sport. We can help steer you in the right choice of cycling adventure to start. Your guide can coach you through such things as the ideal riding position, the best way to pedal, how best to use the gears and how to brake safely.
11. Special Requests are Our Pleasure
Your personal requests are our pleasure whether it is to visit a real Italian cemetery, to taste a homemade Tiramisu or to buy a special gift for a loved one back home, we are here to assist. These are just a sample of the things that we have been asked for! So don’t hold back.
12. From Sommelier to Food Critic
You can ask us for guidance choosing local wines and speciality foods of the region. From Super Tuscan’s to truffle and cinghiale (Wild boar) to porcini!
13. When You Arrive at Your Hotel ...
Checkin at your accommodation, bike storage and even the first round of drinks is managed by your guide on arrival at your accommodation.
14. Bike Check
Each and every morning your guide checks your bike to make sure that the tyres pressures are as they should be, that everything is in order.
What Type of Guided Tours Do Can I Do?
Our themed cycling adventures include food and wine, road cycling and adventure themes while less confident cyclists, families and seniors may prefer to start with an ‘easy’ itinerary. Chose to cycle in Tuscany or Umbria or both.
Road cyclists can choose from our electric road bike Grand Tour of Tuscany or single centre camps in Emilia Romagna.
How Many are in the Group?
There is a maximum of seven other guests plus your guide making a total maximum group size of 9 people. The atmosphere is more ‘dinner party’ than coach (bus) party!
With this ratio, you’re never too far from the front wherever your preferred place is.
Do I have to Do Everything with the Group?
No. A group of 8 is large enough for you to get lost in and small enough to be intimate and whichever you prefer, that’s fine. Each day, depending upon your itinerary there are between 2 and 4 hours of cycling. Typically, you arrive at your destination around 4 pm after which your time is your own. Except where stated there are no group activities in the evening and you can choose to join others for dinner or take some ‘me time’.
What Type of Bike Do I Ride?
All guests on tour food and wine and easy itineraries ride electric bikes. Why? Tuscany and Umbria are hilly and electric bikes level the playing field. This is pleasure cycling. The assist provided by the e-bike helps everyone ride together.
Our eBikes are bicycles. They are not mopeds, motorbikes or scooters. You need to pedal to get the bike going and to keep it going. Our bikes provide pedal assist, they do not drive the bike! No pedal – no power!
🟢 Read our Reviews on Tripadvisor
Who Will Be My Guide?
Louise and Tim do all the cycling guiding.
A husband and wife team, they met while hang gliding in the mid-1980s. Louise is a former world champion while Tim is an experienced adventure sports coach and hang gliding instructor. He led, conceived and planned the first-ever hang gliding migration expedition, called Flight of the Dacron Eagles. You can watch the video here.
Today they lead ski safaris in the Italian Dolomites during the winter and cycling adventures during the spring and autumn.
🟢 Learn More About Louise | 🟢 Learn More About Tim
What Happens to My Luggage?
On the days where we move accommodation, your is transported for you. Each day you just need to carry what you need for the day.
Why Should I Go Guided?
A Guided Bike Tours Get You Closer to Everything.
Your Inspired ITALY Guide Lives Here. They know and understand the local area not as a bike guide but as a part of the culture, function and existence. Being an ex-pat gives a unique perspective on life and a wonderful filter through which you, our guest get much closer to Umbria and Tuscany.
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A Letter From Nigel Vaughen …
Just wanted to let you know that we had an excellently enjoyable e-Bike tour with Inspired ITALY and to provide you with some feedback.
Wonderful Itinerary
The tour is very well planned and organised in all respects: the route which largely is on quiet roads through the absolutely beautiful countryside; the villages/towns that we visited which gave us real insights into rural Italian life in this region of Italy; the mix of hotels, all comfortable and family-run; and, of course, the very good wine and food.
The itinerary is perfect, including the rest day in the very interesting and worthwhile Assisi.
e-Bikes are Brilliant
The e-bikes are brilliant, very well-engineered, and what I really enjoyed is that you can select to give yourself as much physical challenge as you want, but, with e-assistance, you can climb significant inclines for long distances which only expert and extremely fit cyclists would otherwise manage.
Guided versus the Self-Guided
I thought I would also add a comment about the guided versus the self-guided decision. We were very uncertain whether to opt for the guided or the self-guided, but having opted for the guided tour we now realise that there are some significant advantages, which are not that clear from your information.
The Advantages Of a Guided Bike Tour Are:
– Tim, our guide, knows various interesting small paths and “white roads” which you would never find on a self-guided tour, which adds interest.
– Potential difficulties with navigation are removed and should there be a mechanical issue with a bike, expert help is immediately on hand.
– All the decisions are made for you – the details of the route, where to eat and have coffee, and even advice on exactly what to choose to eat, so it is all very easy on the brain!
– Tim’s local knowledge and stories add a dimension that you would not otherwise get.
– Tim’s easy-going personality also made for a very enjoyable holiday.
So, all in all, this is a great experience!
Our best wishes and great thanks.
Nigel and Alwyn Vaughan