"If
you haven't seen the world from a bike, you haven't seen
the world" is the cry of many passionate bikers who,
in their many travels, have set out to do just that.
And
if you've never seen Italy under your own steam, there's
no better way to do it than by bike.
Practical travel tips
If
you've never taken a biking tour, it's always advisable
to "gear up" beforehand with practice runs to
increase your stamina and therefore make it that much more
enjoyable touring around Italy's always varied terrain.
10-20 miles is usually the maximum distance a tour guide
will ask of the group on any given day throughout the tour.
Thanks
to Italy's moderate climate, biking is fine anytime of year
(except, of course, in the Italian Alps!), but more experienced
biker tourists will admit that spring and fall provide the
ideal conditions for biking in Italy, when it is neither
too hot nor too cold.
Most
good bike touring companies will provide - along with the
actual bike - extra safety tips and advice on how best to
navigate Italy's main road and byways, plus a water bottle
and a handlebar bag to store maps, cameras and snacks.
Once on the road, it isn't long before you get in the groove
of your own touring pace. Then gliding through quaint Italian
medieval villages, past olive groves, or pedaling up hilly
slopes that overlook verdant valleys - you'll suddenly see
why a tour of Italy is any biker's idea of heaven on wheels.
More
about Italy biking tours On the Web
Other
helpful resources
Trenitalia
Trains & Bicycles
The
Italian Federation of Urban Cyclists and Bicycle Tourism
(FIAB)
EuroVelo,
the European cycle route network
Italy
by Bike
How
to Take an Italian Biking Vacation
also
see related story feature -> How
"Bike Across Italy" Began