Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with renting a road bike and gettting in some rides with the locals while in Italy?

I'm an avid cyclist and being able to get a few bike rides in while I'm in Italy would be great. We are going to be there for 3 weeks and will be in locations from Northern to Southern Italy.

I have found a few websites that offer road bike rentals, but I was hoping someone may have rented from a company where you were able to join some locals for a ride.

Thanks for any information.

ttt

If you'll be in the Dolomites area I think you'd soon be able to find a group to join.

There are cycling groups training there throughout the summer. Just pop into any local Tourist Info office up there and I'm sure they'd be happy to help ...

Steve

The Dolomites offer great cycling. If you will be there, you could contact Igor Tavella, a competitive cyclist (mainly MTB and cyclocross) who offers bike tours through his business, Holomites:
http://www.holimites.com/home.php?setlan=en
His family runs a hotel in Pedreces called Ustaria Posta. Igor's blog is here:
http://igor.ustariaposta.it/
Even if you don't want a "commercial" tour for your rides, there should be great information on the Holomites site with regard to routes, etc.

tri dude

if you are in Rome on a Sunday the via Appia Antica is closed to most vehicular traffic from a short distance beyond the old gates to the city. there is a bicycle rental place near the closure. the day I was there actually Palm Sunday it was thronged with bicyclists joggers, pedestrians equestrians,etc. the road is lined intermittantly w/ tombs

to continue: the only thing you have to watch out for are the chariot rutted (relatively few fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective) of the original Roman road

AndrewDavid

again, we saw lots of bicyclists in the hills between Paduova and the road that runs south from Vicenza in the Veneto. The place we stayed had bicycles and we rode around on dike roads above the fields

We also rented bikes throughout Sicily where there is a fair bit of topographic variety and little vehicle traffic on small roads

AndrewDavid

Thank you for the information. I just may have to make sure I get near the Dolomites =)

We are going to Italy in April. Does anyone know where we can rent decent road bikes in Tuscany to ride for a couple of days on our own? Thanks.

Hi Neglex - This Florence company has been reccommended here:

http://www.florencebybike.it/

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Novi Liguri in Piedmont has a great cycling museum and is famous for being the source of many an Italian cycling champion. Piedmont is very popular with cycle clubs and cyclists - several B&B and Agritourismo accommodations have cycles that can be used by their guests - perhaps a good way to go?

I spotted this link today:

http://www.italybikehotels.it/en/index.jsp

Thanks for the information. We'll check these sites out!

I'm in the same boat, but my question is specific to Rome or nearby. I'll be in Rome for a conference the week after Easter and would love to get in some riding. I found this website - has anybody heard of them? Any other places that might rent a road bike?

http://www.randotrek.com/