RIDE LEVELS
During peak season, choose from 4 daily rides designed for every level — from relaxed to challenging. Every route is carefully balanced to be fun, rewarding, and never overwhelming.
CHALLEGING… NOT OVERWHELMING
Choosing a ride that matches your ability will ensure a more enjoyable cycling holiday. We do our best to make every ride both fun and challenging — but never overwhelming. Each ride is led by one or two professional guides who take care of the group and its needs at all times. You will always be in safe hands.
SELF-EVALUATION
When you sign up for a package, we will send you a questionnaire to help us recommend the best level of riding for you (click here to read our self-evaluation sheet)
Our bike managers are available to discuss ride levels with you and help you determine if a particular ride is appropriate and safe for your level of fitness, and we may ask you to ride with a particular group based on our vast experience working with cyclists on our roads.
RIDE IN A GROUP
Our rides focus on group cycling, and our goal is to keep each group together from start to finish and in the safest manner.
If group riding is not something you are accustomed to, or for a more leisurely oriented bike holiday that does not require you to stay at the group’s pace and which includes daily sightseeing and food tasting destinations by bike, you may be interested in our private guide ride options. Private package (click here)
LEISURE RIDE
Our leisure ride is designed for people who don’t consider themselves to be serious cyclists, but still enjoy the pleasure of a nice bike ride.
The leisure group will explore our area by bike with one of our guides, do some sightseeing, stop for photo opportunities, and will ride to a local cafe or restaurant for a cappuccino, a gelato or other specialty of the area eBikes or a regular road bike are available for these rides and because the ride will last just a few hours, proper bike clothing and shoes or casual clothing and sneakers are both acceptable. Helmets are always required however.
CLASSIC RIDE
Our Classic ride is for experienced cyclists who ride at a moderate pace
Our Classic rides are not long, and we ride at a relaxed pace. We usually make a few leisurely coffee/gelato stops. These are rides for people who love to ride but also like to enjoy the scenery along the way, and don’t mind stopping for a few photo ops, or to get a closer look at a historical or cultural site. We always search out secondary, quiet roads but at times we do have to ride on busier streets, so riders must be confident riding with cars. Cycling clothing should be worn and wearing a helmet is mandatory. For this level ride, cycling shoes are highly recommended (not just running or athletic shoes)
ENTHUSIASTIC RIDE
This is the most popular group ride for our cyclo-tourists from all over the world.
It is a true combination of relaxed and challenging riding, encountering some of each in every ride, including some moderately difficult climbs. Our Enthusiastic ride is aimed at experienced cyclists who are looking for a nice day on the bike; a medium-long distance ride with a moderate average speed (… but not too slow).
EPIC RIDE
The Epic ride is available for the most serious athletes
Epic ride is intended for very experienced cyclists/racers who are looking for a long ride, with some long and difficult climbs, and fewer stops. This is a group for the strongest of cyclists, but we will ride at a moderately fast pace, and not race pace, because first, we must take care of your safety, and second, because we really would love for you to enjoy the day as an excursion and an Italian experience, and not a race.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTION
Is there an age limit to participate in your tours? Do we need to provide a medical certificate?
No, there is no age limit. We accept cyclists from 18 years old and above (under 18s must be accompanied by their parents). As with all cyclists participating in our tours, there are minimum fitness requirements that everyone must meet. Here you can find our self-evaluation sheet with all the different levels of cyclists we welcome! We want to remind you to accurately assess your physical condition, as even on the easiest and shortest tours the risk of falls must be considered. A medical certificate is only required for those participating in a Granfondo or special races/events
Can I ride with you if I’m a beginner or a total novice cyclist?
Our tours are designed to be enjoyable and accessible, but you do need basic cycling skills. For our easiest rides, you should be comfortable riding for 2-3 hours, 40–60 km (25–37 miles) at a relaxed pace (15–20 km/h / 9–12 mph). While the routes are gentle and often on quieter paths, you’ll need to handle some roads with light traffic. Here you can find our self-evaluation sheet with all the different levels of cyclists we welcome!
How should I prepare for riding in Italy?
We have done our best to provide different levels of guided tours each day, so we hope there is a good match for your fitness and skills. You will get maximum joy from riding here if you come prepared. While we have varied terrain in our area, we also have lots of hills. There is no one way to prepare to ride in Italy, but we suggest that you ride some base miles and to the extent available in your area, ride some hills. If you don’t have hills, do 6-8 30-second bursts of speed. Core and leg strength training, including weight lifting or stair climbing, are also good preparation for enjoying your time in Italy.
Are there any traffic rules that a cyclist should know when riding on Italian roads?
To ride safely and have fun, it is important to know Italian cycling rules and practices, which may be different from those in your home country. In Italy, we ride single file on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic. Many of our roads make use of roundabouts to keep traffic flowing, and motorists expect cyclists to respect protocol for entering and flowing through. We also ride on some narrow roads, so it is always necessary to stay to the right and be aware. Our guides know the proper and safe way to ride on our roads, so you should always stay behind them. They will do their best to guide you through traffic situations on our roads. Before the ride, they will review hand signals and any things about the route that you should know. In Italy, cyclists are common on the roads, and cars are used to sharing the road with cyclists. For the most part, they are respectful of cyclists, and we must do our best to be predictable and respectful towards them. Pay attention, follow your guide’s lead, and use caution as you would on any public road.
Is there a lot of traffic in your area?
We have carefully planned our routes on quieter secondary roads, lesser known roads, cycle paths and agricultural paths to maximize your experience and safety. Our guides know how to navigate the routes to maximize your experience and safety by avoiding traffic and busy areas. However, short stretches of the roads leading in and out of the hotel can be busy, as can lakeside towns at high season. As you would at home, pay attention, use caution and follow all safety rules when riding on roads with traffic.
What is your weekly program like?
Over the course of seven days, we try to cover the range of terrain and experiences that make the Lake Garda region special. Each day, we offer different levels of rides to one of our featured regions. Some days the routes will visit castle towns on rolling plains, other days will feature the Morainic Hills, and others the mountains. One day we might take a ferry across the lake, another day you will ride through Verona, and another day you might climb through our beautiful Lessinia Natural Region. Each day will offer different terrain, different sights, and a different experience. While we have a general plan for each day, we publish the actual route the night before, in order to give consideration to the weather, special events in the area, and to the needs of our cyclists.
Do you have 4 levels of rides every day?
During our peak cycling season (May, June, September, October) when we have many cycling guests, we offer 4 levels of rides. During quieter periods, we may offer 2 or 3 ride options, but will ensure that each cycling guest rides in an appropriate paced group.
How many riders are in a group? How many guides are assigned to a group?
Groups are formed based on the number of cycling guests and their fitness level. When we are in the peak of the season (May, June, September, October), there are usually about 30 cyclists per day, divided into a maximum of 10 people for each of the 3-4 levels (leisure, classic, enthusiastic, epic). There is one lead guide per group, with an additional guide for larger groups. There is sometimes van support for a ride as well, and the hotel and assistance in just a phone call away.
During the rides, does a support van follow us?
A van will follow on the more difficult rides, more than 100 km and with significant climbing (ex. Monte Baldo, Tremosine). Private tours can request a support van as part of their customized package. Guides on any ride are always in communication with the hotel, and assistance is just a phone call away.
