5 Ways Taking A Bike Tour Is Easier Than You Think
5 Ways Taking A Bike Tour Is Easier Than You Think
Curious about what riding on a guided bike tour is really like? Worried that you won’t be able to keep up on the hills or with the other cyclists? New to the sport and dreaming of a cycling vacation led by local biking experts who also happen to be food and wine connoisseurs? Combine your passion for cycling with the joy of travel and experience the pure excitement, care, and attention that goes into a Ciclismo Classico bike tour.
To help you get a sense of what to expect, we’re sharing fives ways we make our bike tours as effortless as possible for our guests. So you can feel great about putting a trip like this on your “”bike-it”” list.
#1: Our tour guides have local expertise
We cannot say enough about our TEAM. Both from the admin-pre-sign up phase (USA office) to the process of getting you on board and in country to our guides on tour and experts out in the field–this is our real expertise. A fascinating mix of historians, teachers, cyclists, mechanics, chefs, sommeliers, and even a few winemakers, our tour guides have an impressive list of talents and in-depth knowledge of a wide variety of subjects and interests related to the tour. After 30 years in the industry, many of our current guides have been with us since the beginning and have led hundreds of Ciclismo Classico tours. Almost all of our guides are local, native to the destination (with some North Americans to balance the team), are incredibly experienced leaders, attentive, and caring–and absolutely loads of fun.
We guarantee the expertise and professionalism of our guides. Want to know more about one of our guides or who might be leading your trip? Call us up and ask–we love to boast and brag about them.
#2: Native-led cultural immersion included
To have the absolute best experience you can have in an area by bicycle, you need guides who are going to get you in a few back doors, introduce you to folks you’d never meet on your own and to taste, try, or see astounding places and things, often not noted anywhere in a guide book or website. From the local bike shop owner to the the cute couple that runs the tiny restaurant or winery you visit that day, the relationships our guides have built over time mean you are guaranteed to reap the benefits of meeting locals who are committed to sharing their passions. Not always a given or easy to find when you travel on your own.
#3: Extra support and attention on YOU!
Not very bike savvy? Don’t feel comfortable adjusting your own brakes, gears, or even your own seat height? Don’t worry, we can do all of that for you. As a beginner bike tour guest, you get special benefits such as having us set you up properly on your bike, fantastic bicycle clinics throughout the week, experienced guide-mechanics on hand, and caring people around you to make sure you cycle gorgeous roads safely, eat and drink extremely well, learn the history and culture, and rest enough–all while taking the time to just “soak it all in.” Ahhh.
We like to refer to our van service as a rolling deli, mechanic shop, luggage transporter, cheer leading squad, and history class–all topped off with a bit of Italian karaoke! Does it get any better? As one of our first time bike tour guests, you’ll quickly see the infinite value of having a SAG (aka support and gear) wagon—or van shuttle–at your beck and call. Too tired to make the last part of the climb? Jump in the van and join in on all the fun. Now, that’s heaven.
#4: Exceptional wine & food from those in the know
This is not as simple or as automatic as you think. And, doing the research ahead of time to find the best restaurants, eateries, markets, gelaterie, and special local products or dishes is no easy task. Taking a guided tour mean you automatically get the inside scoop. Our professional tour guides know exactly where to find high-quality food and wine that the region is known for. These guys and gals have a keen “pulse” on all this stuff and since they are there, on the ground (in most cases live in that area), tasting and trying on a continual basis, you are guaranteed your daily meals will be absolutely the best available in the area.
This is all part of the benefits and so-called “pampering” you get on a guided bike tour. Some beginners–those new to this world–don’t realize just how invaluable this aspect is. Years of expertise, research, sommelier experience, and cultural knowledge of food and wine certainly stacks up pretty high on the list when it comes to the benefits of a tour. And just imagine: you don’t have to think about any of it. It just happens.
#5: Ride with like-minded cyclists–new friends for life!
In my early days of bicycle tour leading, I remember my co-guide and I anticipating some “”nervous Nelliies”” on Day 1 of the trip. You know, an excited, nervous group of people all coming together on the first day of a week-long adventure together. Some sizing each other up, some worried they can’t keep up, some beside themselves with joy and bursting at the seams to jump on the bike and just go! All of this is just human, normal pre-trip jitters. The great thing about this is that it all quickly melts away once you realize there is no expected pace, level of riding expertise or fitness. Everyone is different and training time leading up to the tour varies. With the attention and assistance of the guides, on and off the bike––your initial worries fade off into the rolling hills and cypress lanes….and soon enough you’ll be humming along, in your own groove.
New friends. Experiences of a lifetime. This is a point not to be underestimated. There are a lot of people at home who (especially when beginning the sport of cycling) may struggle to meet other people who share your enthusiasm around cycling. Joining a bicycle tour allows you to meet other like-minded people, enjoy and discover a new place together; learn, ride, eat, and share a whole range of new experiences. In the more than two decades I’ve been leading active tours, I’ve seen numerous strong friendship literally blossom between guests on tour that then lead to them taking future trips together. This folks, is a beautiful thing.
Explore bike tours designed especially for beginner cyclists—and experience the cycling vacation of your dreams.
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