Tips for ebiking in Tuscany
We love to head to Tuscany for a holiday in the late summer or early autumn break; therefore, I have produced some tips for ebiking in Tuscany to help you. Visiting areas such as, Val d’Orcia, Chianti, San Gimignano, Lake Trasimeno in the Tuscan hills, and then on the coast at Viareggio and around Grosetto in the south. We headed to Chianti this year for the famous L’Erocia vintage bike race. https://ebike-europe.com/tuscany-a-colourful-treat/
There is always so much to see, taste, smell, and experience that you could spend weeks here and never tire of it. As you would expect, the food is delicious, and I would say to everyone, try everything and ask for suggestions from your host. Keeping an open mind and open taste buds are a must in Tuscany.
It’s a little different in Tuscany
You may find this area a little different if you have been ebiking in other central or northern European areas. Please take 2 minutes to read my suggestions; it will save you time when you arrive. If you have further suggestions, please send them to me so I can add them to the list. Some companies do group biking holidays to Tuscany, with support vehicles and tried and tested routes with knowledge of stops, arrange your accommodation, and take care of all the little details. If you have never been to Tuscany or are not confident in sorting everything yourself and don’t know what to expect, that could be something to try. Part of the charm of Tuscany is to accept what you can’t control, like the road standard and the plumbing, and enjoy what you can.
Top Tips
- Get a map of bike tracks and make sure you can read it. The signage is a bit hit-and-miss, so a map is really important. We used the Kompass map for the area of Val d’Orcia, San Gimignano, and Lake Trasimeno.
- Stick to the marked bike tracks, as going off those tracks can be disastrous. Some can be impassable and more like walking tracks than anything close to a bike track. (This is from personal experience.)
- You can use Komoot or similar apps for planning routes; however, use it alongside Google Maps as they tend to send you down farm tracks, which are only suitable for goats and sheep. I find a mixture of the two works well.
- Keep an eye on your route on the map, as there are very few signs to direct you. It can be a pain to keep checking the map, but it could save you from getting lost.
- If you have a bike computer, use it; however, some signal cover is poor. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help when you need to find your way home.
- The terrain is undulating, which makes it perfect for e-biking. It means you can rack up a lot of ascent during one day of cycling, so it is good to be prepared for that. Tuscany is not flat. Use the power when you need a wee hand and turn it off for the lovely downhill parts.
- The White Roads, “Strade Bianchi,” are flat-ish chalk roads that are used as B-roads. They are usually a decent road surface, but watch out after a few rainy days, as they can become difficult to ride. Remember to take care of these surfaces, as they can be slightly slippy and interspersed with big stones. However, they are the most beautiful sections through fantastic countryside and well worth the effort.
Preparation and Bike types
- I recommend a mountain ebike or a trekking ebike with big knobbly tyres. Take a bit of air out of the tyres as the roads are bumpy. This will give you a little more suspension and avoid punctures due to the hard, bumpy paths.
- A city bike would be okay as long as the tyres are bigger and not the narrower ones that are standard on city bikes.
- Tracks have quite big stones in places, so they tend to look like a dry riverbed rather than a track. Taking your time and picking your way through is essential to avoid scrapes and bruises.
- Take spare inner tubes with you and make sure you know how to change them. (You can also employ my husband as your bike mechanic!)
- Take a picnic as there can be quite a lot of routes that don’t have a café, restaurant or supermarket.
- If you don’t have a large-capacity battery, ask to charge up your battery whenever you stop for a coffee. Then you can relax about getting home with enough power.
- Cycling 30 km on these roads and tracks feels more like 40 or 50 km. This is because you need to focus on keeping your bike upright and avoiding bumps, lumps, and holes, as well as the amount of ascent you can rack up during a short stretch. Be alert all the time.
- Early and late season: Be prepared for changes in the weather. Take arm warmers, long-sleeved warm tops, rain jackets, and gloves. You could get a couple of seasons in one day.
Recommendation
I wouldn’t recommend Val D’Orcia to people new to ebiking as the cycling infrastructure is not the easiest. The signage is a bit hit-and-miss, and the tracks can be rough and challenging. On the positive side, some parts are easy and have good road surfaces. These tend to be B-roads; therefore, if you are not that confident riding on roads with cars, you might find the traffic challenging.
The area around San Gimignano and Chianti is great for biking, either on the White Roads “Strada Bianchi” or on B-roads, which are quieter. Using Komoot or another bike path mapping app before you decide where to go will help you choose. You can see how many paths there are and what other people’s recommendations and experiences are.
Why I love Tuscany
I have been to Tuscany countless times, and I love it. It is such a beautiful place and well worth a visit. The pull of the excellent wine, food and Italian culture takes us back year after year. I love getting on my bike and usually getting a bit lost but coming across the most amazing views, little cafe or even a ‘truffle’ restaurant we did last year. Things like this can make a great holiday unforgettable. You cannot beat the beauty of the landscape, and what better way to get to know a destination than from 2 wheels?
