Italy Tour

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Hi there,

Last summer myself and 5 friends cycled from Halifax in the UK down to Montpellier in the south of France. It took us 3 weeks to cycle the 1000 or so miles. Anyway it was a fantastic opportunity and would advise anyone to give it a shot. (not the uk bit though cause it is a dump even though i live here!!)

Now then we have decided to do another trip - this time in ITALY! We plan to do the trip this summer. IF ANYONE HAS HAD ANY EXPERIENCES OF CYCLING IN ITALY OR CAN OFFER ANY ADVICE THEY MAY HAVE HEARED THEN PLEASE PASS IT ON!!

Plus if anyone is aware of the best method of approaching large corporations with regard to sponsorship then again please let me know!

Come on!! Help me out here!!

I don't think we have any Itallians onboard, Brutus, hence the silence. Maybe maarten or someone from the neighbouring areas can assist?

Hi Brutus

I can't help you with Italy or sponsorship but hope you have a great trip. Italy is beautiful - I spent six months sailing up the west coast and in the islands.

Can you help me though? I am planning a French trip (starting in the south and finishing at Mt St Michel) for September. What route did you take and what problems (if any) did you encounter? Any advice in other words! When planning your route did you use any particular organisation (CTC/FFCT for example)?

Any help would be gratefully received! Thanks

Titch

We went to France in 2002 (and going to Italy next year!). Check out details of our trip at http://www.nickcoyne.com/eur02/

I cycled across Northern Italy a couple of years ago. Crossing through the Alps then down into (almost literally at one point) the Italian Lakes before heading back into the Dolomites, finishing in Venice.

Lots of friendly cyclists. Great food. Many campsites. A bit hot for me (this was in August), but that is just me. I would certainly go again.

check out http://biketouring.eurotourism.net/tours/1998/1/

Cheers mate much appreciated!!

Lonely Planet just launched the Cycling Italy guide (went on sale in Australia in July 2003) - I've used their cycling guides for France and Australia extensively so would recommend the Italian version without hesitation.
cheers
David

I've just bought the LP Cycling Italy book. Its comparable in quality with their France guide and has lots of bicycle-specific info. It suffers from the same problem as the France guide though, in that it features lots of small (3-7 day) loops with few clues as to how to link them. It is still very informative though.

I have a vested interest, so I'm declaring this loudly! You could check the Geneva to Verona ride at www.wideopenroad.co.uk for some ideas and the photo gallery on the same site for loads of pictures.

Good luck with your trip.


Andrew.

Originally posted by Big Brutus
Hi there,

Last summer myself and 5 friends cycled from Halifax in the UK down to Montpellier in the south of France. It took us 3 weeks to cycle the 1000 or so miles. Anyway it was a fantastic opportunity and would advise anyone to give it a shot. (not the uk bit though cause it is a dump even though i live here!!)

Now then we have decided to do another trip - this time in ITALY! We plan to do the trip this summer. IF ANYONE HAS HAD ANY EXPERIENCES OF CYCLING IN ITALY OR CAN OFFER ANY ADVICE THEY MAY HAVE HEARED THEN PLEASE PASS IT ON!!

Plus if anyone is aware of the best method of approaching large corporations with regard to sponsorship then again please let me know!

Hi Brutus - and other Italy fans,

- just a small tip for the north/west part of Italy:
Near La Spezia (Liguria) you'll find an area with 5 small towns placed on the coast line. The towns are almost impossible to reach by car, but the area is perfect for cyclists.
Some of the "5 Terre" area has been declared UNESCO Habitat and it is a fantastic place for any kind of cycling - both road and MTB.
You can cover the area in 3-4 days - but if you want to see Italy, this is a "must"!

Hav a nice trip! :cool:

Regards
CampyOnly

Ciao, I'm from Umbria, in the centre of Italy. I' m not very well with English language, so it's difficult to completely understand the forum messages. I cycle in my region and know some places and itineraries to bike: Assisi, Trasimeno Lake, Perugia Hills, River Tiber.. I do this not more than twice a week because I have few free time and no more than 20km every time. I'm training myself for a biking holiday in Austria (Carinzia Lakes) next year. Do you think I will be we able with this kind of training?. Ciao

Originally posted by edward
I cycled across Northern Italy a couple of years ago. Crossing through the Alps then down into (almost literally at one point) the Italian Lakes before heading back into the Dolomites, finishing in Venice.

Lots of friendly cyclists. Great food. Many campsites. A bit hot for me (this was in August), but that is just me. I would certainly go again.

Hi,

This July I will also be in the Italian Alps. I was wondering what kind of warmers, jackets etc. did you wear for the mountain passes? Even in the summer I understand it can be quite cool there.

Thanks for the help,

Galil

Ciao Brutus, apologies missed your post. I am an rider from Rome, so probably a bit further South than you intended to ride. Let me know if I can be of assistance.

Do you have any idea of where and when you intend to ride? Alps, Dolomites, the coast (western or eastern). Help me out here... :)

Anyway, ask away!

Originally posted by Powerful Pete
Ciao Brutus, apologies missed your post. I am an rider from Rome, so probably a bit further South than you intended to ride. Let me know if I can be of assistance.

Do you have any idea of where and when you intend to ride? Alps, Dolomites, the coast (western or eastern). Help me out here... :)

Anyway, ask away!

Hi,

We will be riding in the Transalp event which will cross Timmelsjoch and into the Italian Alps. The route winds through the Alps and such passes as Furcia, Falzarego, Giau and on through Manghen pass down to Garda. Some towns that we will go through are St. Vigil, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Corvara, and Levico Terme. After the transalp tour which ends in Garda we are signed up to do the Maratona dles Dolomites which starts in La Villa and climbs quite a few mountain passes like Giau and Campolongo.

So I guess the question is if you have any experience riding there and what kind of clothing do you recommend? I understand it can get pretty chilly in those high mountain passes and even rains on some days.

Thanks,

Galil

Wow. The Real Stuff. I hope that you guys will be in good shape. I have not yet faced off against the Manghen and the Giau...

As for riding gear, you will should be ready for bad weather - you might never need winter gear, but you should have, at the very least arm and leg warmers, possibly a long sleeve jersey, and definitely a raincoat for the descents.

When I have done Alpine passes (stuff like the Izoard, Iseran and the Moncenisio from Italy into France) I have on occasion run into bad weather - it tends to be very changeable - you might start the day in 30+ degree sun, and find yourself in a cold fog at the top of a mountain a couple of hours later!

For more relevant information try also to post on the it.sport.ciclismo newsgroup, some of the posters will be able to provide specific information (even in English) to help you more!

A last thing is the exact dates of the trip - remember that in the 'true' summer (especially July and Auguest) there will be a LOT of cars on the roads, although it is usually not too bad on the passes (car drivers, or sardine cans as we refer to them in Italian, tend to prefer the nice wide, straight autostrade!).

Hope this was helpful! Best of luck. Keep us informed!

Hi there! Im touring Italy next week and was hoping to get some advice of where to go/camp and any top tips.

We are hiring touring bikes and panniers in just outside Bologna and currenly plan to tour the NW regions of italy (piedmonte/lakes/riviera/bolero/poss Alta Risa at the end if we feel ready for it!) for three weeks. I've got the LP guide and was planning to link up a few of their rides for a three week trip.

Any advice?

Thanks

Rob

Hi there! Im touring Italy next week and was hoping to get some advice of where to go/camp and any top tips.

We are hiring touring bikes and panniers in just outside Bologna and currenly plan to tour the NW regions of italy (piedmonte/lakes/riviera/bolero/poss Alta Risa at the end if we feel ready for it!) for three weeks. I've got the LP guide and was planning to link up a few of their rides for a three week trip.

Any advice?

Thanks

Rob

Hi,

We were in the Dolomite region and were lucky last year that we had good weather even in the high mountain passes. We only had one half day of rain but it was during an amateur stage race known as the Transalp. We were riding so hard I barely felt the 9C temps and the rain.

My recommendation then is to make sure you bring your rain gear.

As for nice areas, the Corvara/Pedraces area is one of the hubs of Italian cycling. However you have to be prepared to do a lot of climbing.

Regards,

Galil

I'm living near French Riviera, if you pplan to pass from here gimme a shout! I know many nice Cols around here, but u should leave ur bags in a safe place before climbing, u need to be extra light :D