Tuscany: From Sun to Sea

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW
Spend 12 days/nights touring the Tuscan countryside with overnight stays in 4 locations. The trip will kick off with 5 nights at a rural agriturismo (tourist farm), Il Greppo, on the outskirts of Montepulciano and a producer of Vino Nobile wine. Ride destinations will include the namesake hill town (Montepulciano), Cortona (from Under the Tuscan Sun), and Lago Trasimeno as well as other charming villages. After 5 nights, we will ride to the Buonconvento/Montalcino area, just south of Siena. We will spend 3 nights there with a non-riding day where we will visit Siena (by bus). The next destination is Grosseto for a single night and then onto Capalbio on the Maremma coast where we will spend the final 3 nights, with rides along the coast and to adjacent towns with an option to visit the Saturnia hot springs. The accommodations in Buonconvento/Montalcino, Grosetto, and Capalbio are more traditional (Italian style that is) hotels/B&Bs.

RIDE RATING
This ride is rated a 2B with an average of 40 miles/day and rides generally ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 ft of elevation. There will be at least one day with up to 3,500 feet of climb. For most rides, the maximum grade is 10% or less; there are a few rides with short sections of up to 13% grade. Note that most daily ride destinations are hill towns. As we will have multiple fixed locations, riders have the option of a variety of rides or can take a day of ‘leisure,’ although we encourage everyone to enjoy the opportunity to see the surrounding areas by bike.

ITINERARY AND HIGHLIGHTS

Day 1, Mon 5/15: all arrive in Florence, bus to Il Greppo

Days 2-5, 5/16-19: rides to Montepulciano, Cortona, Lago Trasimeno, Pienza, Chiusi and other small villages from Il Greppo

Day 6, Sat 5/20: ride to Buonconvento/Montalcino (mandatory 30 mi ride)

Day 7, Sun 5/21: spend the day in Siena

Day 8, Mon 5/22: ride to San Quirico d'Orcia

Day 9, Tues 5/23: ride to Grosseto (mandatory 45 mi ride)

Day 10, Wed 5/24: ride to Capalbio (mandatory 35 mi ride)

Days 11-12, 5/25-5/26: rides to Orbetello, Porto San Stefano, Saturnia (hot springs) & more

Day 13, Sat 5/27: depart for Rome by bus

WEATHER

May is one of the best months to visit Tuscany. Weather is typically quite pleasant with temperatures ranging from an average daily high of 75 degrees to a low of 45 degrees at night. Rainfall is generally less than 3 inches in May, but is always a possibility, so be prepared.

LODGING & MEALS 

Il Greppo will be the first location, where breakfast and dinner will be included each day (“full board”). Other accommodations include Hotel dei Capitani in Montalcino with breakfast only (“half board”), Hotel in Grosetto with full board, and Valle del Buttero in Capalbio with half board. Happy hours will be provided most evenings (at least 9). There will be no shortage of local gastronomic delights for us to explore in the countryside! Restaurants are available in Montalcino and Capalbio just steps from the hotel. On the day of the excursion to Siena, participants will be on their own for dinner there. Il Greppo, Hotel dei Capitani, and Valle del Buttero have swimming pools and Hotel Granduca has a pool and spa.

http://www.ilgreppo.com

http://www.deicapitani.it/

 https://www.hotelgranduca.com/en/

https://www.valledelbuttero.it/en

LOGISTICS On May 15th, we will meet you (around 1pm) in Florence with a bus to take you to the ride start near Montepulciano. Ride participants could fly into Florence or choose to fly into Rome or Milan then take either a bus or train to Florence. At the end of the tour, on May 27th, we will be departing from the Maremma area where there will be a bus available for transportation to Rome (by midday). We will have a van driver whose primary role will be to transport luggage and supplies. While it will be available to assist with any emergencies, it will not serve as a SAG vehicle and participants are expected to complete all mandatory rides. BAC rides are designed for serious cyclists who are able to ride independently.

Transportation of bike boxes for those desiring to bring their own bikes is possible; however, there may be an extra fee for this service. Information on bike rentals will be made available. Rental bikes will be delivered to our first location, the rental company will provide a fit, and the bikes will be picked up at the completion of the tour. We intend to arrange a group discount with a bike shop that we had good luck with in the past, but all participants will need to arrange and pay for their own bike rentals. The bikes are high quality road bikes, although ebikes are available and will be allowed on this ride. Hybrid bikes are not recommended for this ride. A maximum of 2 tandems can be accommodated by the van. If you plan to bring a tandem, please notify the ride leader via email when you apply for the ride.

COST & ADMINISTRATION
Cost estimate is $2,600 per person (in addition to the non-refundable $100 BAC ride registration fee). Cost includes bus transportation from Florence to the ride start location and from the ride end location to Rome; double occupancy for 12 nights; 12 breakfasts; 7 group dinners; happy hour drinks and snacks most afternoons (at least 9); daily route review, maps, cue sheets and sightseeing information; and luggage transfer on 3 days, as well as at least 2 special tours/excursions (bus trip to Siena and one other). A tour of the winery at Il Greppo by winemaker Paolo is included. GPS tracks will be provided for those who want them, but it is up to the rider to know how to use his or her GPS before the trip begins. The initial deposit is $1,300 with the final payment of $1,300 due December 1, 2019. The cost is estimated based on $1.35 per Euro. Depending on currency exchange rates, there may be an adjustment in the amount of the final payment. New registrants (i.e., those not originally on the 2020 tour) need to make their second payment by December 1, 2022."

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY
It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until (March 21, 2021) to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee) or pay the $600 solo supplement and stay on the ride.  If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary.  The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride.  Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check.  They should be mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

CANCELLATION POLICY
The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

Ride Participant Responsibility
Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.  All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP
To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description.  When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List.  At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit ($1300) by credit card.  As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List.  To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description. Final payment of $1,300 will be due on December 1, 2022.