The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Green Roads of Tuscany 2022

May 6th to May 21st

Ride Director: Julie Leever
Ride Co-Director: Tom Leever
Report by: Stephanie Clarke

Starting a BAC bike trip is always an exciting time, but this trip, postponed for two years by the COVID pandemic, was eagerly anticipated and did not disappoint.  We got a hint of what was to come when we checked into our hotel in Florence, just off the Arno River, with views of the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.  Great food, wine, trinkets and Italian hospitality were easily found.  Our climbing began as we rode out of town, to a stunning overlook with views of all of Florence.  Climbing and stunning views of the Tuscan countryside were constant themes during this tour, as were outstanding food and world-class wine.  The hotels were all very comfortable, offered ample rooms and breakfasts, and were well-located.  Our first night’s hotel in Castellina, the Squarcialupi, was in the very heart of town, directly across from a restaurant serving some of the best pizza and pasta to be found.  San Gimignano was a highlight, with award-winning gelato a stone’s throw from our hotel on the central square, and a private terrace/balcony outside of some of our rooms where we had our nightly happy hours and viewed rainbows and the famed towers for which the town is known. All of the hotels had outdoor patios and/or swimming pools where we relaxed in the late-afternoon sun after a tough day’s ride.  Tom and Julie have designed a fabulous trip, with multiple-night stays in most towns, and plenty of non-bike excursions to supplement the riding.  Roman baths, Etruscan museums, wine and olive oil tastings, Vespa rentals, a visit to a meditation garden, restaurant recommendations -- not to mention stunningly beautiful and easy-to-follow routes through the back roads of Tuscany – were all part of this Leever Italy trip.  One rest day involved a day trip and guided tour of Siena, home to the famed Palio horse race, iconic piazza and tower, and magnificent Duomo.  Wine lovers were not disappointed as we rode through both Montelcino and Montepulciano, famed for their “Super Tuscan” reds.  Gelato and of course our happy hours and “route raps” were a daily occurrence, as were our mid-morning cappuccino stops.  A note about the difficulty of this ride:  do not discount the ride rating, this is not an easy tour.  The constant ups and downs, including some long climbs, some short-but-very-steep climbs, take their toll – there may not be any flat roads in Tuscany.  A natural selection took place on the climbs, with those on e-bikes happily riding past those grinding through their gears as we worked our way to the top.  But don’t be discouraged – bring your granny gears, be ready to work for the gelato/pasta/wine/roast pork that awaits you, and enjoy all that Tuscany has to offer.