The first obstacle for the bike trip of your dreams can be choosing the perfect bike route.
Have you been dreaming for a long time of a wonderful cycling trip through the beauties of Italy but you really don’t know where to start?
Approaching bicycle touring is a wonderful experience, but, especially at the beginning of this journey, it can happen to feel disoriented…
Choosing between the many cycling routes can be a difficult task.
In fact, the choice of route varies according to several factors such as:
- your own timing
- your own expectations
- your travelling companions
- your level of training
- the choice between a cultural and urban journey or a more naturalistic one
In short, it is not easy at all to organize all the necessary information. We therefore recommend that you book your bike trip on Bikeit, the platform that takes care of planning and organising the perfect cycling route for you in detail.
We know we’ve made you want to book your bike trip as soon as possible, but we still want to give you 5 useful tips to create the perfect itinerary:
1. Choose the destination of your cycling trip (departure and arrival).
The first step to begin this incredible adventure should be to choose your travel destination. I know it may seem trivial but, from this very first important step, the perfect bike itinerary for you has to be created.
But what should you consider when choosing your destination?
According to us at Bikeit, the elements that should not be overlooked when choosing your destination should be:
- your physical preparation
- how used you are at riding a bike
- the total kilometres you are able to cover in a bike travel
- the average speed(which could be around 15 km/h for those who are well trained)
- the difficulty of the route based on the height differences to be covered
Once you have worked out the level of difficulty appropriate to your level of experience and training, all you have to do is choose which of the selected cycling routes is best for you (also in relation to a personal preference for places to visit).
Well… all that remains is to draw your straight line by choosing the starting and the ending point of your tour.
Take a look at our website, because you can find lots of bike routes to browse and choose from. Why don’t you try it now?
2. Choose places of interest to visit along your cycling route
So, after overcoming the first obstacle (which seems to be the most challenging), it is time to build your bike route in detail.
Each cycling adventure, and beyond, is different depending on the places of interest we decide to visit along our journey.
Indeed, this choice can determine the success of the trip itself, changing the perspective of your journey and making your itinerary more enjoyable.
But among the many Italian beauties hidden in every corner, how can we best choose places to visit that are suitable for our trip?
Let’s find out now:
2.1. Group places of interest by proximity
The first step in planning your itinerary is to group the places of interest by proximity. That’s right… distances, kilometres, the elevation differences, are determining factors in the success of a cycling trip.
- Choosing points that are too far apart could lead to a very high expenditure of energy, compromising your two-wheeled adventure.
- Choosing places of interest within the range of your preparation and in relation to the difficulty of your itinerary, will enable you to reach and enjoy with satisfaction, all the places you choose, without wasting unnecessary energy.
This will ensure a “wow” experience and you will also discover that you have a talent for organising wonderful bike trips!
2.2. Choose a maximum of 3 places of interest to visit per day
According to us at Bikeit, to ensure that you can fully enjoy your experience on two wheels, it would be perfect to choose a maximum of 3 places of interest to visit per day.
The stages of an itinerary usually vary between 30 and 50 km. In fact, 3 places of interest per day, ensure the right balance between the moments when you ride your bike to reach the next destination and those of enjoying the surrounding landscape and places reached.
3. Plan breaks and stops for refreshments
The key to a successful itinerary, especially if you are a beginner, is to carefully plan your breaks and refreshment stops.
A cycling trip is a real sporting adventure that requires a lot of physical effort. Cycling holidays are usually the type of trip people choose to take in the summer, to minimise the risk of rainfall. But this can lead to a greater expenditure of energy and sweat.
Therefore, it is essential to plan the right breaks for drinking and eating, especially since, you will often come across no refreshment points along the route, except near population centers.
Study your itinerary in detail and organise it according to points of interest, breaks, and refreshments and we are sure it will be a perfect experience!
If you follow all our tips, we are sure it will be a perfect experience.
Be sure to bring also a travel kit that can help you with all your needs. Read more in the article, “Traveling by bike: the travel kit for your bike trip.”
4. Calculate the total distance to cover on your bike route
We are sure that, by now, you must have become almost an expert in creating the perfect bike route. But here we come to our fourth tip:
After studying stage by stage, it is time to consider your travel in its entirety.
Calculating the total distance to be covered in your route allows you to understand whether you will be able to sustain the journey and how you can improve the division of your stops.
4.1. Help yourself with digital tools (such as Bikeit and Google Maps)
Digital tools are now our best friends, and they certainly will be helpful for you, not only for the detailed planning of your bike route, as you are doing right now, but also during the ride itself.
To figure out how many chilometers your trip will consist of, you can rely on digital tools such as Google Maps, which, as you may already know, can track your bike route by reporting the chilometers and time left to reach your destination.
A truly essential tool, both when organising your cycling itinerary and for orientation and adjustment during the trip itself.
Of course, we suggest you Bikeit as the ultimate digital tool.
With Bikeit, you don’t have to worry about anything, because the platform itself will organise your cycling holiday with a choice of numerous cycling routes around the world.
Our cycling trips are designed to give you the best possible experience and the best possible route, effortlessly.
You can book your trip with just a few clicks and from the comfort of your smartphone!
4.2. Use the total distance to work out how many days your trip will take (max. 50 km/day)
If you are a beginner, but still a rather sporty person, you can consider an average of 50 km per day to reach your overnight destination.
Then, once you have the total distance of your bike route in mind, you can better break down your stages (with the various overnight stays), considering about a maximum of 50 km per day of travel.
Mileage can also vary a lot, depending on the route you are covering. If we are facing a particularly complex route with several meters of elevation gain, it would be better to divide the route into shorter stages.
5. Book Bike Hotels in advance for the night along your cycling route
Now all that’s left to do is to book in advance the bike hotels where you’ll be staying during your cycling adventure.
Depending on your budget and availability, we recommend that you book hostels, hotels or B&Bs to ensure a good night’s sleep and a good night’s rest. Or if you want to treat yourself to an unforgettable moment of relaxation, we recommend luxury bike hotels with spas and all the necessary amenities.
Read also: “Luxury bike hotel: rest after a long bike ride“.
If you are new to cycling, getting a good night sleep will also be key to the success of your bike trip. Resting well, in fact, will get you off on the right foot for your next stage.
Now that we’ve come to the end of our 5 tips for creating the perfect bike route for you, what do you think? Still too complex? We have the solution for you:
Bike touring and bike routes? Bikeit takes care of them!
Thanks to Bikeit, you won’t have to think about anything on your bike trip!
In fact, on our wesite you will find lots of bike itineraries.
All you need to do is select your itinerary, choose the dates and Bikeit will organize every detail for you, such as: bike hotels, bike rentals, luggage transportation, experiences to do along your route and more.
Do you want to know more? Click below to find the perfect itinerary for you.
