Siena (Italy) Bike Rental Experience

[litcrazy]

Does anyone have recent experience renting bikes in Siena?

My family of four riders (the kids are 18 & 20) will be spending a few days in Siena in late May.
We'll be coming from Rome and then going to the Dolomites where I've already arranged for bike rentals and lodging.

We're thinking that over our 3-4 days, we'll stay in the city proper and visit Florence for an all day art exploration. That means we can get in two days of exploring by bike. I imagine 40-70 mile rides will be a great way to explore that part of Tuscany. The Eroica routes seem to provide some options.

Any insights on this front? Either riding or renting options.

[Kirk007]

It's a ways from Sienna but Andy Hampsten's tours use a bike shop in Donoratico/Castegneto Carducci for rentals - BMC Gran Fondos I believe. That could be an option - Ciclo Sport Donoratico.

[IJWS]

Originally Posted by litcrazy

Does anyone have recent experience renting bikes in Sienna?

My family of four riders (the kids are 18 & 20) will be spending a few days in Sienna in late May.
We'll be coming from Rome and then going to the Dolomites where I've already arranged for bike rentals and lodging.

We're thinking that over our 3-4 days, we'll stay in the city proper and visit Florence for an all day art exploration. That means we can get in two days of exploring by bike. I imagine 40-70 mile rides will be a great way to explore that part of Tuscany. The Eroica routes seem to provide some options.

Any insights on this front? Either riding or renting options.

This sounds like a great trip! Please give an update when you return!

[ldamelio]

Uno 'n' per favore.

SIENA

[Mr. Pink]

Where are you renting bikes in the Dolomites?

[Look585]

It has been a few years, but I have rented bikes from D. F. Bike on the south side of Siena. Hours were a bit irregular so pickup and return were challenging but the bikes were nice.

Just off the ring road outside of the city walls in a strip mall. Parking was easy.

Www.dfbike.it/en/bike-rental/

[Mr. Pink]

If you want to experience the L'Eroica course, or just steep roads in Chianti, this place looks good, because they are in the town where the Eroica starts and ends. https://www.tuscanybicycle.com/ That's maybe a half hour or a little more drive north from Siena.

Just know that Siena is a hill town, so, getting back home is a long climb. And it's not as quaint and country as you might imagine. I spent a month based there in '19 with a car to tour Tuscany and Umbria, and the traffic is pretty thick around rush hours.

[Gphin]

Just caught this thread, I'll be in Florence for 5 days in June and can't pass up the chance to go for a ride! I would prefer to hit up some gravel but really any ride will do. Could anyone recommend a tour company? Thanks all

[litcrazy]

Thanks for some options. I've corrected my late night mispelling.

In the Dolomites, we'll stay at Ustaria Posta and get bikes through the Holimites arrangement. I'm rather excited. That was the first reservation we made, and we're working backwards from there.

Mr. Pink, is riding out of Siena doable if we avoid rush hour? We're hoping to avoid renting a car and make Siena work as a base for those few days.

We're coming from Albuquerque, so we're used to city riding, but also know that some roads just aren't worth it.

[Mr. Pink]

We didn't do any biking, which might make some gag here. It was mid November to mid December, rained a ton, and the intent was a lot of sightseeing, not biking. But, we did see a lot of Tuscany and some Umbria. Siena would not be my first choice for a biking base. It's a busy town on a hill, so, you'd be battling crazy Italian drivers on steep hills for most of your ride. Florence would be much worse. But, yeah, if you don't have a car, those two towns are accessible by train and bus pretty easily, especially from Rome. But, you really need a car to appreciate Tuscany. Its farm country.
I would suggest renting a decent sized vehicle in Rome, carry a foldable bike rack with you in your luggage, and then drive and base yourself outside of busy urban places for the riding, like Gaiole in Chianti that I mentioned above, or Montalcino, Pienza, and Montepulciano south of Siena, all of which give you access to the amazing Val d'Orcia roads. We spent two nights at La Foce https://www.lafoce.com/en which would be an amazing base for a few days of biking, especially the climb to the top of Mt. Amiata. But, its country, so, you won't be getting the culture of Siena out there. In my opinion, it's pretty hard to combine the two. And Siena has a lot to offer just walking around for a day or two. The Duomo is the most spectacular I've experienced in Italy.

Good luck. If I was rich, I'd just sign up for a private Trek tour and have at it, but, alas, I'm not. That's the way to go.

[Onno]

My wife and I did a bike tour with Vermont Bike Tours in Tuscany about 8 years ago, and we spent two nights in Siena, biking into it from the north, doing a day ride out into forests about 20 miles away, and back again (fantastic ride!), and then biking out again on the third day. We were led by guides into and out of the city, but I didn't find that riding especially stressful, and on the second day my wife and I rode back in on our own--again not terribly stressful. And this was without GPS head units, just reading printed out instructions.

[Mr. Pink]

Ok, but, did you actually see Siena?

[NoMoreParagon]

You going to have a blast. Rode around siena several times. It is just paradise for gravel. Quite challenging as the climbs, despite being short, can be quite punchy.
Your safest bet is to rent from Rolling Dreamers in Florence. Actually the ride from Florence to Siena is one of my all time fav.
Once in Siena you have several options, among which is to drive to Buonconvento and ride the Nova Eroica route by yourself.
My only warning is that especially close to Asciano it is likely you will face encounters with the sheepdogs. My advice is get off your bike, don't try to outpace them, and stay calm and walk away from their area.

Road cycling is also v good. Particularly in Florence you have several rides within few km from Florence which are great.
Traffic is kinda bad as you get closer to urban centers, but gets much much thinner as soon as you leave towns.

Originally Posted by litcrazy

Does anyone have recent experience renting bikes in Siena?

My family of four riders (the kids are 18 & 20) will be spending a few days in Siena in late May.
We'll be coming from Rome and then going to the Dolomites where I've already arranged for bike rentals and lodging.

We're thinking that over our 3-4 days, we'll stay in the city proper and visit Florence for an all day art exploration. That means we can get in two days of exploring by bike. I imagine 40-70 mile rides will be a great way to explore that part of Tuscany. The Eroica routes seem to provide some options.

Any insights on this front? Either riding or renting options.

[litcrazy]

Would Florence be a better hub than Siena then? I’m open to either with an eye to combining biking and more traditional tourism.
Everyone in my family enjoys museums and churches more when combined with a 3-4 hour ride… I imagine others here can relate.
How do bikes and trains mix in Florence? Can you take the train with bikes to the starting point of rides?

[ERK55]

Haven’t been to Florence in many years. However - Florence is a reasonably big city with enough traffic. It may be OK once you get out of town, but I think Siena would be far preferable as a hub for cycling.