Tuscany and Umbria on E-Bikes

To be on an E-Bike is to experience the joys of cycling while having control over the amount of effort you put into it. 

Last year, at a high elevation and on a steep uphill road, the E-bike I was using required very little from me. I could have adjusted the settings to get a better workout, but I didn’t want to push it. I simply wanted to enjoy riding a bike in a beautiful environment with the least amount of effort. Was I being lazy? A bit. Did I want to save my energy for later? Perhaps. Was I accommodating my age without compromising my mode of transportation? You bet I was!

I recently spent some time on Inspired Italy’s website. The company (an advertiser) conducts Ski Safaris in the Dolomites and E-Bike Safaris in Italy’s Umbria and Tuscany regions. Many of its patrons are skiers accompanied by spouses and other family members.

The E-Bike trips – for groups, couples, families, individuals — are available with or without guides and range in cost from under $1000 to $3,600, meals included in the guided versions. Every trip – guided or not – includes daily luggage transfers.

Two of Italy’s most beautiful regions, Umbria and Tuscany are known for rolling hills, vineyards, medieval hilltowns, and fantastic food. 

The tours follow less-travelled country roads, stopping and staying at boutique wineries and charming hotels that once were summer palaces or country estates. Many feature patios and pools with distant views of the ancient landscape. Inspired Italy’s Tuscany and Umbria tours begin and end at Villa di Piazzano, a restored Sixteenth Century hunting lodge, now owned and operated by a retired Australian diplomat.

Depending on the itinerary, tours visit towns and villages with exceptional historic sites. Some – Cortona, Perugia, Assisi – are well-known. Others, including Roman and Etruscan excavation sites, less so. But all of it is scenic and interesting.

Spring tours cross endless fields of wildflowers. In the Fall, wine harvest visits to small vineyards are especially rewarding. 

Actual road time ranges from 1½ to 3 hours per day. The E-bikes are comfortable to ride, with gel seats on shock-absorbing posts. No click-in cycling shoes. If you want a workout, you push the correct button. If you choose not to tax yourself, push a different button. 

Each guided group has no more than eight riders, and tours are available from three to ten nights.

If you’re looking for a mud season adventure that won’t tire your body or break your bank, this is an extremely attractive option to sitting on a deck chair or in a golf cart. Ditto, if you’re contemplating an exotic but accessible pre-season jaunt.