The combination of natural beauty, cultural heritage, delightful cuisine, and cycling-friendly infrastructure make Tuscany a fantastic destination for cyclists of all levels, offering a truly memorable and enriching experience.
Thanks ChatGPT we could not have said it better ourselves!!
In this blog we give an insight into how we plan our trips and leave as little as possible to chance.
It is always exciting to add new destinations to our travelling portfolio. This year we visited the beautiful Murcia which we loved and where the cycling far exceeded all our expectations. We are now building up to our next recon trip and we could not be more excited...........We are off to Tuscany!
Planning makes perfect
Every trip we deliver is laced with a heady mix of excitement, nervous energy and eustress. The analogy of a swan gliding serenely on the water is what we try and present, but rest assured that beneath the water/out of sight we are paddling furiously.
As we have delivered more group trips we have begun to better understand what processes allow us to deliver the best experience for our guests and staff. Without doubt, the single most important element of our planning is the reconnaissance trip. Spending just a few days in destination allows us to meet local providers, familiarise ourselves with the surroundings, finalise routes and of course fill out the all important risk assessments.
These trips are also great fun and a really enjoyable part of our work. However, we are always conscious that they must be fun, but not a jolly and that in an ideal world they do not cost an arm and a leg.
Before we go
Thus far, we have scoured Google maps, Google street view, Strava maps, Komoot and Garmin Connect to plan routes and logistics. We have read (with an open mind) lots of trip advisor reviews about accommodation and off bike fun. Lastly, we consult ChatGPT to find out more about the local area and wider region. Whilst we claim to be experts in nothing......it is nice to learn more about where we are going, it's culture and history.
When on recon
The plan when in destination is very simple - do not waste a minute!
The priority is to cover as much of the roads the groups will ride as possible. For this trip this is likely to be 50% in the car and 50% on the bicycle. This allows us to identify high risk moments and moments to enjoy, furthermore it gives us a good idea of where we can advise groups to stop. Urban areas always provide us with the greatest headache and next week we will be considering how best to drive and cycle into Siena and San Gimignano - towns that are often very busy with tourists.
Post recon
We generally come back from these trips incredibly excited about the destination. We have a feeling Tuscany may be our most incredible yet. So expect to see and hear about it a lot.
It is also at this point we put together the road book for the group - whilst our memories are fresh and excitement at fever pitch. Thereafter, it is a case of check logistics and arrangements, check them again and do another check. Then hopefully as we sit in the departure lounge on our way to the trip itself, we can relax with a good book ready to facilitate fun and enjoy being in a beautiful place doing a job we love.
Grazie per aver letto
Sam
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