Bike+Villa FAQ ♦
Self-Guided Tour FAQ
Questions about Bicycle Rentals
Can you deliver the bikes to Hotel XYZ in Tuscany (Umbria, Provence, etc.)?
What will a good racing or hybrid bike cost for the week?
Where do I find out about cancellation, contracts and delivery terms and conditions?
Do you have bicycles for children?
Would it be possible to fit a rack to the back, I have my own panniers?
Can you give me some suggestions about great bike rides--where to ride my bike?
Do your bikes have toe clips, SPD pedals? Can I use clipless shoes?
Can I pick a bike up in Florence and drop it off in Venice?
Do I have to bring my own tools, pump, tire irons, and spare tube?
What accessories do you provide with the bicycle (i.e. panniers, rear bags, mapholders etc)?
Do you provide helmets?
Who is responsible for the bikes if they are damaged or stolen?
Do you offer insurance?
Where can I find more information about your road bikes?
What maps do you recommend for bicycle touring?
Q. Can you deliver the bikes to Hotel XYZ in Tuscany (Umbria, Provence, etc.)?
We can normally deliver to your hotel, rental villa, airport, or train station throughout much of France, Italy and elsewhere for a delivery fee, which will vary depending on the number of bicycles and length you are renting. Just let us know where you’d like the bikes with your initial inquiry. Also, we will ask detailed information about the location as we want to make sure it is easily accessible by van (a 20% grade up a gravel driveway up a beautiful Tuscan mountain sometimes is hard to navigate with a van full of bicycles!) You can save money on delivery by picking bikes up yourself from our various rental locations. Keep this in mind as you make your travel arrangements.
Q, What will a quality road bike or hybrid bike cost me for a week?
A week-long rental is generally 175 euros, not including delivery. For full details visit
this page. Pricing information for self-guided tours is near the bottom of each tour's detail page; for example, scroll to the bottom of
this page.
Q. Do you have bicycles or accessories (bike seats, trailers) for children?.
Yes, we normally can fit children taller than 4’10” (1m, 47 cm). For smaller children we can offer “Tag-alongs.” Some of our agents have children’s bikes, children’s bike seats (for babies) and trailers for children. See our
other services page for details and pricing.
Q. Would it be possible to fit a rack to the back, I have my own panniers?.
Yes, most of our bikes have rear racks suitable for panniers.
Q. Can you give me some suggestions about great bike rides--where to ride my bike?
That's what we do. Look at our
Other Services page. It explains our route-finding services that you can purchase with your bike rental or your villa+bikes.
Q. Do your bikes have toe clips, SPD Pedals? Can I use clipless shoes?
Q. We provide "
flat" pedals or pedals with "toe clips" (which are actually toe cages or "baskets"). If you prefer "clipless" Shimano, SPD, Look, or similar clip-in pedals that require special shoes, then you should
bring both your shoes and your pedals. If we personally deliver the bikes and give a bike fitting we will help put the pedals on.
Q. Can I pick a bike up in Florence and drop it off in Venice?
One-way rentals are certainly possible, though you will likely incur delivery and pick fees.
Q. Do I have to bring my own tools, pump, tire irons, and spare tube?
Nope, we provide all of that and a cyclometer (this latter on most of our rentals, not all). We provide water bottle cages on all bikes, but not a water bottle.
Q. What accessories do you provide with the bicycle (i.e. panniers, rear bags, mapholders etc)?
In most locations we have a variety of accessories available such as panniers, rear bags and map holders. See our
other services page for details and pricing.
Q. Do you provide helmets?
Yes we can, although we suggest that you bring your own for safety's sake and for a good fit.
Q. Who is responsible for the bikes if they are damaged or stolen?
You are, and you sign for that on the contract when the bikes are delivered to you. You also need to tell us right away if the bike is damaged. Insurance is available for select rentals (
click here for more info).
Q. Do you offer insurance?
You are responsible for the bikes you rent as you would be with any vehicle you rent. You should let us know immediately if the bike is damaged or stolen. In both cases you are responsible (even in the case of a stolen bike that was locked at the time) for the wholesale price of the bike (usually between €500 to €700 depending on the model). For select rental locations you have the option of buying insurance at a cost of 10 euros per bike (
click here for more info).
Q. Where can I find more information about your road bikes?
We have a few different kinds of road bikes available depending on location and your preference. See the
Our Bikes page for details.
Q. What maps do you recommend for bicycle touring?
See our blog post on planning bicycle routs and
maps for bicycle routes for suggestions on maps in a variety of European countries.
