Bike Hire Sicily (Taormina)

Lance Vance

I'm hoping to hire a road bike in Sicily for 2 days next month. I would like to cycle some of the climbs around Mount Etna. Has anyone any experience or recommendations for bike hire? I'll be staying in Taormina.
I have found two bike hire companies online:

Rent Bike http://www.rentbike.it/en/bikes.html
Veloce Bike Rental http://www.rentalbikeitaly.com/2012/01/choose-your-destination-in-sicily.html

hammerheadjack

Hi Lance vance.
Half of your name put me off replying, but im a big fan of Foy Vance and so because you are heading to a part of the world that I know quite well and like very much I said I'd help you out. Sicily has some great cycling around etna. I have family living around there and travel there regularly. I have rented bikes from the rentbike.it guy a few times and their stock of bikes has improved a lot over the years, decent alu frames with ultegra mechs. The cycling setup catering for tourists is in its infancy so if you are expecting something akin to Mallorca cycling wise it is not as developed. The road surfaces are in general as good though because Sicily has invested in roads, but there may be no chilled cans of coke waiting at the top of the climbs, so when out for the day you may find yourself in an area where they have fecked off to bed just when you are hungry and dying of thirst so you will need to bring all with you just in case you dont hit a spot where they are open. Time of year to cycle there is April May june time. August is unbearable with temps of 40+. We are usually based around francavilla which is in the next valley north of ETNA. Its a good location being about 20 minutes inland (by car) from the tourist traps of Taormina and Gardini Naxos. if you are based around taormina head for francavilla di sicillia on the bike then castiglione di sicilla (twinned with killarney...I **** you not). From the coast at Gardini you have been climbing all the time on good roads. From castiglione head for Linguaglossa which is the northern gateway to etna. from there you have 17km of unparalled climbing starting from vineyards then through forest and finally opening out onto a lunar landscape at 2000M+. chapeaus all round and on to some great decents. There are loads of routes you can take, so my advice would be to take the one I suggested first and after that you will have a feel for the scale of things and can head off exploring. Sunday is the day when most clubs head off so you should meet groups to tag onto.. they go early though. When dealing with the bike hire guy his English is not great, so it helps if you do things with emails and cut and paste in bablefish or something, then call him. You will enjoy it. Sicilly can be an assaualt on the senses away from the tourist traps, but its a great spot and I highly recommend it.

Lance Vance

Hi Hammerheadjack.

Thanks so much for such an informative reply. I should create a new username if I'm going to post in the cycling forum . I love Sicily, I have been there a few times but have never cycled there. Thanks for the route suggestions, I have visited those towns and would love to cycle in the area.

ford2600

Brother lives there just south of Etna, can't help with bike hire.
Can't wait to climb this, amongst other routes, in September
http://app.strava.com/segments/855732