Lake Garda cycling - any rental recommendations?

jon1981

Hi,

I'm going to lake garda for a few days and want to do some cycling. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for a decent road bike rental and perhaps route suggestions?

cheers
J

Trekker09

jon1981 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm going to lake garda for a few days and want to do some cycling. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for a decent road bike rental and perhaps route suggestions?

cheers
J

There's a great bike shop in Sirmione that I'm sure does bike hire.

mr spuckler

i didn't have time to cycle there (despite having my bike in the car ) as was only there for a couple of days for a wedding but stayed in Garda town and the hills rise pretty sharply from right beside it

dastardly00

jon1981 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm going to lake garda for a few days and want to do some cycling. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for a decent road bike rental and perhaps route suggestions?

cheers
J

Probably best to specify what town you are staying in so people can suggest useful places... For example, Riva is quite a bit away from Sirmione

Kodos

If you are anywhere near Salo, on the south west of the lake, then I recommend www.MataShop.it. The road bike I hired seemed to be one of their second-hand bikes, a Colnago with Dura-Ace Di2 and C24 wheelset! I emailed them a month or so in advance, gave them the size I wanted, and the bike was ready to pick up on the day. The shop is worth a look, they sell some high-end road and MTBs, and have their own brand framesets too.

The road around the lake is really busy in July/August, so get off it as soon as you can, just turn up into the hills!

el tel

I've bought stuff from this place when I was in Riva  https://www.pederzolli.it/

They rent bikes, as do a couple of others in the town.

Wishbone Ash

Kodos wrote: »

...The road around the lake is really busy in July/August, so get off it as soon as you can, just turn up into the hills!

+1 - excessively busy and narrow with constant close passing.

If you're heading to the mountains, bring lights. There are many long unlit tunnels.

jon1981

Thanks for the feedback, we are staying south end of the lakes, we will have a car so I don't mind driving to a good rental place if the bikes are good.

However I'm starting to rethink this, as I'd also heard from other sources that cycling isn't great, mainly due to poor motorists and roads. Any thoughts from people who have been there, I'll be cycling alone, is this too much of a risk?

J

dastardly00

jon1981 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, we are staying south end of the lakes, we will have a car so I don't mind driving to a good rental place if the bikes are good.

However I'm starting to rethink this, as I'd also heard from other sources that cycling isn't great, mainly due to poor motorists and roads. Any thoughts from people who have been there, I'll be cycling alone, is this too much of a risk?

J

I stayed in Peschiera for two weeks but it was during early September so the roads would have been less busy. And I only did a very small amount of cycling around Peschiera, Sirmione, and Garda. If it was me, I wouldn't let the motorists/busy roads put you off cycling. I think with some good route planning, you could avoid a lot of potential hassle.

midonogh

I stayed in Peschiera in August. Sure the road around the lake is busy, but once you get away from it the cycling is fantastic.

I had two routes: Peschiera - Castle Nouvo - Palazzo- Pescantina to a beautiful valley at Mazzurega, complete with lengthy switch back climbing. I used map to find quiet back roads to Pescantina as the main road is very busy. Thereafter the roads were all fine
https://www.strava.com/activities/687219614


Second route followed the lake to Torre del Benaco and then it was switchbacks and beautiful gradual climbing to Prada. I went early to avoid peak traffic on the lake road to Torre del Benaco. Traffic was heavier on the way back, but nothing too bad.
https://www.strava.com/activities/687219730

You will kick yourself if you go there and do not take advantage of the cycling

jon1981

Thanks for those routes, that helps figure out what cycling i'm going to do

Where did you rent your bike or did you bring your own?

midonogh

jon1981 wrote: »

Thanks for those routes, that helps figure out what cycling i'm going to do

Where did you rent your bike or did you bring your own?

I brought my own bike on Ryanair. Think it cost €70. I have team mates who have rented very good bikes from a place in Sirimone. There was a previous thread on Boards on this

on_the_nickel

I was there in 2013 and rented from the place in Sirmione. No complaints at all (except I forgot to take my bloody pedals off when I left it back!).

There's a nice HC climb not far from there, quiet roads once you get away from the lake. (No tunnel either if memory serves) https://www.strava.com/segments/4328108

Roger Hassenforder

jon1981 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, we are staying south end of the lakes, we will have a car so I don't mind driving to a good rental place if the bikes are good.

However I'm starting to rethink this, as I'd also heard from other sources that cycling isn't great, mainly due to poor motorists and roads. Any thoughts from people who have been there, I'll be cycling alone, is this too much of a risk?

J

If it's mountain biking you're after Malcesine is a good spot. Cable car up into the mountains. Beautiful
Wouldn't cycle around the roads, it's pretty unnerving

Lusk_Doyle

There is a bicyle hotel is Peschiera. I rented a bike from them. I'll get the name for you shortly.

Lusk_Doyle

www.gardabikehotel.com

Redfence74

High Road bike shop it's outside pesheria near the Bella Italia campsite...

Redfence74

As for cycling you will kick yourself if you don't...it's brilliant

Lusk_Doyle

If you go along the right hand side of the lake from Peschiera as far as Brenzone and then turn inland there is a nice (hard) climb with loads of switch backs. A bit further up the road along the side of the lake gives access to the climb up mount Baldo which was tackled in the Giro in previous years. No tunnels along this part of the lake.

Welshkev

Would anyone have any recommendations for rental places around Peschiera del Garda / Verona (i.e. South side of the lake)?

Lusk_Doyle

Welshkev wrote: »

Would anyone have any recommendations for rental places around Peschiera del Garda / Verona (i.e. South side of the lake)?

See above for gardabikehotel. It's right there in Peschiera and very good to correspond with by email and in person in English.

jon1981

Thanks for all the recommendations folks, hired a bike for 3 days around North Lake Garda, scenery (and climbing) was jaw dropping! I totally would have regretted had I not done it.

I was tempted to do a full lap of the lakes but was a little nervous due to the traffic, bendy roads and very long dark tunnels around the lakes, while I noticed on Strava some cyclists each day did the full lap, though they did start before 6am when it's less busy, I wasn't brave enough. Highly recommended as a location to go cycling.

Also had no problem renting a decent road bike, a lot of the mountain bike rental places tend to stock some, they just don't advertise it very well.

Welshkev

Just back from Lake Garda. Rented a bike from Garda Bike Hotel - highly recommended. €40 per day (for a Pinarello which was set up for me when picking it up).

Rode up and around Monte Baldo. Found it tough, but a great, scenic spin all the same. Strava route is below. It seems most do it the other way around to my route, so probably worth bearing in mind.
https://www.strava.com/routes/10407735

If anyone's after routes, I took a photo of some the hotel had up on the wall of their garage / workshop. See attached, which I'm sure some will find useful.

Lusk_Doyle

Do they still have the cool bike painting in the lobby?

Lusk_Doyle

This one. Lovely bike art.

De Bhál

****resurrecting old thread alert****


I'm off to Lake Garda - I've never rented a bike on holidays before so a quick question

Do you bring your own pedals or will they give you the pedals to suit your cleats?

TheBlaaMan

De Bhál wrote: »

****resurrecting old thread alert****


I'm off to Lake Garda - I've never rented a bike on holidays before so a quick question

Do you bring your own pedals or will they give you the pedals to suit your cleats?

Bring your own, and a spanner to remove before you leave back (you might be rushed and forget to remove them) but airline security can be a bit funny about carrying spanners in the cabin luggage......:cool:

jon1981

This was my thread

I brought my pedals and they fit them and then removed them for me when i left it back.

I used bike xtreme in Malcesine

dastardly00

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Bring your own, and a spanner to remove before you leave back (you might be rushed and forget to remove them) but airline security can be a bit funny about carrying spanners in the cabin luggage......:cool:

Yeah I got asked a few questions in DUB T2 security when I had one pedal spanner. Security worker had to ask supervisor whether I was allowed bring it with me in cabin luggage.

Plastik

Few years on, but any updates from recent road bike rental places?

Will be staying in Limone on the NW of the lake. Pity to see on previous thread that doing a lap of the lake is a bit of PIA with many unlit tunnels, are things any better now a few years later?

daragh_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119041706#Comment_119041706

Talk to Matteo Cigala? That's his neck of the woods I believe.

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119041706#Comment_119041706

All I can offer is that I was there in 2019 (in the "before" times), staying near Maderno on the Western side. Saw very few cyclists on the main roads on weekdays and much higher levels of traffic than a decade previously. The lack of lighting in the tunnels is only incidental to issues with lapping the lake. Mixing with fast cars, power-rangers on motorbikes and general tourist traffic took the gloss off riding in the area for me.

The higher roads, up above the lake towards Lago d'Idro or Passo d'Ampola, weren't too bad.

Only drove through Limone but Riva itself has become very overcrowded in the past few years.