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You deserve a European Cycling Vacation
By: Maynard Hershon, 2000

Let's say your road bike is three years old. Ancient. It's 8-speed, there's

no Flight Deck and its frame is not made of the latest, most hyped

material, whatever that is at the moment you read this.

You may, poor puppy, still be riding wheels built up from rims and stainless

steel spokes. Nineties stuff. A new bike would be fun. You work hard.

You can afford it. Why deny yourself?

Here's my take on why you should wait a year.

For new-bike money, you can fly to Europe with your present bike and go for

rides there. Cycling in Europe is fun, but it's more than fun. When

they SAY Travel Broadens, they mean riding your bike in Europe.

If you haven't been to Europe with your bike, please do not imagine that

riding over THERE is just like riding HERE except for the food and

languages. It's not like riding near your home or my home at all.

I'm going to focus on Italy, 'cause that's what I know best and love best.

I'm not going to talk about the food, the best food anywhere. You probably

know more about that than I do.

And I don't think I need to dwell on how nice Italian people are, how

helpful, how empathetic, how gracious they are. Or how beautiful their

country is. Not news, is it? You can read about all that in the travel

section of your paper.

The travel section won't tell you how you'll FEEL as an American cyclist in

Italy. I'm an American cyclist. I've been to Italy. I'll try to give you

an idea.

You're climbing some endless pass in the north of Italy. As you pedal

through a tiny village, narrow main street, tiny shops, one café, a

black-shawled old woman cheers as you ride by. Forza, strength, she says.

As you ride, you see names and words painted on the road. You read about

this road in bike magazines. This climb has strung out Giro d'Italia fields

year after year. You're pedaling on hallowed ground. Back home, you'd have

to be driving around the track at Indy to equal this.

You're riding down the shoulder of a busy two-lane secondary road between

Milan and Lake Como. Kilometers roll under your wheels. It dawns on you

that none of the cars and trucks zipping by will hit you. Nor will they

skim by and scare you.

You realize that in Italy you're welcome on the road. Tension eases between

your shoulder blades. For the first time in your road-riding life, maybe,

you feel safe.

Check out this website. I unhesitatingly recommend Larry and Heather's

work, having had great trips with them in Italy. As many times as they've

done this tour-guiding routine (for other outfits and now on their own) they

have always shared their clients' joy, always been part of the group.

I'm in email contact with them year 'round. It's no pose They've never

gotten over the wonder of cycling in Italy. Nor have I and neither, I'm

betting, will you.