Words and images by Sara Ischia
With a bike, you grow up!
We all remember our first bike, almost certainly a second-hand one, maybe some cousin’s, I remember mine to be red and a bit rusty, with wheels. The bike is and will always be present in our lives, it accompanies us in our growth and I’m not just talking about height, it follows our progress and our changes. Without realizing it, we have learned a lot from it, for example that from above we have a better view and that after the climb there is the descent. Since we were very young, we had to deal with effort, we learned to know ourselves better, our strength, mind and ability to adapt. However, cycling is not just effort; it is speed, it is running downhill with the wind in your face, it is happiness. It’s about going out wearing short sleeves and trying to reach the snow, finding other temperatures, other vegetation, another climate, another silence. The longer the journey, the more differences we will encounter, other languages, cultures, architectures and landscapes.
I use a bike that bears the name of a tree, and I cross cities, towns, and forests with it, I reach the tops of mountains and run along the banks. To do this and travel safely, I have chosen durable Pirelli Cinturato tires, which are smooth and safe on all types of terrain, whether dry or wet, with a high level of protection against punctures. I cycle and when I am tired or the roads become too steep, I push, sometimes it happens that I load it on trains and ferries, for me this is travelling by bike as well!
The wonderful thing is to realize that this object, which has always been with us and was a simple toy when we were children, when seen through the eyes of an adult, becomes a real vehicle that takes us everywhere, whether it’s an appointment in the city or an outing in the woods. It’s our first real means of transport to escape from everyday life and travel, reach the sea, an alpine pass or any other destination; so, buy it, give it as a gift and start cycling! Because on a bike, you travel at the right speed, you learn about history, geography, borders, names of rivers, you discover new places and make meetings that enrich your life. We observe landscapes, old towns, we listen and learn to recognize the cries of animals, the scents, the smells of plants and flowers that grow wild along the paths we travel, so traveling by bike becomes a sensory explosion.
You can start with an idea of a route and change it on the way because of bad weather or some unforeseen event, you can follow tracks studied by professionals or participate in organized events; they are all ways to travel intensely to really know a territory. The Tuscany Trail is just that: it’s about discovering Tuscany in its best season, spring, in a region rich in charm and culture with unique landscapes. Cycling from the mountains to the sea, crossing cities rich in history, palaces, gardens and parks, traveling loaded with bags but remaining light, with no thoughts, aware that traveling by bike is not only good for your body but also for your mood.
When you leave, the only sure things are the point of departure and the point of arrival, everything in between is a surprise that is called Adventure! That’s why when we ride our bike, that we have chosen and customized, every trip becomes extraordinary!
