Pisa to Sicily 2025
Contents


Last year's autumn ride in Portugal was spoiled by disappointing weather. When I heard that this Italian trip was going to take place I signed up. It was classified as challenging and there appear to be some days when distance and climbing fall into that category. The weather, particularly the temperature, could provide an extra challenge. My friend Richard agreed to join me and share a room as we had previously done on the Rhine and Portugal trips.
Preparations and Getting to the Start
The bike being used for this trip is my Spa Cycles Aubisque which I had used on two of the 2024 trips plus my 2025 LEJOG. Well, almost the same as I'm a perpetual tinkerer. So the 650b wheels were replaced by 700c and the mudguards were changed to fit the latter. Most important, however, was that the leather saddle which caused me severe discomfort on the LEJOG (due, I suspect to getting soaked in Ireland in 2024) was replaced. After many miles of testing I opted for a Selle Anatomica NSX2 saddle which was almost new.
As on previous trips, the bike went to Bike Adventures in a box to be taken to the start on their van. The target arrival time in Pisa was the afternoon of Saturday 6th September and, after due research I concluded that the most convenient flight option would be the afternoon EasyJet flight from Gatwick which, however, was only on weekdays and not Saturdays, so I booked the Friday flight. Trains and plane ran to schedule and I reached Pisa late afternoon and checked in at the hotel.
I spent Saturday morning first looking at the famous historic buildings and then visiting the Botanic Gardens before returning to the hotel ready to be reunited with my bike. My bike reassembly was uneventful with nothing lost or damaged in transit.






Day 1: Pisa to San Vincenzo
Day 1 (7th September) Summary
Distance 65.7 miles: Total Ascent = 968 m (3,175 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 59 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 37 mins
Average moving speed = 11.7 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




I was going to be a moderately long day with a hilly section in the middle. I have a strong memory of the discomfort of cycling up the hill to Davos on a hot and humid afternoon on day 12 of the Venice trip. Consequently I was planning on a fairly early start may be prudent to accumulate as many miles as possible and try to get up the hill (top elevation 400m) before the weather got uncomfortably hot. I had identifed a potential refreshment stop in the town at the top of the hill.
Breakfast was available from 7am and we started from the hotel at about 08:20. Breakfast was fine except that there was no sign of any tea. Sunday morning Pisa streets were fairly free of vehicles and runners and cyclists fairly numerous. I made a brief stop to photograph a section of the old city wall in which there was what appeared to be a new archway. There were then two further brief stops to make minor adjustments to my saddle orientation before we progressed from Pisa onto fairly quiet roads. One interesting feature we encountered some miles south of Pisa was a very long and low building. My best guess was that it was a cover over a conveyor belt. Subsequent research revealed that it was part of the European gravity wave detector.
The first two hours were at a comfortable temperature but the day gradually warmed up, particularly in the strong sunshine. Shaded areas, which included parts of the main climb, were noticeably cooler. We reached the pre-identified refreshment stop in the village at the top of the climb a few minutes after 12 noon.
There were some good views at a few points on higher ground but we then had a long and pleasant descent down to the coastal lowlands. This was followed by nearly 20 miles of almost flat cycling along an almost straight road into a moderate SW breeze. Numerous miles cycling in the same position with constant effort become somewhat tedious and my body began to ache. The only consolation was that trees along the road provided shelter from the breeze. I kept looking for opportunities to stop and give my body a break. One stop was at a fruit stall where we bought some pears which I stowed in my bike bags but I saw nothing which merited a photo stop.
The Hotel il Delfino was next to the sea and, unusually, the balcony had a clothes airer which was useful for drying washed clothing. The room, however, had the major hazard of water dripping from the air conditioner. Spare towels were used to try to control the puddle on the floor. The problem was evidently not new as the floor tiles were starting to lift. Dinner was at a very busy pizzaria.









Day 2: San Vicenzo to Magliano
Day 2 (8th September) Summary
Distance 62.5 miles: Total Ascent = 798 m (2,620 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 28 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 22 mins
Average moving speed = 11.7 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




This is slightly shorter and less hilly than the first day but likely to take longer without fresh legs. Although breakfast was served from 7am we were slow in getting ready and didn't start cycling until just after 8:30. The first 20 miles were fairly level and good progress was made. One section of road was signed as bicycles only with the surface quaity the worst we had encountered so far. The first stop was at a bakery at about 31 miles after two smaller hills and we bought supplies for a picnic stop to be made further on.
Between 38 and 43 miles we used the cycling equivalent of a motorway - smooth and generously wide (wider than many British roads). This passed to the south of a military airbase where the peace was periodically interrupted by small and noisy jet planes. We then passed through the corner of the large town of Grosetto where I spotted a bench in a park to use for the lunch stop. Soon after lunch the route started to climb to an altitude of almost 200m. Fortunately, some high cloud eased the heat. The hilly section provided a welcome change of scenery and, for the first time on the trip, we saw some sheep.
After the hilly area the route dropped to about 40m before we had to climb again to the Borgo Magliano Garden Resort which was in the hills close to Magliano. The access road to the resort contained the steeped hill of the trip - bottom gear was needed. The hotel was a sprawling place and our room was a bit cave-like. There was a short heavy shower late afternoon which caused a dash to rescue drying clothes. Dinner was a buffet costing €29 per person, but I refilled my plate numerous times.











Day 3: Magliano to Tarquinia
Day 3 (9th September) Summary
Distance 58.0 miles: Total Ascent = 1,134 m (3,720 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 4 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 9 mins
Average moving speed = 11.3 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




This day was slightly shorter but also slightly more hilly than the first two days and the result was a slower average speed. There was a hill at almost 400m at 20 miles. Some cloud helped to moderate the heat from the sun.
Breakfast was available from 7am (there was a good view of Magliano in the early morning sunshine) and we were on our bikes just before 8:30. After a few miles I stopped to photograph an unusual concrete bridge. Having the arches in concrete was sensible , but concrete hangers in tension was not a normal design choice (I had seen similar bridges in Eritrea which had been built by the Italians). I had identified a bakery in Manciano (at the top of the climb) where we could get some supplies for consumption later on where there were few on-route refreshment options.
There was then about 20 miles of the route undulating but gradually dropping but progress was hampered by a noticeable southerly breeze with many sections having no trees to provide shelter. One feature which I photographed for subsequent research was a big red building (it proved to be part of an abandoned mine). Richard spotted a fine stone arch bridge which I had overlooked and had to do a U-turn to get a photograph (from what was also a fine modern concrete bridge which vegetation made impossible to photograph).
Soon after that we stopped in a gateway for our lunch then not long after that there was a ruined aqueduct on the right side of the road. Eventually the town of Tarquinia came into sight and we found the Hotel Villa Tirreno. Our room had a generous balcony which was used for bike storage (and an annoying air conditioner which would turn offf each time the door to the balcony was opened). We had been asked to pre-order our dinner at the hotel. I didn't like the look of the menu and Richard had found there was a nearby pizzaria. In early evening we walked up the hill to see the old city wall and then had a pizza.
There was much discussion among the group about the weather forecast for the next day, which showed a high probability of thundery showers and triggered a visit to the railway station for investigation of travel alternatives for the next day,
















Day 4: Tarquinia to Lido di Ostia
Day 4 (10th September) Summary
Distance 77.7 miles: Total Ascent = 1,370 m (4,500 ft)*
Elapsed time =8 hrs 27 mins: Moving time = 7 hrs 12 mins
Average moving speed = 10.8 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




At about 77 miles this was the longest day on the trip with more hill climbing than the previous 3 days. This is as near as we get to Rome. The weather forecast anticipated thundery showers which encouraged four of the group to travel by train. In reality the weather was damp at the start after an overnight thunderstorm, then dry for several hours until a downpour at about 1:30pm which faded to light rain until another downpour at 3pm. A consequence of the unsettled weather was much cooler temperatures not exceeding 25C. A weather map for Italy showed 24 hour cumulative rainfall up to 6pm between 50 and 100mm.
Breakfast was available from 7am and we were cycling soon after 8am in damp weather. The day included two significant hills. The summit of the first was about 525m at 20 miles and the second was 325m at about 35 miles. Consistent with my policy of trying to get through the most challenging part of the day before a proper refreshment stop I had identified a bakery in Manciano at the top of the second hill. I started the day in my waterproof jacket and overshorts but took them off after an hour as the weather had dried and the route started to climb. We had passed near the main port for the Rome area which had a power station, imported vehicles and docked cruise liners.
The route in the hills provided a variety of scenery including a massive quarry. After the refreshment stop we embarked on a long and undulating descent where progress was hampered by a noticeable headwind. We could see an ominous black cloud ahead but, at about 1:30pm, were surprised by heavy rain coming from our right side which triggered a dash for the shelter of a tree. We continued after putting on waterproofs and the rain moderated. I was getting a bit warm when we reached the coastal area and removed my waterproofs. However, at about 3pm we were surprised by another dose of pressure-washing and, in the absence of any shelter, opted to continue. Richard was still wearing his jacket while I had a waterproof gilet. The latter was clearly not designed for this type of rain and, while my shorts had a water-repellant treatment, it became ineffective within a few seconds. The result was a soggy cyclist and a soggy saddle. My feet, however, were happy to be splashed by warm water from the large puddles.
Overall, the final 1½ hours of the day's cycling was very unpleasant. In addition to the rain, there were enormous puddles and the Rome rush-hour traffic seemed to have started early. The roads up and down each side of the Tiber were also the worst encountered so far, not helped by the potholes being full of puddles. The rain was finally clearing when we reached the Hotel Ping Pong in Ostia which was quickly awarded the accolade of the worst so far on the trip (what use is a kettle without any other refreshment making equipment?). We were lucky to have a balcony where we could put soggy clothing to dry.












Day 5: Lido di Ostia to Sabaudia
Day 5 (11th September) Summary
Distance 60.5 miles: Total Ascent = 327 m (1,070 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 47 mins: Moving time = 4 hrs 29 mins
Average moving speed = 13.5 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




The rain had cleared and a few remaining clouds gradually disappeared. Breakfast was from 7am although we disn't get moving until 08:40. The provided route went inland of Anzio and Nettuno but, after much group discussion of the options for the day, there was consensus to follow the coast to take advantage of refreshment options in the two towns. It was a relatively easy day of cycling as nowhere on the route was higher than 40m. An unusual feature along the road out of Lido di Ostia was parking spaces in the middle of the road. We stopped at a coffee place at 20 miles and bought a couple of giant biscuits for later consumption (not a good choice as they proved to be excessively sweet). This place had some interesting audio equipment.
In Anzio we first stopped where there was a view of the bay and the deserted beach. We then paid a short visit to the small war museum before moving to the extensive war cemetry which is maintained by the US government. In keeping with the American theme, there's a McDonalds just outside the entrance gate. The cemetry guard required us to park our bikes in a rack just inside the entrance gate so we took turns to look at the cemetry while the other watched the bikes.
We then proceeded southwards and stopped for some food from our bags once clear of the urban area. The south-western breeze was steadily strengthening and made cycling along the coast somewhat tedious. A few miles from the end we agreed that another break was needed and stopped at one of the many roadside refreshment places for an ice cream. There were no other customers until some more of the group stopped to join us. With the holiday season now over these refreshment places will soon be closing for the winter.
Our destination was the Best Western Sabaudia Hotel which was slightly difficult to find as Best Western wasn't on the signs. The hotel was outside of the town so there were no other nearby options for dinner and we were hostage to their menu. My €25 dish of the day was a small lump of spaghetti loking lost in the middle of the plate.














Day 6: Sabaudia to Baia Domizia
Day 6 (12th September) Summary
Distance 57.6 miles: Total Ascent = 592 m ( 1,940ft)*
Elapsed time = 5 hrs 48 mins: Moving time = 4 hrs 45 mins
Average moving speed = 12.2 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




My objective of the day was to try to get over the one significant hill (summit approx 270m) before the weather got too hot. I had identified that there were several refreshment options in the town of Itri (which didn't feature in the route information sheet) which was just after the summit and was thus the suitable place for a break before continuing to the end. A 7:30 breakfast resulted in departure at about 8:50.
The heat from the sun was occasionally moderated by cloud and good progress was made on a good road along the coast for the first 15 miles before turning inland. At 19 miles the route then took us on some less good, but quieter, roads of which six miles ran parallel to the railway (I noted that the Italians paint their rails white presumably to reduce heating by the sun). At 28 miles we joined a main road for the climb over the hill. It was a comfortable climb with the sunshine sometimes moderated by cloud and/or trees. The riders ahead of us were at a very good cafe in Itri where we had an early lunch of freshly made to order large cheese and ham rolls. The cafe also provided a good view of the castle on the hill.
After Itri there was a pleasant descent which didn't require use of brakes to moderate speed. Part way down we passed under an impressive viaduct which research revealed used to carry a railway to the coast. Towards the end of the ride we passed over a concrete bridge of a more sensible design with steel hangers between the deck and the concrete arches. Upstream of this bridge is a modern cable-stayed bridge while downstream is dilapidated suspension bridge.
I've included a photo of my saddle which is an unusual shape but still comfortable. The deformation was present on the first two days but increased after the saddle got wet on the third day's downpour.















Day 7: Baia Domizia to Pompei
Day 7 (13th September) Summary
Distance 68.3 miles: Total Ascent = 663 m (2,175 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 52 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 46 mins
Average moving speed = 11.9 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




The main task of the day is avoiding Naples. Nearly 70 miles but not too hilly (the auto-scaling profiles are deceptive).
I was trying to minimise cycling in the afternoon heat but a 7:30 breakfast resulted in cycling starting just after 8:30 on what was a very sunny day with, I had estimated, an extra hour of cycling compared to the previous day.
At about 44 miles and 1pm was approaching I looked out for some off-road shade for a quick lunch stop and saw an empty chair under a tree in front of a locked walled compound. We assumed that a watchman had temporarily disappeared. After munching a cheese sandwich, we were getting ready to leave when a car stopped and a young lady in a short red dress got out and sat in the chair. Polyglot Richard overheard her listening to Russian soap opera on her phone and wished her farewell in Russian. Over the next few miles I noticed four more ladies sat in chairs at the side of the road. There seems to be a day shift for the local night life!
We spent many hours in a hot hotel room before figuring out by standing on a chair that the aircon was set for use with a remote control which was nowhere to be seen, probably because the aircon looked very old and most of the remotes had died. Once this setting had been changed the room temperature became much more tolerable. The room balcony overlooked the pool and was equipped with a laundry drier which was put to good use.
The hotel had a friendly white cat which would keep an eye on the reception if the receptionist was absent.
















Day 8: Rest day in Pompei
14th September
No cycling today but there was an opportunity to discover why Pompei is famous. The day started by wondering where the next day's route was through the hills to the south of the city as there was no visible gap.
The main activity was a visit to the ruins. Thousands of other people were doing the same. The stone-paved roads in the old city looked very bumpy. One interesting feature was upstanding stones which were stepping stones between the footpaths on each side which were raised above road level. The wheeled vehicles must have been quite narrow for the wheels to pass through the gaps between the stones. The larger features included two ampitheatres.
The final activity was some bike maintenance, particularly the replacement of Richard's front brake rotor which didn't look very good on one side because it had spent a few miles with a pad back-to-front after recent bike maintenance (we had discovered the problem when the bike was being reassembled on day 0). The new rotor had been bought at the Pompei Decathlon store which was near the hotel.












Day 9: Pompei to Megazzeno
Day 9 (15th September) Summary
Distance 47.7 miles: Total Ascent = 1,168 m (3,830 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 1 mins: Moving time = 4 hrs 51 mins
Average moving speed = 9.9 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




A relatively short day but the first 14 miles are spent going uphill with the top of the climb marked by a tunnel about 0.9 km long (bike lights recommended). The descent should offer some scenic views of the coast.
I was keen to get up the hill before it was too hot. Breakfast was available from 7am. Departure was at 08:10 and we reached the tunnel about two hours later. The first part of the journey was through the Pompei suburbs and coincided with the morning rush and taking children to school. There was a significant section of road in flagstones which seem to be even bumpier than cobblestone and we had the surprise of having to carry our bikes through and underpass under a railway which had recently replaced a level crossing.
The hotel room was overlooking the sea and the aircon was no match for the heat from the afternoon sun coming through a large glass door for the small balcony. The building designers evidently didn't take this into account or they would have provided an external sun screen.

























Day 10: Megazzeno to Marina di Ascea
Day 10 (16th September) Summary
Distance 53.2 miles: Total Ascent = 869 m (2,850 ft)*
Elapsed time =5 hrs 35 mins: Moving time = 4 hrs 42 mins
Average moving speed = 11.4 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




Day 11: Marina di Ascea to Sapri
Day 11 (17th September) Summary
Distance 45.6 miles: Total Ascent = 1,236 m (4,050 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 21 mins: Moving time = 4 hrs 33 mins
Average moving speed = 10.0 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




This was a much more challenging day than expected. While the main climb was a 500m ascent between 23 and 29 miles, the hilly section in the first 10 miles was very difficult in places with gradients exceeding 20% for short sections.



















Day 12: Sapri to Marina Guardia di Piemontese
Day 12 (18th September) Summary
Distance 59.5 miles: Total Ascent = 1,142 m (3,750 ft)*
Elapsed time = 7 hrs 5 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 34 mins
Average moving speed = 10.7 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




Almost 60 miles with a mixed bag of cycling, some pleasant and some not. The temperature exceeded 32C, the hottest yet, but was less humid than the previous day.




















Day 13: Marina Guardia di Piemontese to Porto Salvo
Day 13 (19th September) Summary
Distance 70.2 miles: Total Ascent = 890 m (2,900 ft)*
Elapsed time = 6 hrs 55 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 46 mins
Average moving speed = 12.2 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




A fairly long day at about 70 miles with the worst of the undulations being in the first 1/3rd of the ride. This was followed by 26 miles along the fairly busy SS18 highway which was fairly smooth and flat. It was good for clocking up miles but was also fairly unpleasant cycling. No photos were taken along this section.












Day 14: Porto Salvo to Messina
Day 14 (20th September) Summary
Distance 61.1 miles: Total Ascent = 1,527 m (5,000 ft)*
Elapsed time = 7 hrs 55 mins: Moving time = 6 hrs 9 mins
Average moving speed = 9.9 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




This was a challenging day of two parts either side of a ferry. The first objective was about 59 miles to the ferry terminal and included two substantial climbs to over 500m. The first started soon after leaving the hotel to a summit at about 9.5 miles while the second was between 32 and 39 miles in the heat of the day. The second part of the day was about two miles in Messina from the ferry to the hotel.




















Day 15: Messina to Catania
Day 15 (21st September) Summary
Distance 66.3 miles: Total Ascent = 1,014 m (3,330 ft)*
Elapsed time = 7 hrs 7 mins: Moving time = 5 hrs 59 mins
Average moving speed = 11.1 mph
*Ascent according to my Garmin Edge 1040 which usually agrees closely with Google Earth. My Edge 530 usually records about 15% less climbing which is more consistent with RWGPS. I assume that the newer hardware is more accurate.




This was a more tiring day than expected. While there were no big hills (the highest was about 175m) there were plenty of lesser ups and downs while significant sections of the route were urban cycling which tends to have rougher surfaces and generally needs more care.
Sicily seems to have a bigger proportion of obese vehicles than further north. I wonder why?
















The Journey Home and Concluding Remarks
The journey home was one of the easiest I've done after one of these cycling trips. Easyjet to Bristol was at a convenient mid morning time after which there was a bus trip to Bristol and a train ride to Swindon. We were greeted by Richard's wife who had very thoughtfully arranged medals for us and I was conveyed home by car (although I had my bus pass ready).
I was very worn out and spent the next week trying to figure out what had made this trip more arduous than the LEJOG although the latter was much more challenging in terms of distance and climbing. I identified several factors, the main one being heat. I suspect the wind which, while rarely strong, was predominantly between south and south west was cumulatively energy-sapping while the primary objective of the final days was to get out of the heat as quickly as possible. The final three days of the ride were both hot and almost straight into the wind. I also wonder if some less copious hotel meals reduced rebuilding of energy reserves.
While much of the journey had been on good surfaces there had been some rough and tiring sections. The final day had more than its fair share of cobbles and flagstones and I have resolved to be better prepared for rough surfaces on any future trips.




