Favorite places to visit and cycle in central/northern Italy?

After much research (thank you all for your help), the DH and I have decided to put together our own trip to Italy. We're planning to stay in Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Lake Como (most likely Bellagio) and travel for two weeks, preferably in May or early June.

We're trying to decide how long to spend in each place and are looking for day trips and possible bike excursions out of each location. Do you have any recommendations? We plan to rent bikes in Bellagio on Lake Como and found a good bike shop. We're fine with sightseeing or renting bikes in Tuscany (as long as we can find nice ones), but there are so many interesting places near Florence to choose from!

I sent you a PM documenting my experiences. I encourage you to not over regiment your schedule. Italy is a vibrant place that warrants some discretion for spontaneity.

Happy Travels

We found a couple of nice bike shops in Siena and we rented bikes from one that was just outside the walled city. The owner speaks English and brought us and the bikes to the beginning of a route he planned for us (OK, we went off the route and climbed, oh, about 2K ft. up a mountain pass), just outside the horrendous traffic in the city. Siena is a quick train ride from Florence and really not to be missed. Of course, I am prejudiced, as my son lived there for 6 months, but if you are in Florence, you should do at least one day there.
And, I agree with Mr. Bloom; don't over plan.

Siena does look great.

Has anyone been to Lucca or Bologna?

If you get close Orvieto is a delightful little town that is a bit of a tourist stop, but mainly frequented by Italians. It's one of the little walled cities that sits way up on a hill. It's claim to fame is that it is where the Pope used to run too when it got too hot to be in Rome. We had super food and a lot of really good, quite cheap wine there. It's also close to Civita - abandoned village that can only be accessed by walking across a bridge.

been to Bologna, it's a big busy city, beautiful, beautiful. I did see cyclists there, but what it is famous for are its gallerias, the sidewalks are all covered... and it's mostly done in shades of pink and orange.
I was in Siena in October and even then it was filled with cyclists from the USA and Canada. It is beautiful country and caters to bicycle tourists. It IS hilly though, and I saw some looks of terror as people rode across wet cobblestones..

I don't remember disliking ANY place in Italy! It's so beautiful, and the cycling is excellent. Towns are close together and the people are friendly to cyclists. It's been about 20 years since I was there, so obviously things may have changed (roads gotten busier, especially) but I did a cycling tour for a couple of months in the spring, just toodling around mostly in central Italy. Getting up to some of the hill towns can be a challenge to your legs, but most of the roads stick to valleys and are pleasant and easy, and on the climbs to the towns you are nicely distracted by scenery that looks like it's straight out of a Renaissance painting.

Bologna is very nice--a really vibrant city that doesn't feel as touristy as Florence and Venice, and isn't overwhelming like Rome. I also loved Verona. It's a small city/large town with gorgeous Roman ruins (and in better shape than most of the ones in Rome) and a very liveable feel. For hill towns I liked Urbino and Orvieto best, but I didn't make it to Siena (idiot that I am). The only place I just felt like wasn't worth the hype was Pisa. I was only in the eastern most part of the lake district (went around the southern half of Lake Garda), which I think isn't as scenic as Lake Como. I was there right around Easter, so it was before the tourist season had begun and a lot of places were closed. It was pretty, but the towns on that lake weren't that interesting. It struck me as pretty much like any other resort area in the world on the off season (quiet, lots of boarded up ice cream places). I remember that I hit my highest speed ever going into one of the towns around the lake. Stupid that I can remember that detail but couldn't tell you which town it was I was headed into!

Sarah

To clarify, I did not ride in the city, in Siena. We found a bike shop there that gave us a route that took us up through the hills (not too bad) in Gaiole en Chianti (sp?). There were several wineries en route and the lunch we had was to die for. Good thing we ate pasta, because, somehow, we got off course and did a climb that the bike shop owner later told us was part of the Giro :eek:. Only time I've ever seen DH get off of his bike.

Oh, good grief!
I'd say "Anywhere!"

Any specific shop recommendations for renting more high-end road bikes? I know Florence by Bike has a nice rental fleet.

Also, would you guys recommend spending the entire time in Florence and taking day trips or splitting the time by staying in Siena or Bologna (or other surrounding place) for a couple of nights? Is there enough to do there?

I only saw Bologna from the train, so I can't comment. But, it did look nice.
I would spend at least a night in Siena. It's a college town, so in addition to the duomo, the piazza, the museums, etc. there's quite a "vibe." The shopping and food, well, just as good as Florence. Florence, while I really enjoyed spending a few days there, is huge. I wouldn't ride my bike in that traffic! I wouldn't ride in the walled city of Siena, either, but it's easy to get outside the walls.
The shop we rented from did not have high end bikes; they were crappy mountain bikes. However, that might have changed, since this was in 2004.