Yes. You can ride around Gaiole in Chianti in every month of the year. The permanent L’Eroica route, about 208 km of asphalt and white gravel roads with roughly 3,300 metres of climbing, can be ridden all year round, and so can the shorter loops that start at the gate of Podere L’Aquila. What changes with the seasons is the light, the temperature and how many other people are on the road.
Two weeks ago Gaiole was full of steel frames and wool jerseys. Now the vintage bikes have gone home, the grape harvest is in, and on the white roads you meet tractors and a few riders again. In our post before L’Eroica we wrote about the event and the 70.5 km loop we ride from our own gate. This one is about the rest of the year.
Autumn: empty roads after the harvest
October and November are good months to ride here. The roads are quiet, the vineyards turn yellow and red, and the air is cool enough for long climbs.
- Mornings often start with mist in the valley. It usually clears by mid-morning, but the first descent is cold, so bring a layer and gloves.
- After rain the strade bianche turn soft. Give them a day to dry, or stay on asphalt.
- From autumn into winter there are hunting days in the woods. On forest tracks, wear something bright.
Winter: short days and long views
Winter riding here means starting late in the morning, when the frost has gone, and being back before the light goes in the late afternoon. On clear days the views go further than at any other time of year. The gravel is often wet, so road bikes do better on the asphalt loops between the villages.
We are closed this winter while we renovate the house, so winter riding at Podere L’Aquila is one for a future trip: once the renovation is finished, we plan to stay open all year.
Spring: Strade Bianche and the first warm days
The cycling year in this part of Tuscany starts in early March in Siena. The professional Strade Bianche race runs on a Saturday, and the next day thousands of amateurs ride the Gran Fondo on the same white roads, from the Fortezza Medicea to the finish in Piazza del Campo.
By April the vines are budding and the verges are green again. Spring is a good time for long days in the saddle, before the summer heat. Our 2027 season starts on 1 May.
Summer: out at sunrise, in the pool by noon
In July and August the heat decides the plan. Leave at first light, ride the climbs while the air is still cool, and be back before the middle of the day. Spend the afternoon by the pool: there are two at Podere L’Aquila, and the upper one is the quieter of the two.
Riding from Podere L’Aquila
- From the gate. Our usual loop is 70.5 km with 1,414 metres of climbing, through olive groves, white roads, vineyards and forest tracks. Shorter rides start from the same gate.
- On an e-bike. Not every ride has to be training. With a motor, the hills around Gaiole become an afternoon out with friends, from the house to the vineyards and back. The photos on this page are from rides like that, and every one of them started at our gate, including the cypress avenue below. The e-bikes were rented in Gaiole in Chianti, 15 minutes away by car.
- Bike storage. There is a covered place at the house to keep your bikes overnight.
- Tyres. If you plan to ride the strade bianche, tyres of 32 mm or wider make the gravel much more comfortable.
The roads are here in every season. If you would like to ride them from our gate in 2027, check availability and book directly, or write to us with your dates and the kind of riding you have in mind.
