Today we pick up our bikes and head out by squadron. Few people have heard of the Italian region of Lazio but it what connects Rome to Tuscany with dozens of great little back roads. Your route is loaded on your GPS and you're off. We'll escape the traffic of Rome relatively quickly (reverse commute). Now Italy will start to become real to you. Gone are the tourists and the velvet ropes, you are free. Adapt to your bikes handling and brakes because you've got some fun stuff coming already. Our lunch stop is the small hill town of Radiconfani. Yes that's where we are going right there in the picture. What you don't see is the incredible view of the valley below. Tonight we get to our home in Tuscan town of Chianciano Terme. It's been a spa town for centuries. Our idea of "rejuvenation" involves throttle twisting rather than hot water but it sure might feel good at the end of a long day of riding.

It's time! You've done your fresh Italian breakfast included with your hotel. It's time for your Squadron to pick a route and head out. Can't decide? We've got a good route that will take you through the hills and curves to a lunch stop in Greve in Chianti with a stop in Siena in the afternoon. Afterwards there is a fun ridge line run through the hills that will take you back home.  It's a good medium range route with plenty of time for, photos, coffee and gelato. Tonight we start sampling the local restaurants, let's compare our findings that evening at the hotel bar.

Yesterday you got used to your bike. Today you might be ready for something a bit more challenging. What route will you choose today? Tavulia? Volterra? How about a lonely curvy run to Passo Muraglione a favorite with local riders in Italy. The route is loaded in your GPS.  It will be a full day but will certainly take you far off the tourist trail to where only local riders go.  Be sure to grab a sticker. Loop around the Apennine Mountains and then head south again. You're never far away from a coffee stop. Italy runs on espresso. Just remember no Cappuccino's allowed after 11am. Share stories tonight at dinner.

OK! Where to today? Maybe it's time to try your own route that we had you build. By now you know how to recognize a good restaurant. You're starting to figure out Italian gas station machines. How about a run to the west over the tiny mountain towns all the way to the coast. No tourist bus ever goes here. Perhaps you'll hear about other routes that other squadrons have done on previous days. By now you've got this down, go explore and have fun.

It's time to pack everything back into your side cases. Today we are all on the same route but we'll leave at different times to space things out a bit. Our first stop is a special city on top of a giant rock, Orvieto. Grab your coffee and be sure to grab a photo of the Duomo, it's amazing. We continue south to see Civita di Bagnoregio, a lone village perched a top an isolated bluff, it's a little touristy but worth it. We've got some potential lunch stops in charming old villages in Lazio. We finally return to Rome, again reverse commute and get ready for our farewell dinner at a local butcher shop.

Hopefully you can arrange an afternoon flight as you'll probably want to sleep in. More important than all the fun you had is you've learned the lesson that riding in Europe isn't that hard and you can do it yourself... it's just more fun with friends.