Cycling Holiday Packing List for Salento, Puglia

For a cycling holiday in Salento, start from what already comes with your rental bike, then add what the season needs. Here's my cycling holiday packing list. If you haven't chosen your dates yet, read the best time to visit Puglia by bike first.

What's already on the rental bike

Every bike you rent from me comes with a helmet, a front light and a rear light, a lock, a small frame bag, a phone holder, a pump, a repair kit and a spare inner tube. All of that is included, so you don't need to bring any of it.

There's no deposit. The sizes of every model, e-bikes included, are on my bikes page. When you book, choose your size from the table according to your height.

If you want to carry more, I can fit a rear rack and a mount for a Garmin or other GPS on request. The rack can't be fitted to the Trek Domane.

What to bring, season by season

Pack for sun, rain and darkness, and bring plenty of water. Water bottles aren't included with the bike, so bring your own. The rest depends on the month.

Summer. Wear lightweight, light-coloured clothes, with a cap or headband under the helmet. Bring sunglasses and sun cream.

Spring and autumn. Dress in layers, so you can take items off and put them back on without a long stop. A light rain jacket fits in a small bag. Sunglasses and sun cream are useful here too, and so is a pair of gloves if the morning is cool.

Winter. Wear layered tops and gloves, take something to cover your ears under the helmet, and pack a rain jacket and something reflective for the ride back in the dark. The days are short: in Lecce the sun sets at 16:22 local time on 15 December and at 16:45 in mid-January, so even a ride that starts in the early afternoon ends with the lights on. Switch them on before you head back, not when it's already dark.

Whatever the season, you'll want snacks, ID and a charged phone. In my own bag I also pack a change of clothes. On long rides of several days, when I sleep away from home, I add a sleeping bag, and often my laptop, because my work travels with me.

Packing table

Heat, sun and water

On heat-wave days, Italy's Civil Protection advises staying in during the hottest hours, from 12:00 to 18:00 (noon to 6 pm), drinking plenty and wearing light-coloured clothes and a hat. On a bike that's easy: ride in the morning, rest over lunch, and head out again in the late afternoon if you like.

The sun needs the same attention: UV rays are strongest from two hours before to two hours after solar noon. Use sun cream with SPF 30 or higher, reapply it every two hours (especially after sweating), and wear sunglasses.

Set off with more water than you think you'll drink. I fill my bottle wherever I can: sometimes there's a fountain, sometimes I stop at a bar, and sometimes I buy water or ask for it. If your bottle is half empty, refill it at the first chance, without waiting until you need it.

Roads and safety

The routes are mostly paved. Some stretches may be unpaved, but my bikes handle them, so you don't need a mountain bike.

When you ride in the dark or through a tunnel, keep the front and rear lights on. They're already fitted to my bikes. If you ride back in the evening on roads outside the towns, a reflective vest or sash is a good idea. Outside towns, ride in single file.

Choosing the bike

If you want a non-electric bike, choose between the Trek Domane AL, a road bike, and the Trek Checkpoint ALR, a gravel bike. I'd pick the gravel bike if your route includes some unpaved stretches and you want a bit more margin on rough surfaces.

Among the electric bikes, the Rockrider has a removable battery and goes up to 70 km (43.5 miles) in Eco mode. The Trek weighs about 17 kg and has a non-removable main battery. For long rides you can add a second, removable battery for €10 a day. On any e-bike, range depends on how hard you pedal and how much you carry, so leave yourself a margin.

If you ride in a group with different levels of fitness, an electric bike can help the less fit rider stay with the others.

A non-electric bike costs €50 for one day, €45 a day for 2-3 days, €40 a day for 4-7 days and €35 a day for 8 days or more. The electric Rockrider costs €5 a day extra, the electric Trek €10 a day extra. All models and prices are on my bikes page.

Pedals and panniers on request

If you ride in cleated shoes, SPD, SPD-SL or Look pedals cost €5 extra for the whole rental. For a trip of several days I have a pair of panniers, 2 × 15 litres, at €2 a day. The panniers and the rear rack can't be fitted to the Trek Domane, so choose another bike if you're carrying luggage.

Weather, alerts, emergencies

Before you set out, check the forecasts from the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) at meteoam.it (the site is in Italian), and look at the wind above all: it's what makes me choose which coast to ride, as I explain in my guide to the best time to visit Puglia by bike. For alerts, the Civil Protection service of the Puglia Region (Protezione Civile della Regione Puglia) publishes two pages on its website: "Messaggi di allerta" (alert messages) and "Bollettino di criticità" (risk bulletin). The bulletin gives the risk levels for each alert zone for the current day and the following 24 hours. If there's an alert for your area, change your plans.

In an emergency, call 112, the single emergency number in Puglia. Keep your phone charged. The holder on the handlebar means you don't have to carry it in a pocket.

Taking your bike on the train

On Trenitalia regional trains in Puglia, bikes travel free, but you need a free bike ticket. You can get it at the ticket office, at self-service machines, on the website or with the app. One bike is allowed for each passenger with a ticket. The bike travels only on trains showing the bicycle pictogram, and places are limited.

Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE) is a separate railway company with its own conditions for bicycles, so check with FSE before you leave. If you'd rather avoid the train, see my one-way bike rental page. Returning the bike anywhere other than my depots costs extra, depending on distance.

Book your bike

You can collect and return the bike free of charge at my three depots: Lecce (Via Ribezzo 2D), San Foca (Via D'Annunzio 13) and Calimera (Via Roma 163). Anywhere else, I can deliver for a fee based on distance. To start from Lecce, go to the Lecce rental page. To choose where to ride, see the Salento routes and cycle paths.