When we were asked to map out the Magna Via Francigena for cyclists we didn’t hesitate a minute. Cycling across Sicily’s countryside with its tiny villages and medieval towns was an opportunity that we couldn’t miss. We grabbed our gravel bikes (Specialized Awol) and off we went. It was an adventurous ride, with no suspensions but plenty of beautiful moments.

The initial cycling itinerary for bike pilgrims was pretty tough and so we decided to make a few changes to make it more accessible for cyclists with less leg power. But we only had two days available to check the 200km and it would have been impossible if our friends at ciclabilisiciliane.com in Palermo didn’t offer their help. They borrowed us an electric mountain bike with a second battery and gave us that extra tailwind that we needed to tackle the Magna Via with all the necessary detours in only two days.

As soon as we came to their bike rental shop and we saw the bike we knew that we didn’t have to worry about the terrain or our lower back.