First, cycling the Appian Way is a wonderful way to spend a morning or afternoon, and I recommend…read moreit to visitors who have time for more than the historic sites in the center of Rome. The Appian Way's biking terrain changes from cobblestone to dirt path to the original Roman stones -- all hard on your bike and you, but the positive is you have to go fairly slow through the 8km/5mi route and thus can see the villas, the ruins, and the open spaces that line the route. We went in winter when there were no crowds, but some cyclists, joggers, walkers, and local car traffic -- it was quite relaxed but may be a zoo in summer like all of Rome.
Our rental experience was mixed, We got two, um, well used city bikes (not as heavy as mountain bikes:, and complimentary helmets in our rental -- a bargain at €19 total thanks to a weekday discount. One bike's derailleur was not shifting well, but it seemed to loosen up after a kilometer, so we kept going. Well, that derailleur fell off completely three times, requiring on-the-road fixes by hand because the first two occurred when the rental office was closed for lunch (this is Italy, after all). We were able to remount the derailleur and rethread the chain. But on the third time, the derailleur lost its tension and we could not keep the chain mounted; the derailleur seemed to have been torqued one time too many from falling off. The other bike's derailleur stayed on, but the chain came off after one bump. There are lots of bumps on the Via Appia, and I suspect a city bike, especially a poorly maintained one as these were, is the wrong vehicle for this road.
When I called the agency, the woman was unable to help because she was the only person working that day and could not leave it to get us. She called a supervisor but could get no help. A weekday in winter means short-staffing and no contingency for travelers in trouble. Worse, she wanted to know where we were initially, but there aren't clear addresses or ruins names once you're a few kilometers out, so then she asked us to Whatsapp our location. I don't use Whatsapp, so we couldn't tell her where we were (though we knew we were 5km-6km out, which should have been enough for rescue on such an isolated road). When it was clear that she had no way to get us help, we just told her we would walk the bikes back. And so we walked the 5km back. It is a pleasant walk, fortunately.
We were refunded our rental cost, and the woman was clearly embarrassed by the situation. She was stuck, too, so we don't blame her. But Ecobike clearly has cut too many corners: poor maintenance, clearly no equipment check, and no plan for when a renter has trouble. I've long been a cyclist, so on-the-road chain and derailleur fixes are not new to me, but the average renter likely has never done more than rethread a chain that came off from a sharp bump on an unretensioned bike. And my bike's derailleur was well past what you can fix with only your hands on a country road.
So, I love the idea of cycling the Appian Way, and it was still a nice day despite the mishap. But Ecobike really fell down on the job. It's the only option. So, caveat emptor. And don't bike any further than you can walk back.
Tip: the little bake shop next to the bike rental makes really good coffee (not from pods) and homemade pastries. End your ride there.
