Our vision: how we've designed our business and why

A few, hopefully useful, words on how we’ve shaped our company — which might help those choosing the right partner for their next cycling trip.

We’re not claiming our approach is the best, but we’d like to explain why Sardinia Cycling is the way it is today.

Seasonal staff versus freelance staff

This is a daily dilemma in our industry. Seasonal staff often means high turnover and the constant challenge of hiring people with little or no experience — training them on the job (often while they’re working with guests) and letting them go at the season’s end. Freelancers, on the other hand, usually work independently and can’t truly represent the company’s values or identity.

Both models have pros and cons. In most cases, the benefits favour the business, while the downsides affect the guests. We decided to take a different route — the hard one: we removed the concept of “the season.”

We asked ourselves: what if we could grow the business and create year-round job opportunities? That’s how we developed a strong bike rental branch, active even in the low-demand months (July and August), along with a bike workshop and the Maglia Nera Cycle Café. Here's what this meant long-term:

1. Very low staff turnover — we’re like a family, working together all year round.
2. Staff maintain and improve their skills by working in the workshop and assisting with bookings — which is why we're so good at maintaining and repairing bikes.
3. We work as a team, plan trips together, and often know our guests before they even arrive.
4. We can train our team during the off-season in key areas such as mechanics, first aid, languages, and more.
5. Everyone is motivated to contribute with ideas and insights to improve Sardinia Cycling.

Internal versus external bike rental

Why we keep it internal:

1. Because we simply love bikes.
2. We noticed many competitors offer just one or a few bike models per trip. We felt that was too limiting. We want our guests to freely choose from a wide range of bikes.
3. When we travel or rent, we expect spare parts and technical knowledge to be available. Our team knows the bikes inside out — and no guest has ever lost a day of their trip due to a mechanical issue.

Why others choose external:

1. They don’t need to invest heavily in a fleet of bikes.
2. Management sees bikes as a burden, not a value.
3. Bikes require space, a workshop, and trained staff.

You decide which approach wins. We've made our choice — and we wouldn’t go back.

Lightweight versus structured

This is ultimately a contrast between two business models. One is lightweight and can be managed from home — using freelancers, with little to no investment beyond some business cards or, at best, basic branding. The other is a structured company, built with the intention to last. Both can work well — for the owners. We believe one works better for the guests. Guess which one?