Get to know Pedal Greece if you’re visiting Greece – their fully supported road rides make the quiet, challenging Peloponnesian roads. Here’s an interview with their founder, Ali Kolyvas.

How did you become familiar with the Peloponnese and its options for cyclists?
My name is Agi Kolyvas, I come from a relatively small village outside of Sparta and have spent all of my youth camping, hiking, fishing and living by the sea out of my dad’s T2 Volkswagen van. He was an amateur bee keeper and we moved a lot in the summer to find places where the honey would be good. Peloponnese at that time was incredible, a kind of Balkan version of early California vibe without the hustle. Then I lived abroad and did other city things and the place kind of hibernated within me.

I started riding bikes in Peloponnese 18 years ago as a short break with friends. I was instantly inspired and amazed by the riding possibilities that this land is offering. By the next time I was there so many memories came back to me of my childhood spent outdoors and realised that in its essence the place hasn’t changed much, the vibe was still the same. It’s still a place full of history and blessed with so many mountains and peaks but also a coastline that is truly a cycling playground. It has remained authentic and picturesque and unlike other places in Europe is not full of six storey costal hotels and other ugly touristy stuff.

A few years back I met Doros in a wedding at Kardamyli and we became friends and started riding together. Pedal Greece was born and now we are a full-service company catering for cyclists of all levels that want to ride trafficless roads with an authentic atmosphere.

How would you describe the cycling?
The cycling is varied. Peloponnesse has six mountains that are scattered throughout the region. Its landmass is big enough to have big challenging days but at the same time small enough to see summit and sea the same day. It has technical ascents and a vast network of small, country roads that farmers use that are connecting rivers to valleys in a picturesque way. The greatest thing in my opinion is that you can get lost in this network of good quality tarmac and fire roads and although you are not far away from civilisation and mobile reception you are completely by yourself if you want, giving an authentic and unmatched (for European standards) set-up for an adventure on bike.

What kinds of cyclists do you host?
We mostly host intermediate-level cyclists that are looking for challenging days without missing out on the vibe of holiday. Greece with its laid-back signature culture and lifestyle is very hard not to be a holiday. Our customers also value the deep rich food culture of Greece, based on mediterranean diet and the plethora of grow farms around paired with some of the oldest vineyards in the world, they are looking for an experience and not just a training ground. Our customers are choosing our itineraries based on our deep knowledge of the area and its cultural curations be it a local festival, produce or a coffee stop at an old time local kafeneio (trad cafe) that will add to the experience. Having said that we also receive a lot of requests from cycling groups that are looking for a different training camp with some of the elements mentioned above. People are looking for new alternative locations worldwide.

What kinds of accommodations and restaurants do you lean on?
We prefer family-owned small hotels and Peloponnese has some incredible options right now. We also offer challenging itineraries based on 2-3 luxury hotels that we work closely with lately that can offer a completely different picture of what people associate Greece with usually. For restaurants and food culture in general we prefer a combination of chefy places with new-age gastro Greek cuisine but at the same time we also promote traditional working-class eateries that local people eat and gather. It’s the combination that works for us and not just one type. 

Where do you see the business growing? What can we expect in the way of itineraries for 2026?
I think and hope that business will grow in a sustainable and steady manner away from big gaps. We also hope that more businesses in the area will embrace the cycling outdoor business incomers and offer thoughtful services and products. We are in a good road but always can do better. For 2026 we have some new itineraries, one weeklong gravel in Messinia and a gravel island hoping experience in Cyclades.

Any other initiatives that aren’t already on the website / new concepts for 2026…
We are working on a triathlon training camp in Mani and a luxury, super challenging training camp in Mainalo but they are both in the process of designing. We also work closely with a team in London for a special exclusive itinerary sometime in second half of 2026.

Learn more at pedalgreece.com