Smile & Ride: “Simplicity, clarity, and excellent support: that’s exactly what we were looking for.”

Smile & Ride is a family-run bike rental company based at Pisa Central Station—just a few minutes from Galileo Galilei Airport. Founded in 2017 by Maria Elena Mancuso and her husband, the company has grown season after season to a fleet of over 200 bikes: city e-bikes, gravel bikes, road bikes, and classic and electric mountain bikes. Today, Smile & Ride is a leading name in Pisa’s cycling tourism scene, with a well-organized team, an in-house workshop, and custom-designed routes to help tourists explore the area independently.

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“We started with just a few bikes and a clear vision: to make cycling tourism in Tuscany accessible to everyone. Over the years, we’ve expanded our fleet, diversified our services, and built a team. The train station is the heart of intermodal travel: tourists arrive by train from Florence, Rome, or any other city, or land at the airport—and within minutes, they’re already in the saddle. They don’t need to rent a car or figure out their way around: they find the bike ready and set off. We sell an experience, not just a bike.”

How did Lokki help you?

With Lokki, Smile & Ride was able to eliminate the commission fee that appeared during online checkout: customers now see the same price on the website and in-store, with no unpleasant surprises at checkout. On the operational side, workshop management has shifted from paper to tablets—every morning, the team finds all the information they need ready to go regarding which bikes to prepare, for which time slot, and for which customer. Everything is tracked, everything is visible in real time. The fully Italian-language interface has eliminated daily friction for the entire team. And the automatic pre-authorization of the deposit via credit card has made it possible to rent high-end bikes risk-free.

With the help of Lokki

An increase in online bookings, particularly from Italian customers—who previously avoided the digital channel because of the commissions displayed at checkout. “It’s a clear shift,” says Maria Elena.

Going paperless in the workshop. The morning coordination between the front desk and technicians, which used to rely on printed sheets and verbal communication, is now handled entirely on tablets. Fewer errors, less disorganization, and greater control over the fleet.

Bookings from new nationalities that were not previously represented among our clientele. “We can’t attribute everything to Lokki just yet—it’s still early in the season—but it’s a sign that something has changed for the better in the process.”

Bookings with no surprises

With Lokki, the online price is the same as the in-store price. No additional fees appear at checkout, and there are no unexpected costs that might cause customers to abandon their purchase. The result is immediate: more online reservations, particularly from Italian customers who previously avoided the digital channel.

Proven operational capability

From fleet management on a tablet to real-time workshop coordination, all the way to automatic pre-authorization of credit card deposits: Lokki has eliminated paper and reduced day-to-day operational friction. With a fleet of 200 bikes, having everything tracked and visible isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for getting the job done right.

Smile & Ride: “Simplicity, clarity, and excellent support: that’s exactly what we were looking for.”

Maria Elena

Tell us your story!

How did Lokki help you?

With the help of Lokki

Bookings with no surprises

Proven operational capability

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