Europe (all)

The ``mountain of Trento'' offers some challenging trails for local bikers. Have a look at what's in store.

I introduce in a brief way some itineraries cycled by the author in Spain (Pyrenees, Road to Santiago, The Silver Route, The North Route, Andalusia, but also in Greece, Croatia and Slovenia), with pictures of them, trying to show the beauty of this different and relaxed way of traveling.

This trip has actually started in ... a bookstore. The choice of Polish cycling - related literature is very poor, therefore about a year ago I was very happy to see [a book with trail descriptions in the Western Beskidy]. After reading some trails descriptions, backed by well - prepared maps, the idea was ready [...] Beskidy is the name for a few ranges of low - elevation mountains (or one can say - hills), generally covered by woods, located in southern Poland next to much better known Tatras and the borders with Czech and Slovakian Republics.

A mountain bike ride from Mittenwald to Bolzano/Bozen in five days.

The story of a cycling trip around England's Lake District: Bowness-on-Windermere, Patterdale, Bassenthwaite, Buttermere, Boot, Whitehaven, Boot to the coast and back Boot to Bowness-on-Windermere.

Monte Conero is an impressive mountain with an elevation of 572 meters jutting into the Adriatic Sea just south of the port of Ancona. [...] [It] is a fovorite spot for local mountain bikers and can be explored by numerous trails.

[...] ho cercato di mettere insieme alcune delle mie esperienze per preparare un percorso che permetta di vedere quelli che sono a mio modo di vedere alcuni dei posti piu belli della costa veronese del lago di Garda

A nice little valley in Südtirol.

I stop to open a gate, a recurring event here, and start the final climb to the top. Some short walls, with rather uneven road-bed, force me to dab now and then, but soon I'm on top, at about 2200m, after a 1000m gain. The view of the Dolomites, unimpeded in all directions, is really magnificent. I skip the pleasure of Südtiroler cuisine at the hut, and begin the descent. It will be a 2000m drop from here to Bolzano/Bozen.

Il percorso ``Giravila'' si snoda attorno al piccolo centro abitato [di Villareggia] ed alle sue frazioni e case sparse, attraversando anche parte del territorio della vicina Moncrivello. Chi lo affrontera potra rilevarne il cospicuo interesse paesaggistico-naturalistico e storico-locale.

From Carsten's Cycling Web, the Web site of Carsten Gregersen. This trip is dedicated off-road cycling. We go by car to the Alps and stay at different campsites and arrange one-day rides without pack. In the peaceful Vanoise national park we are at the home ground of the marmot. The western Susa valley offers some very relentless climbs on old military roads and an unforgettable tour along the Asietta ridge. We end the trip in Grindelwald at the feet of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau - three magnificent, Swiss giants.

Auf den Spuren von Bayernkonig Max II. Mountainbiken im Alleingang. [...] Ich fahre aus Bregenz heraus und erklimme auf sehr steilem, aber wunderbar angelegtem, Schotterpfad die ersten 500Hm. Dort oben zeigt sich der Bodensee in seiner ganzen Pracht.

Noch auf den Spuren von Bayernkonig Max II. Mountainbiken im Alleingang. [...] Mein heutiges Ziel soll das Brunnsteinhaus sein. Dazu muB ich uber den Elendsattel. Ich fahre allerdings nicht uber das Forsthaus Valepp an, sondern bewege mich durch den wundervollen Pfanngraben, die platschernden Wasserlaufe sind ein Augenweite. Ich lasse mich von diesem Schauspiel inspirieren, bis ich an dem Fahrweg uber den Elendsattel munde. Obwohl ich dieses Terrain schon mehrfach durchfahren habe, bin ich von den Felswanden, die sich links, bald rechts aufbauen, immernoch genauso fasziniert, wie vom funkelndem Wasser des Elendgrabens im Sonnenlicht.

What do you do if you have just two or three hours free for a ride? Well, if you live in Trento, your favourite choice is probably the small range of Marzola, which reaches 1738m (5702ft).

One of my favourite training rides. A fast downhill section becomes steeper and trickier when I meet deep, stone-ridden sand. It's worthwhile to slow down, or stop altogether, to take a look at the simple but really nice landscape around here, that will be missed at speed. Vineyards with the colors of autumn, little streams, small valleys that let you feel you are away from the world. And the town is just over there, behind a rocky hill.

A general introduction to this prime area for mountain biking. (This was the first report ever to be posted on the Trento Bike Pages.)

At 1872m I find ice on the road, no problem though in negotiating it. I then get to the alpine pass Passo degli Oclini/Jochgrimm, at 1989m. It's full of hikers up here, and with good reason. The view on the twin peaks of Corno Bianco [White Horn] and Corno Nero/Schwarzhorn (Black Horn) is great, and looking to the South you think you could touch Latemar and Catinaccio[/Rosengarten].

One of my favourite trails, with a great singletrack section. The single track is really beautiful. It goes through a very varied terrain, slightly desolate at the start, then surrounded by sparse trees. A particularly nice spot occurs when crossing a creek near to a ``malga'', a wooden Alpine hut. At a couple of rough spots I prefer to walk for a few meters, so I have a chance for looking at the scenery. On such technical tracks I should really remember to stop every now and then anyway, to avoid the risk of looking only at the trail in front of me in search of the best path, and missing the scenery entirely.

Inspired by the epic Alpine stages of the TdF and GdI that I see each year on SBS TV and by the personal accounts of Jobst Brandt, Mark Chung and others on the net, I made a plan for a two-week cycle around the Alps.

Five tour descriptions: Monte Piana, Fanes, Drei Zinnen, Cinque Torri, Col di Lana.

An excellent report, also from a technical point of view.

Dyranut - Trondsbu - Sandhaug - Lågaros. This is the English version of the original Norwegian one: Med sykkel som bagasjetralle / Hardangervidda - fra nord til sør / Dyranut - Trondsbu - Sandhaug - Lågaros.

[The] report of a [...] bike trip in 1989, across the central part of the big mountain plateau Hardangervidda in Norway. The first 12 km on a narrow gravel road, the next 52 km without roads at all. My friend and I followed hiking trails.

You will find the area in your world atlas when searching south of the railway line Oslo - Bergen. We went by train to Geilo, and bus about 40 km to a desolate point at the highway to the Hardanger fjords. The endpoint of the trip was at Mogen north of the small town Rjukan, in the Telemark county. We went by boat across the 35 km distance of Mosvatn lake. Finally we made a bike trip (25 km) at the old and forgotten construction road down to Rjukan.

The Hardangervidda is a rather flat mountain plateau, at altitude 1100-1350 metres above sea level. The terrain is very easy - if you look at detailed maps in scale 1:50000. But big stones (1-2 metres), wet areas, dirt and a very small but angry wood vegetation are not indicated at the maps...

Diese einwöchige Tour - die wir zu viert unternommen haben - hat uns in jeder Hinsicht sehr gut gefallen, und die persönlichen Eindrücke über Strecken, Landschaft und einen einfach schönen Urlaub sollen auf dieser Seite wiedergegeben werden. Folgendes kann für eine Mountainbike Tour problematisch sein, worauf ich aufmerksam machen will. Nach dem Studium der zugänglichen Informationen über 'Biken' und 'Trekking' in Kreta waren wir für die Tourenplanung gewarnt. Es gibt viele auch auf den genauen Karten eingezeichnete Nebenstraßen, die nicht existieren, dafür gibt es neue nicht eingezeichnete Straßen. Wir haben festgestellt, daß alle in Mitteleuropa herausgegebenen Karten von ein und derselben ungenauen kretischen Karte abgezeichnet sind. So möchte ich unsere Erfahrungen über die gefahrenen Strecken weitergeben, vielleicht möchte sie jemand nützen.

an excellent collection of mountain bike routes by the Landesforstdirektion Tirol - Landschaftsdienst.

Jamtalhütte, Piz Puin, Inneres Bergle, Heilbronner Hütte, die Greitspitz, Silvretta-Skigebiet: six mountainbike tours with pictures.

The Bike \& Board site has the following goal: ``Das wollen wir mitteilen: in den Bergen gibt es viel mehr für die Seele als man denkt. Geht in die Berge und respektiert sie, seid wach und nehmt nach Hause ein Erlebnis mit, das dem Leben mehr Sinn geben kann.'' Among the mountain bike trail descriptions in Germany, Austria and Italy: Lagorai/Latemar (in German and in Italian), and Transalp 2000 (in German): an Alpine crossing from Germany to Italy.

Mit dem Mountainbike zweimal über die Alpen. From the MTB page of Florian Michahelles. The great story of a five-weeks trip from Mittenwald (Germany) over to Alps to Bozen/Bolzano and then to Liguria, Corse (France) and back through Lombardia and Switzerland. Individual sections are linked to under the various countries.

Alpenuberquerung mit dem MTB bei zwei Wochen Regen. Nach einem Fruhstuck aus Wasser, Milupa-Milchpulver (ab dem 1. Monat) und Musli brechen wir auf. 340km, 11.000 Hohenmeter warten auf uns. This beautiful tour will take Florian and his buddies over Switzerland and Italy.

A mountain bike ride from Mittenwald to Bolzano/Bozen in five days

A ski trip to l'Alpe d'Huez became a winter mountain bike adventure for British cyclists David George and Kate Harvey. Nicely illustrated with photos and maps.

A mountain biking guide for various regions of France with excellent practical information that is extremely helpful when organizing your trip.