Italy (local)

These pages describe a series of day rides based around Lucca in Northern Tuscany. The rides visit

• Diecimo
• Bagni di Lucca
• Collodi
• Castelnuovo di Gafangnana
• Isola Santa
• Galleria del Cipollaio
• Forte dei Marni
• Marina di Pietrasanta, and
• Camaiore

Un percorso alla scoperta delle Alpi Orientali che combina in maniera piuttosto equa bicicletta ed escursionismo in montagna.

Via dei Saraceni: 12 (junior) e 13 luglio (senior) 2008, tracciato di Salice d'Ulzio (Souze d'Oux).

Competizione aperta a tutti, professionisti e non. 38 km con un dislivello totale di 1050 metri quasi completamente su sterrato.

Itinerario:
Partendo dal centro di Sauze D'Oulx ci si inoltra all'interno del Parco Naturale del Gran Bosco di Salbertrand; attraversando un fitto bosco di conifere si giunge sulla strada più alta d'Europa tra la cresta spartiacque che divide la Valle di Susa dalla Valle Chisone. Questo è il tratto più impegnativo, con una salita di 15 km che permette di raggiungere la vetta del monte Genevris a quota 2540 mt. Arrivo in leggera salita.

Während unserer zweiwöchigen Tour sind wir mehr als 1200 km gefahren und konnten die Insel einmal umrunden. Zudem war Sardinien deutlich welliger als wir vorher gedacht hätten, was für die 12.000 zurück gelegten Höhenmeter spricht. Das Wetter war sehr angenhem: kein Regen, viel Sonne und nur teilweise Gegenwind. Zudem war die Landschaft sehr abwechslungsreich. Von Traumstränden bis zu Gebirgspässen war alles dabei.

Our bicycle tour in Italy started on October 6, 2007 with our arrival in Rome. After sightseeing in Rome we took the train to Orvieto and cycled up the hill to our first overnight stop. Over the next 3 weeks we cycled across Umbria and Tuscany. If you are planning a similar bicycle tour you will find a lot of useful information in our detailed trip Itinerary, day-by-day Trip Report, and the collection of Practical Tips. If you would like to see the beauty of cycling in Italy do not miss the Best Photos. You may also be interested in our recommendations for the best places to see, stay and eat in Top 5.

A six-day circular tour around the island of Sardinia. 619km cycled, stopping over in Fertilia, Stintino, Oschiri, Cala Gonone, Lanusei, Macomer and final destination Alghero.

Copious amounts of strenuous uphill pedalling, plenty of long speedy descents and hairpins, amazing scenery along coasts and through many ridges and mountains. Wonderful welcomes and hospitality from the locals, and some quirky, but lovely, local culinary specialities.

Despite the need for extra effort, Sardinia is strongly recommended!

Info pratiche su dove fare downhill, freeride, cross in Italia con segnalazione di 4 percorsi per l'estate: Oropa, Livigno, Pila e soprattutto Val di Sole sede dei mondiali di downhill 2008. Anticipazioni sui mondiali Mtb 2007 e 2008.

This was written as a ``Daily Blog'' of my bike trip from Venice to Rome. I had taken some Italian Courses at the University of Pittsburgh, and made friends with various Italians on the internet through an instant message program called SKYPE. I recruited my Italian Teacher to drive a support car, and I rode my bike. I was able to meet with 4 different people/families that I met online in my quest to learn the language and experience the ``real culture'' of the country. There are MANY pictures, and also quite a few VIDEOS of this trip. All links to photos and videos can be found on the index page. There is also a separate page for each day of the journey - my daily ``diary'' of surprises, delights, frustrations, and revelations. Even though I had only cycled in Italy before with organized cycling groups, I had an amazing trip doing this one alone. I am in the process of translating each day's blog into Italian, and eventually I'll try to post each day's road notes or route as well.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radrundtour auf Sardinien in 13 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 1126 km, Tagesetappen zwischen 60 und 110 Kilometern.

In May, 2007, I spent 15 days cycling in north-central Italy and covered about 1600 km (990 miles). I cannot understate how great the trip was and I suggest anyone who is eager for culture, amazing food, adventure, and a physical and mental challenge to follow in my tracks. Wine-lovers will also find this route especially pleasing.

The route begins and ends at Milan Centrale train station, providing an easy connection to the rest of Europe. Overall, the trip was flawless with only one flat tire. The route would be best suited for anyone who wants to cover lots of miles and see the main sights of north-central Italy (e.g. Venice, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Langhe/Roero). Although my trip was great, I would make some changes, and these are suggested below. I've briefly described the route and sights for each day. Please feel free to contact me for more specific information and advice (calebschiff@gmail.com).

Info, mappa del percorso, foto dell'edizione 2006 e link intorno al famoso Sella Ronda bike day, che segue un tour dei passi dolomitici (Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, Passo Gardena e Passo Campolongo).

Agosto 2006: 1.000 km lungo la costa siciliana da Palermo a Trapani, Marsala, Mazara, Agrigento, Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Messina e tutti i bellissimi paesini incontrati.

Mare, sole, arte, storia, sapori e profumi dell'isola al centro del mediterraneo, dove hanno attraccato e hanno lasciato tracce della loro cultura Fenici, Greci, Romani, Arabi, Normanni, Spagnoli, da Ulisse e Archimede, a Federico II, fino a Garibaldi e ai giorni nostri

Queste pagine raccolgono gli itinerari lungo l'Adda, il quarto fiume d'Italia, nel suo primo tratto, in Valtellina. La pista ciclabile dell'Adda, nel suo tratto in provincia di Sondrio, prende il nome di Sentiero Valtellina. Il percorso è ancora in fase di realizzazione, ma è stato commpletato quasi all'80% al mese di aprile 2007.

Mon voyage entre Venise et Rome, environ 900kms de bonheur en passant par Bologne, Florence, Sienne, Montepulciano... Un vrai bonheur! Avec des cartes, infos pratiques, tracks GPS...

My travel in Italy in 2005 from Venice to Rome, about 900kms of happiness and beautiful landscapes going through Bologne, Florence, Sienna, Montepulciano... A pure delight!! Maps, practical infos and GPS recordings included. In French but don't hesistate to ask for details...

In the summer of 2006 I aimed to finish to succeed the Granfondo Campagnolo, the hardest bicyclemarathon in Italy in 2006. Before the Granfondo I and two friends of mine spent 3 days in the Dolomites, with those tours I bicycled onto 6 passes above 2000m there. The most wondeful climb was the very hard Tre Cime di Lavaredo (2350 m) from the Lake Misurina, with a beautiful panorama. An another memorable pass was the Staller Sattel (2052 m) on the austrian border: the last 5 km is very nice with panorama, calmness, forest, flowers, blue lake down and snow on the mountains. The Giau pass was a hard one, but ``only averagely nice''.

The Granfondo was one of my most memorable bicycle memory. I was the only one who finished it with a 13 kg+ 2,5 kg pack heavy touring bike. I could bicycle with the last 30-40 participant; I enjoyed the nature, countryside and the feeling; I stopped few times for photos. After arriving in time, as the speaker saw with how a bike I arrived into the finish, he called me next to him and after 2-3 sentences he spoke a few minutes about my performance. After it, the 50 people audience clapped for me and immediatelly I could hear the hungarian anthem from the loud-speakers. It was a surprise for me from the speaker, who found this performance very serious with a bike, I had.

From Zürich (Switzerland) to Sicily (Italy). Through Lugano-Como-Bergamo-Verona-Vicenza-Padova-Ravenna-Rimini-Ancona to Pescara. After Pescara the river ``Sangro'' comes down out of the Abruzze mountains. I followed this river to get on the other side of Italy. Further through Napoli-Amalfi,down the coast of Calabry to Messina (Sicily) -Siracuse-Agrigento-Marsala-Trapani-to Palermo. (the capital of Sicily) Total kilometre 2731

After the long German winter, we are impatient to get started with the cycling season. Looking for a land of early spring sunshine and mild temperatures, we decide on Apulia, southern Italy, the heel of the boot.

Apulia is more than just sunshine. There are many small roads with little traffic, beautiful beaches and an excellent cuisine. Those interested in history and art won't be disappointed: with Palaeolithic finds, Greek vases, Romanesque churches, Norman fortresses and Baroque cities there is much to see.

We toured two weeks, 750 km and stayed in hotels or pensions.

These pages describe a week long cycle tour through Central Tuscany in May 2006.

The route took me from Siena to Florence via Castelnuovo Berardenga, Vagliagli, Radda, Gaiole, Panzano, Montefioralle, Greve, San Polo, Strada, and Impruneta.

Cycling from Luni to Rome on the mediaeval pilgrimage road, the Via Francigena.

Bericht über eine organisierte Tour von Florenz nach Siena.

A tour from Venice to Rome in bella Italia. We travelled a total of 668 kilometres in seven days, with around 32 hours of cycling time. After a couple of short easy days on the flat, we hit some evil hills and late summer heat as we headed south of Bologna into Tuscany, before finding an easy direct route straight into the heart of Rome and St Mark's at the Vatican.

Stiamo progettando, sperimentando e segnalando percorsi cicloturistici sul territorio trentino, cercando di unire le piste ciclabili e promuovere una mobilità sostenibile da parte dei turisti trentini, italiani e stranieri. Un modo nuovo di conoscere il territorio valorizzando le forme di ospitalità biologiche e sostenibili (quali agriturismi, aziende bio, ecc..) Criteri di costruzione dei percorsi:

• i punti di partenza sono raggiungibili in bici, treno o autobus;
• i punti di ristoro/pernottamento consigliati saranno in prevalenza le realtà segnalate nella Guida al consumo critico `Fa' la cosa giusta!';
• i percorsi sono adatti a cicloturisti, anche non troppo allenati, anche se affrontano alcune salite (inevitabile per il territorio trentino), poichè si sono bilanciate pendenze e distanze. Inoltre è possibile utilizzare il servizio di trasporto pubblico per evitare tratti impegnativi o in caso di stanchezza per completare le tappe;
• i percorsi valorizzano la rete delle piste ciclabili del Trentino e le uniscono (con itinerari progettati e sperimentati) in modo da non percorrere strade trafficate, se non per tratti molto brevi. Si snodano anche su strade sterrate, comunque percorribili con biciclette da cicloturismo, attrezzate con borse.

Die klare Struktur etwas vom Anfang bis zum Ende zu machen reizt immer, so das Konzept von der Quelle zur Mündung. Zu oft hört man das Vorurteil, die Po-Ebene sei langweilig. Vielleicht für den zu bedauernden Autofahrer auf der Autostrada. Wir haben die Strecke am Po als abwechslungsreich und hoch interessant erlebt, mit schönen Landschaften, reizvollen Dörfern und großartigen Städten.

Unsere Radtour führte uns zu den Städten Verona, Padua, Venedig, Treviso und Vicenza, eine herrliche Fahrt in die Kunstgeschichte Venetiens. Auch zu der Geschichte Venetiens gehören die mehr als 2.000 Villen, die in der Zeit zwischen dem 15. und 18. Jahrhundert im Hinterland Venedigs gebaut wurden,deren Architektur wir heute noch bewundern können. Vor allem stand Andrea Palladio dieser Villenarchitektur Pate. Dafür dass wir immer wieder mal verkehrsreiche Straßen in Kauf nehmen mussten, wurden wir ausgiebig belohnt.

These pages describe a week long cycle tour through Southern Tuscany in May 2005.

A number of the rides were inspired by Iris Origo's compelling description of life in Tuscany during the Second World War ('War in Val d'Orcia - An Italian War Diary - 1943-1944') and James Hudson's article ('Tuscany, the Hills, the Gelato') in the January/February 2005 issue of Adventure Cyclist which was illustrated by Sue Kemp's water colours.

Because we wanted to see the small villages, as well as select big cities, we decided that our best route through Italy was to zigzag across Umbria and Tuscany. The big cities on our list were Venice, Assisi, Florence, and Rome. Some of the surprisingly pleasant small towns in between included Urbino, Gubbio, and Poppi. Not a real straight line. We had planned on 60 mile days to give us time to be tourists. We discovered however that some days clocked in closer to 80 miles, and many days had between 4000 and 9000 feet of climb. Luckily the weather was conducive to riding - Sunny and 75, but in retrospect we would have preferred fewer miles each day. Italy is a country to savor.

Welcome to the diary from our 2004 trip to Italy. Our planned route was to travel up from Rome, following the coast for the first few days, then cutting in to Florence through Tuscany. We'd get back to Rome by looping down through Umbria.

A 2 week tandem tour of the Abruzzo and Puglia regions, taking in the Gran Sasso region (Campo Imperatore), and the Gargano Peninsula. Includes daily ride reports, maps, photos, planning and packing info.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour in 6 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 480 km durch typische Toskana-Landschaften, Tagesetappen zwischen 58 und 104 Kilometer.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour in 5 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 439 km durch bergiges Gelände, Tagesetappen zwischen 59 und 107 Kilometer.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour auf Sizilien in 12 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 1025 km, Tagesetappen zwischen 50 und 120 Kilometern.

We spent a week each in Umbria and the Marches in May and June 2003, staying in rented properties. In Umbria we stayed on the edge of Assisi in a 1000 year old tower. The countryside there is hilly and full of lovely old towns. In the Marches we stayed at Le Piane, midway between Amándola and Sarnano. The towns are less striking, though still often pleasant and well situated, but the terrain is mountainous. We chose the location becauseof the vicinity of the Sibylline Mountains, and when we went cycling we piled on the vertical metres. Tracey took a road bike and Colin a mountain bike.

Senza la bici del Signore, il farmacista e il professore, non più ventenni né allenatissimi, patiscono l'ascesa a San Leo (del resto paradigmatica per Dante, con Noli e Bismantova, nel quarto canto del Purgatorio). Dove la strada prende a inerpicarsi, si riforniscono d'acqua a una fontana. Vicino, un piccolo bar in legno, qualche albero, le poche case di una frazione. Mentre stanno bevendo, arriva un uomo corpulento che sconcerta i presenti gesticolando e gridando ``via, tutti via di qua, non si può stare qui, andate via, capito? Via!''. Poi se ne va lui, improvvisamente acquietato. Quante volte al giorno reciterà quelle povere, scalmanate sortite contro fantasmi? Sembra uscito da un racconto di Tonino Guerra o da un film di Fellini. Dietro le imposte di una delle finestre intorno, forse, la pena di sua madre.

Nel pomeriggio viene il Trasimeno, improvviso dopo una curva sopra Magione e poi elegante fra gli ulivi della sua riva orientale. Belle ville, un'auto d'epoca. Tramonto limpido sopra il verde e l'azzurro. Poi Cortona in alto, raccolta intorno al suo Beato Angelico, per il quale arriviamo comunque troppo tardi. [...] Lunghi giorni ci ha [...] dato la bicicletta, buoni silenzi, ampi pensieri. Gli occhi si sono riempiti di luoghi e di immagini. Sappiamo che in città, dopo le ferie, sarà altra bici e altro viaggio. Non ci chiederà di meno. Dobbiamo credere che ci darà di più.

Perfettamente sostenibile, in cambio di un po' di fatica, un paio di scottature sul collo e qualche sana sudata, la vacanza in bicicletta regala una sensazione di libertà assoluta che nessunaltro mezzo di trasporto sa dare, e una visuale del mondo inedita. Con un buon mezzo ed un minimo di allenamento, la velocità di crocieradel cicloturista permette di cambiare spesso panorama ma anche di avere il tempo di gustarselo in pieno, cogliendo scorci e particolari che nessun automobilista o motociclista riuscirà mai ad apprezzare.

Viaggio in bicicletta da Losone (Locarno) a Palermo via Bologna, Firenze, Bolsena, Roma, Napoli, Pompei, Paestum Taormina, Cefalù.

L'idea di questo viaggio è da attribuire a Pietro Angeloni di Golino per degnamente festeggiare i suoi 50 anni. [...] Il tempo è sempre stato molto clemente, senza pioggia, la temperatura sino in Calabria è stata piuttosto fresca ed il vento generalmente in nostro favore. La foschia e la parziale mancanza di sole ha un po' penalizzato la qualità delle fotografie (in particolare le vedute della Costiera Amalfitana) ma non si può avere tutto! Man mano che si andava verso Sud il traffico diventava più caotico, il lato stradale meno pulito, i prezzi più abbordabili e la gente più calorosa.

Voyage en bicyclette de Losone (Locarno) à Palerme via Bologne, Florence, Bolsena, Rome, Naples, Pompei, Paestum, Taormina, Cefalù. L'idée de ce voyage est à attribuer àPietro Angeloni de Golino qui désirait fêter dignement ses 50 ans. [...] Le temps a toujours été clément, sans pluie. La température jusqu'en Calabre a été plutôt fraîche et le vent généralement en notre faveur. Le manque de soleil et une légère brume ont un peu pénalisé la qualité des photos (en particulier sur la côte Amalfitana), mais on ne peut pas tout avoir! Plus nous nous dirigions au sud, plus le trafic devenait chaotique. Les bords de routes étaient moins propres, mais les prix plus abordables et les gens plus chaleureux. Cela se confirmait, on ne peut pas tout avoir!

After getting experiences on five cycletours in Slovakia and two in Austria and Slovenia in july 2000 I was ready to bike on my most serious tour in my life: to push the pedals from my favourite area, the Dolomites - which is said to be one of the world.s most beaufiful mountain-ranges . reaching the Adriatic sea to Nagykanizsa, a hungarian town next to the border. As in last year this year I also travelled to Cavalese, the place of our holiday with my parents, from where I set out the 1400km long . with a 3 day long detour . homeway after a week long training, warming up and programs together with my parents. In every case I wanted to visit the wonderful Lake Garda . which I only heard about . and Venice that I liked from the videos, but where I also hadn.t been before. During the week I spent in the Dolomites with my parents I made three beautiful cycletours and managed to cycle through some passes.

The notes of ``[a fortnight spent] touring western Sicily in May/June 2000, staying in hotels.'' Includes fine pictures.

A lively report, with many fine pictures. It touches some of the most beautiful places in Italy I have had the chance to see so far: Ancona - Ascoli - Norcia - Spoleto - Foligno - Assisi - Perugia - Passignano - Cortona - Siena - Firenze.

Ascoli Piceno is an almost perfectly conserved medieval town. The buildings are ancient, and many roads are narrow, winding, cobblestoned paths. [We] walked through [Cortona] all evening and enjoyed the beautiful views in all directions. It is a small town with many narrow and steep roads, and as always all buildings were hundreds of years old.

Siena was packed with tourists, but it still manages to remain a nice and friendly place, and not as overwhelming as Florence. I like Siena a lot [...] We had plenty of time to visit the beautiful cathedral, and the one wall they managed to put up for a much bigger cathedral, until the bubonic plague put a stop to their plans in the 14th century. We visited the museum, which allows climbing up all the way to the top of that wall, providing a tremendous view.

The Marche region lies to the east of the Apennine mountains, and has every kind of terrain you could wish for. From long sandy beaches on the Adriatic coast to rolling hills and valleys leading to the high mountains of the Sibillini in the south of the region, and the highest of them all, Monte Vettore at 2,476m.

According to one book I read, Marche is 69 percent hills, and 31 percent mountains. Certainly, if you're not going up, you seem to be going down, and only on the extreme coastal strip is there flat riding to be had. On top of that, it has more castles and hill top towns than you can shake a stick at. Like Umbria was a few years ago, Marche (apart from the coastal area) seems to be one of Italy's best kept secrets, and that's fine by me!

This one was probably a little tougher than our previous tours of Tuscany and Umbria even though the mileage was a little lower, but it was well worth every extra bead of sweat, just as enjoyable, and I'd go back tomorrow.