SIt’s easy to say bicycle… but it’s not that simple. There is a whole world that revolves around it, with distinct technical peculiarities. Types that have become familiar even to beginners: racing bikes, road bikes, cyclocross bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, models related to infinite variations, so much so that today there are over 30 classifications for two wheels.
Between these, The “gravel” bicycle, an English noun meaning gravel, is becoming increasingly widespread. Designed specifically to tackle dirt tracks and cover several kilometers a day, the high-performance gravel bike – the right hybrid compromise between its mountain bike and road “cousins” – offers its own peculiarities, such as a higher and more stable set-up and larger and wider tyres.
Trentino by bicycle, word to the champions
Characteristics that women also like, as he tells us the Trentino athlete Letizia Borghesi, born in 1998, multiple international road cycling champion. «Last year I started practicing gravel which allowed me to participate in the Italian championships – I came second – and in the world championships, which I ended in eighth place. The factor I appreciate most about gravel training is being able to do them away from traffic and in nature, a condition that frees the mind from stress.
Cyclists riding gravel bikes in Val di Sole. Photo by Michele Minnesi.
Furthermore, when I cycle in my beloved Trentino between uphills, downhills and wonderful landscapes, the sense of freedom, peace and carefreeness that the bicycle gives me is unique». The relationship between two wheels and women is increasingly widespread, both at a competitive and amateur level, as he states another international champion, Eleonora Farina, born in 1990 in Trento: «I specialize in downhill (it is practiced on steep and uneven paths, with jumps of up to 12 metres, ed.), but I appreciate gravel bikes because they allow you to pedal easily on roads bumpy and not busyFurthermore, they have a decidedly more comfortable pedaling position than road bikes. The sense of freedom and well-being that the bicycle instills is absolute, especially when I go through the woods or reach the top of a mountain, the satisfaction is total. Today cycling is increasingly pink, I’m happy about it: when I started, about ten years ago, I was practically the only girl in the race bike park.”
Autumn, time to ride
Hearing the passionate words of the two Trentino athletes makes you want to get into the saddle for an active and regenerating holiday in the open air (the fittest ones get on the gravel bike, those who want to enjoy it without working too hard, a pedal-assisted emountain bike) in the home region of Letizia and Eleonora. In this period, with the crisp air and the landscapes already turning to the red and orange of autumn, Trentino is the optimal destination, not only for the scenery that ranges from the mountains to the plains, to the lakes, but also because it is crossed by 17 ad hoc gravel bike routes that join the rich network of cycle paths, on roads, forest roads and paths, which allow total immersion in the green Trentino landscapes in different ways.
Sprinting by athletes in Val di Sole
The Val di Sole district, always in step with new trends, has created in 2022 the Alpine Gravel project: six itineraries that require greater athletic commitment than other routes, given that they are spread between 650 and 2,200 meters above sea level, with differences in altitude between 950 and 1,890 meters and with a maximum length of around 60 kilometres. A challenge for legs, muscles and resistance of trained cyclists, but also for those who want to approach this activity and this valley for the first time. Just choose the “Alpine Gravel Bassa Valle” ring (49 kilometres, maximum difference in altitude 1,000 metres), the least demanding of the six, given that half of it runs along the Val di Sole cycle/pedestrian path – which runs alongside the Noce stream – and the other half on a dirt road.
We start from the station Procuress and take the cycle path that leads to Ossana, where you face the first descent with fast-flowing gravel sections. TOdrainage aside, in the small mountain village the remains of the Castle of San Michele dating back to the end of the year 1000 stand out, surrounded by a double wall complete with a 16th century keep and bastion. TO Costa Rotian then, you can admire a splendid panorama over the lower Val di Sole and beyond In Dimaro, the advice is not to miss a visit to the Val Meledrio Ecomuseum dedicated to ancient crafts to be discovered by following an open-air path that leads to an old sawmill, a forge and a kiln for the firing and production of lime. Pedal after pedal you can also reach it Cavizzanaa placid village on the right bank of the Noce, at 710 meters above sea level, practically a “walk”.
Tour with a view of the Pale di San Martino
In the area of San Martino di Castrozza, where the Mythos Alpine Gravel race takes place in June, route #3 Anello Val Venegia is exciting: you are in the presence of the wonderful Pale di San Martino. The ring, about 16 kilometers mostly on a dirt road and of medium difficulty despite always extending above 1,700 meters above sea level, is a total immersion in nature and silence, among the scents of the earth and the woods. You can get to places that are nothing short of spectacular, such as the legendary Baita Segantini at an altitude of 2,200 meters (also reachable from Passo Rolle) overlooking the Pale di San Martino and the Cimon della Pala, simply majestic Dolomite peaks which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The refuge built in 1936 by Alfredo Paluselli, a pioneer in the Dolomites, who lived here as a hermit for 35 years, although it closes in September for the end of the summer season, is always a point of reference for hikers, precisely because of the fairytale panorama that surrounds him, detox for the mind.
The tour among the rows
Cycling among the vineyards of the Piana Rotaliana, near Faedo.
The ancient Piana Rotaliana Königsberg, on the border with Alto Adige, offers the intriguing Giro del Vino 50 route which seems designed specifically to discover it with a gravel bike. It is a 55 kilometer itinerary – medium difficulty – which combines the beauty of the landscape, where hills, vineyards and villages follow one another, to stops in renowned wineries (there are around 50) where excellent wines such as Teroldego Rotaliano, Nosiola and Trento Doc are produced. Along the route (suitable for all bikes with tires of at least 32 millimetres), stretching between cycle and pedestrian paths, low-traffic roads and country paths, you will discover interesting places to visit. As the Giardino dei Ciucioi, in Lavis, a singular nineteenth-century hanging garden that looks like a theater backdrop. In San Michele all’Adige, don’t miss the Mets – Trentino San Michele Ethnographic Museum (museosanmichele.it), housed in an ancient Augustinian conventis considered among the most important museums in the Alps: you take a step back in time admiring the settings of the forging, copper beating, clocks, spinning, warping, weaving, mountain pasture and milling rooms. Nave San Rocco on the right bank of the Adige river, an important river port in the Middle Ages, is among the most evocative villages on the valley floor surrounded by expanses of orchards and vineyards.
The Tenno Castle, which dominates the town on the Trentino side of Lake Garda. Photo by Daniele Lira.
Trentino by bicycle: other areas, other itineraries
The DoGa route could be considered the “summa” of all Trentino bike routes. It runs from the Brenta Dolomites to Lake Garda: 110 kilometers crossing four valleys. It can also be tackled in segments, due to the diversity of scenarios it offers to the gaze: from mountains to villages, from woods to castles, it is a continuous push for exploration. Along the itinerary there are inevitable stops at Madonna di Campigliothe pearl of the Dolomites, at Vallesinella waterfalls in the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park, in the Val Genova and in village of Tenno, complete with castle, the object of battles and sieges in the 13th century, and an emerald-colored lake. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Riding the gravel bike in the Primiero Valley. Photo by Enrica Pallaver.
Where to sleep in Trentino
Aktivhotel Santalucia
Via Santa Lucia 6, Nago-Torbole (Trento).
Welcoming 4-star hotel on Lake Garda, in a quiet position, immersed in a large garden with palm trees, olive trees and vineyards. It is a pleasant bike hotel with dedicated services and offers for guided bike tours. Closes mid-November. Double room in b&b from €212. aktivhotel.it
Active & Family Hotel Castel Pietra
Via Venezia 28, hamlet. Transacqua, Primiero-San Martino di Castrozza.
Contemporary furnishings and gourmet dishes in this welcoming 4-star hotel, much loved by cyclists for the services offered.
Among these: small workshop for bike repairs, rental, washing service and guided tours.
Double room in b&b from €129. hotelcastelpietra.it
Agritur Ai Molini
Via Molini 7, Faedo (Trento).
Farmhouse among the vineyards, on the Faedo hill. Five minimal rooms and Trentino cuisine with garden vegetables, carne salada, homemade pasta and desserts: potato tortei, dumplings and apple strudel. Double from €85. agrituraimolini.it
Where to eat
Elements
Via dei Camorzi 17, Mezzocorona (Trento).
Gourmet restaurant with menu by Giovanni D’Alitta, Michelin star chef. The menu is inspired by the four elements, earth, water, air and fire. From the kitchen: scallop tartare with juniper and tonic, green apple and celery; ravioli with alpine cheese, game ragout, fir buds and berries; braised pork cheek. elementsristorante.com
BikeFarm
Via Linfano 43, Arco (Trento).
The structure, open from breakfast to dinner, is dedicated to cyclists with bike rental, spaces for repairs and electric charging. The “fast” cuisine offers only local products: carpaccio of carne salada, different types of burgers, salads, grilled meats and sandwiches. bikefarmlinfano.it
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Skiarea Sport Shop
Marilleva 900, off to Marilleva 35, Marilleva Mezzana (Trento).
In the Val di Sole structure, different types of bicycles are rented, including gravel ones. On request also guided tours in the area by mountain bike or e-bike, with difficulty levels: easy, medium and difficult.skiareasportshop.com
Info
App to download: Mio Trentino.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED