Some years have passed since I started using my smartphone for my outdoor activities and among MTB Apps that I have been trying, there have always been some outdoor Apps with maps and GPS navigation. In this article, I'd like to introduce some of them (rigorously FREE, of course), along with the first impressions - positive and negative - after using them. I already own and use a GPS navigator, and I was curious to know if and how the use of my smartphone could be integrated with planning and tracking GPS routes on the field. Here is my review.
Pusteria Valley cycle path is one of the main roads of the cycling-tourist itineraries in South Tyrol. The trail connects San Candido to Fortezza in about 70 km of an average demanding route. Unlikely the San Candido – Lienz cycle path developing exclusively downhill (going from Italy to Austria), cycling towards Fortezza requires anyway a minimum training because overall you have to face about 700 meters of difference in altitude.
What too see in Basilicata? Land enclosed among mountains, Lunar landscapes and a clear sea, Basilicata is a region often underrated by cycling that tends to favor places that are more well-known. The movie of 2009, Basilicata Coast to Coast, aroused a touch of curiosity more about this territory in southern Italy, but out of the few touristy routes Basilicata is an unknown region even if extremely fascinating to visit by bike. It’s not easy to recommend the 10 best places to see in Basilicata by bicycle, but I hope it could be a good starting point for your next trip...
What is bikepacking? Travelling light, cutting through streams, crossing dirt passes, having fun on rocky routes, breathing the scents of the forest, planting your tent away from civilization, but also travelling along endless paved roads, stopping in a hotel or eating in a trattoria. The word bikepacking refers to those who love travelling by bike without using the racks instead necessary for cycle-tourism. Anyone can travel in bikepacking mode, you just need a bike, your survival equipment that can be put in specific bags and the desire to leave for a real adventure.
The Alpe Adria cycle path is an itinerary between Austria and Italy and it connects Salzburg, in the Alps, to Grado on Adriatic sea.We had the occasion of traveling many kilometers along the Alpe Adria cycleway during our trip by bike among Trentino, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and we discovered many beautiful villages, ancient cities, old railways and wild nature. The Alpe Adria cycle route is perfect for those wanting to get to know these territories, from art cities to the medieval villages, from the mountains to the sea, in a slow way, with no stress.
The railway of the Dolomites, later become Dolomites cycle path, was opened in 1921 to connect Calalzo di Cadore, Dobbiaco and Cortina d'Ampezzo. With the passing years and the development of motorization and technologies it was gradually abandoned. It had its time of glory during the year 1956 on occasion of the Cortina Winter Olympics, but then its decline was inevitable especially when, in 1960, there was a serious accident in which two persons died. 65 kilometers long, the railway was dismantled in 1964. Today, as mentioned before, the railway has become the cycleway of the Dolomites and connects Calalzo di Cadore in the Veneto region to Dobbiaco in the Alto Adige region.
One of the less well-known Italian regions also by Italians is without a doubt Molise. Enclosed among the Apennines, the Matese Mountains and the sea is usually skimmed when travelling along the motorway, but by bike everything changes. Discovering slowly what to see in Molise, cycling from one hill to another, flanking mountains and climbing their arduous slopes, is an experience we recommend to everyone. After cycling in Molise during "Transitalia", our adventure through the Apennine by bike, we want to suggest you a few places absolutely not to be missed...
Living in Trento and having a racing bike, it happened to me many times, especially at the beginning of the season, to train along Adige cycleway which runs along the bottom of the valley and often, in summer, it happened to me to meet many cycling tourists, first of all German: the cycling route is indeed ideal for those wanting to skip the traffic and is well linked to other routes that combined can make a trip by bike rather varied and interesting. The cycle route of Adige river is the longest cycle path in the whole province of Trento and continues in the nearby provinces of Verona and Bolzano, being a perfect cycling route for those who love the tranquility of pedaling with no effort and with good cultural-touristic alternatives along the way.
Most cycleways are suitable for anyone: from the little and inexperienced ones to bike veterans. Peschiera - Mantova Cycle path, also known with the name of Mincio Cycle route is not an exception. For almost 50 kilometers it flanks the river Mincio running flat in the heathlands of Lombardy. I must tell you the truth: Peschiera - Mantova Cycle Route is a cycling route among the simplest I have ever traveled in my life... have you ever been there?
Iseo Lake is an excellent starting point for a travel to go discovering the Prealps and valleys of Bergamo by bicycle.
From Riva di Solto, on the Bergamo shore of the lake, you travel for about 190 km an itinerary, mixed secondary roads with low-traffic and old communication channels, natural balconies on deep, enchanting gorges. The length of the journey requires two days at least, if you want to fully enjoy what surrounds you, I suggest that you give three full days to this itinerary in the valleys of Bergamo.
Deciding what to see in Abruzzo during a travel by bicycle is not that easy: the variety of landscapes, the natural reserves, the small town too often underestimated, the secondary roads and the fairy-tale fortresses make this Italian region simply amazing (and absolutely one of my favorite!). A few months ago we had the opportunity to go through Abruzzo by bicycle during our tour of the Appennines and we were astonished of how little known are some beauties of our peninsula...
The Spoleto - Norcia cycle route is today an example of a former railway successfully converted to bicycle tourism, but let's take a step back ...
We’re in Umbria where you can’t see the sea but where hills, protected areas, beautiful villages perched on promontories... surely don’t lack! It is the year 1926 and it’s an autumn full of news for this area in central Italy: the Spoleto – Norcia railway line, with narrow-gauge and electric traction, is ready to start its short story in the overview of the Italian railways now almost forgotten!
One of the most important accessories when travelling are bike panniers and choosing the right ones isn’t easy or taken for granted: bicycle touring bags which are too small will cause a lack of space for the luggage; purchasing bags too big, vice versa, will invite us to fill them often transporting useless weight and items that will remain unused on the bottom of the bags themselves. Hereafter we’ll see in short how to choose the right bicycle bags, which characteristics to take into consideration and how to understand if they’re suitable for our needs.
The Valsugana cycleway stretches for about 80 km between the Trentino and Veneto region; from Pergine Valsugana, a few bike rides from Lake Caldonazzo, you get to Bassano del Grappa, in the province of Vicenza, after covering all the valley. This cycle path stretches almost entirely in the plains and right for this reason is a cycletourism route also suitable for families with children, in addition the Valsugana valley is entirely crossed by the railway line and regional trains can be a comfy alternative to cycling in case of tiredness or to go back to the starting point.
