MTB Tour

Other numbers

• Minimum altitude: 580 metres
• Maximum altitude: 1,570 metres
• Terrain: 20% tarmac, 44% gravel, 36% single track, short sections where you have to walk your bike

Duration

• Very trained and experienced cyclists : 3–4 days
• Keen cyclists : 4–5 days
• Leisurely cyclists : 5 days

Partly following the classic hiking trail and partly exploring neighbouring areas, such as the Simbruini Mountains, sections of the Cicolano and the part of Massa d’Albe below the Velino. A challenging route, aimed at fit cyclists with a fair amount of experience. Not suitable for gravel bikes.

Free GPS tracks: download them here.

Signage

The route is fully signposted with small light blue signs (see photo). They are particularly useful at junctions; the paths are often signposted both because, in certain sections, you are cycling along the Cammino dei Briganti hiking trail, and because there are CAI trails, local cycle routes and other paths. However, the GPS track is, for the time being, is almost indispensable.

Starting points

There are three points along the trail from which to start the circular route.

• Magliano de’ Marsi (Magliano motorway exit on the A25, bus from Rome) – information point in the garden of the former nursery school near the post office.
• Sante Marie (Tagliacozzo motorway exit on the A24, train to Tagliacozzo) – office on the ground floor of the town hall, tel. 0863 679132, mobile 333 8601069
• Sant’Elpidio di Pescorocchiano (Valle del Salto motorway exit on the A24) – information point near the church, tel. 0746338510 and mobile 347 4052414

At each starting point, you will find an office run by the local council for registration, where you will be issued with a Credential to be stamped along the route at accommodation facilities within the network, and where you will receive your final certificate. This office will also serve as an information point, a shop selling souvenirs, an e-bike hire point, and a bike service and wash point.

We are still in the early stages, so some of these services may not yet be available everywhere.

Where to stay

On the Accommodation page of this website, you’ll find the accommodation options within the route’s network: B&Bs, farm stays, private homes and tent sites. The standard of accommodation is good (the Cammino dei Briganti has been in existence since 2016). Many of these display the ‘bike-friendly’ logo as they are already equipped to accommodate cyclists (bike rooms, bike washing facilities, tools available for cyclists, etc.). Others are in the process of getting kitted out. You can tailor your route by choosing where to stay; the important thing is to book in advance.

Proposals for the division of the stages

Everyone can come up with their own best options; it also depends on where you decide to set off from. Here are a few suggestions with consistent daily distances.

4 days from Sante Marie:

5 days from Sante Marie:

4 days from Magliano de’ Marsi:

5 days from Magliano de’ Marsi:

4 days from Sant’Elpidio:

5 days from Sant’Elpidio:

Credential and certificate

When you register at the start (in Sante Marie, Magliano de’ Marsi or Pescorocchiano), you will receive a pilgrim's pass to be stamped at the stage checkpoints and other locations along the MTB Tour. At the end of the circuit, once you have returned to your starting point, present your pass – which must contain at least one stamp for every 40 km – and you will receive a commemorative certificate. Both are free of charge.

Authorised bike repair shops along the route

Scurcola Marsicana: Ethos Bikes, Via Rocchi, 8 – mobile: 340 0920585 – info@ethosbikes.it

Pescorocchiano: Officina Palluzzi, Via Roma – it’s a car workshop, but Emanuele also carries out emergency repairs on bikes and has a few spare parts. He’ll be gradually stocking up. Emanuele: 347 0565029

Casale Calabrese: they stock spare parts and carry out minor repairs

E-bike hire

L’Aquila Sport Service (Eddy) Focus Full MTB e-bikes (Jam and Thon) – 625 and 750 Wh batteries – sizes available: S – M – L – XL – 5-day package rate: €200. Based in L’Aquila at Viale Corrado IV, 32.
Contact: mobile 331 1415139 (also via WhatsApp); email: sportservicelaquila@gmail.com

Keymont (Davide) Model: Bianchi T-Tronik Sport 9.1 – Battery: 500 Wh – Sizes available: S – M – L – XL (Minimum height: 150 cm) – Daily hire rates: €40 for 4 days / €35 for 5 days
Contact details: Tel. 0863 398816; mobile: 3495484879; email: info@keymount.it

Luggage transport

Here is the dedicated service to have your luggage transported from one stage to the next.

The MTB route is currently in beta

The MTB Tour route will be launched on 9 May 2023.

Disclaimer

The routes and trails are managed and maintained by the relevant local authorities, associations or consortia responsible for the areas concerned. No legal liability is accepted for any damage or accidents that may occur on the signposted mountain bike routes.

Common sense and respect

Respect nature and enjoy the tour safely.

Simply follow these six simple rules of good manners and organisation to enjoy a week of wellbeing and fun:

1. Only ride on authorised trails and observe any restrictions.
2. Never startle animals, do not leave litter behind and avoid sudden braking (soil erosion).
3. Always give way to pedestrians and walkers, and make your presence known in good time.
4. Check your equipment and always wear a helmet and gloves.
5. Adjust your speed to suit different situations and do not push yourself beyond your limits.
6. Plan your trips in advance.

Guided e-bike tours

If you’d like to go on a mountain bike tour on an e-bike, Davide Marini, a young man from Tagliacozzo, has set up his own business. He has around ten Bianchi e-bikes and leads small groups on the entire route. For offers, dates and further information, please contact Keymount: Davide on 349 5484879, email davide@keymount.it, website www.keymount.it.

Here is some feedback (in brief) from a few cyclists who have completed the route

“Having seen and tried out the route, here are a few tips:
– This is NOT a route for cycle touring
– it is practically essential touse of a full-suspension MTB (all-mountain type), fitted with sturdy wheels and tyres at least 2.2 wide; and given the constant alternation between climbs and descents, I recommend using a dropper seatpost
– narrow, unavoidable passages and technical, challenging descents make it impossible to use any kind of bag attached to the MTB; therefore, we recommend using a rucksack containing only the bare essentials
– The route features various types of terrain, ranging from rough and uneven dirt tracks with ruts and small steps to sections of tarmac, via paths with a compact but uneven surface, right through to fast-flowing gravel roads, which requires a good level of technical skill.
– I recommend that the stages are not excessively long (in my case, 20, 40 and 25 km); there are some short climbs with gradients of over 12%, which mean a reasonable level of fitness is advisable.
At first glance, this information might seem rather off-putting for anyone wishing to tackle the route by mountain bike, but I believe it is necessary to help cyclists make ‘informed’ decisions and choose routes suited to their technical abilities.
Thanking you once again for your hospitality, your helpfulness and friendliness, and hoping to return to your part of the world soon – and given the temperatures – I send you warm regards
Matteo from Maranello

E-bikers, the figures don’t tell you what sort of terrain we’ll encounter, what trails we’ll ride and, above all, what stunning places we’ll pass through! A ride NOT for everyone. Definitely set in a mountainous environment, without overly exposed trails, for those with more than just good riding skills. It is essential that your bike is in good working order; a dropper seatpost is strongly recommended, whilst front-suspension bikes are strongly discouraged. It’s definitely a good idea to carry a spare dropout with you, given the large number of stones, even on some of the gravel tracks. It is not possible to complete this route with bulky panniers attached to the bike.
Even if you’re reasonably fit, due to the very uneven terrain encountered in various sections, it’s strongly recommended that you carry a spare battery in your rucksack. Technical: for those who have no qualms about getting off their bike even on descents, there are times when you’ll need to push, walk down through the rocks or pedal flat out in the climbing gear, to navigate around the cow pats that litter some sections of the trail, to get covered in mud and scratched by brambles, whilst blessing the short tarmac sections where you can catch your breath – but what a ride! You’ve got to be prepared, and not get too cocky, to make it to the end – and finish in one piece. But it’s definitely worth the effort!
Pietro (I rode a full-suspension bike with a Bosch CX Performance motor)

We set off from Sainte-Marie with two hardtail bikes and one full-suspension bike:

• MTBs can be fitted with handlebar or under-saddle panniers; side panniers (typically used for cycle touring) are not recommended due to the bulk they add
• The route is manageable on a hardtail MTB; a dropper seatpost is useful as the route involves a constant alternation of climbs and descents and changes in terrain, as mentioned in previous reviews
• There are 3–4 steep uphill sections where you’ll need to push your bike, so we recommend bikes that aren’t too heavy
• We recommend having a GPS and the route downloaded

It was a thrilling experience and we’d like to thank you for all the hard work you put in; the route is very well signposted and allows you to enjoy some truly beautiful landscapes and woodlands. If it hadn’t been for the Trail, we might never have visited these lesser-known villages, and we’re big supporters of sustainable tourism (we’re from the Sibillini Mountains). We were sorry we couldn’t visit the Brigands’ Museum in Sante Marie and we hope you’ll always have more people available to manage the Cammino dei Briganti. We stayed with Barbara in Rosciolo (La Residenza B&B) and it was important to us that she had a cellar where we could store our bikes overnight; this is very useful information for cyclists.
Giulia, Riccardo and Mauro

Hello, as planned and given the truly favourable weather conditions, we went on the cycle ride at the weekend of 12–13 September 2020. We used five hard-tail bikes, one full-suspension bike and one e-bike.
Fascinating places – organising this route was a brilliant idea, well done.
Licia and: Daniele, Danilo, Andrea, Manuela, Chiara and Elena

A route through the local area, which can also be enjoyed in winter (from Viagginbici.com)