The hills and mountains of Lunigiana are ideal biking territory and you can’t miss the many stylish lycra-clad road cyclists, particularly on the weekends. The region lends itself to gran fondo endurance training, as well as being home to the Giro della Lunigiana and is often included in the Giro d’Italia route. The many trails and quiet backroads are also ideal for mountain biking.
If you are not familiar with the area, it can be quite tricky to work out a good route. Fortunately, there are various sites that can help you, although you will need to brush up on your Italian cycling vocabulary.
Pontremoli Bike
Pontremoli Bike is a good place to start. It has news on events and organises rides. It also has a list of routes for both mountain biking and road cycling. You’ll find everything you need to know ranging from route difficulty, expected duration, maps, descriptions, elevations and so on.
Due Route
Due Route is based in Villafranca and is a shop with a range of services that include new and used mountain and road bikes for sale, bike rental, clothing, a work shop, expert advice and more. It also also has information on cycling routes with maps and elevations.
Biciclo
Biciclo is a relatively new shop on the approach up to the station in Aulla. Bike hire is available in the summer, but they require notice. Prices at the beginning of 2012 were €20 for the first day and then €10 per day for one week. Children’s bikes were €10 for the first day and then €5 per day for a week. You can contact them on Tel: 0187 408020 or e-mail biciclo@biciclo.it. Their website is still under construction.
Vertical MTB
Vertical MTB is based in Filattiera but organises rides throughout Lunigiana. It has a useful list of mountain bike trails graded by difficulty together with all the necessary maps.
Parco Alpi Apuane
The Parco Alpi Apuane offers guided excursions on mountain bike trails that include using the train on the Aulla-Lucca line.
Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-Emiliano
There are various tracks suitable for mountain biking in the Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, although none of them are documented online. In July and August, the ski lift at Cerreto Laghi di Prato provides special hooks to transport mountain bikes to the top of the ski lift. There are also tracks suitable for mountain biking in the Sassalbo area near Fivizzano. For more information contact the Park.
Bike Map
BikeMap.net has routes and elevations plotted by cyclists. There are several routes in Lunigiana as well as this cycling route that takes in the Cinque Terre.
If you know of any other useful sources of information on both mountain biking or road cycling, please do leave a comment.
Piste Ciclabili
PisteCiclabili.com has routes in Massa Carrara plotted by cyclists.
This article describes a bike ride that takes in Carrara and Pontremoli
Gita in bici a Massa Carrara
Con l’itinerario ‘Rincorrendo il Medioevo’
http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/canali/inviaggio/news/2011/05/17/visualizza_new.html_868238927.html