There is no shortage of places to go mountain biking in Rome, so much so that someone even talks about Roma Caput Bike. After all, the capital is the city of the Seven Hills, e some unevenness can also be found easily, and then in Rome there is greener than you can imagine, inside and outside the city. Sure, it’s all about knowing where the Capitoline riders go, and above all to be clear about what you want to do. In and around the city you can create quite a few routes between MTB and gravel: nothing particularly technical but certainly enough to have fun; if, on the other hand, you want something more demanding and challenging, you have to exit the Grande Raccordo Anulare and go on the hills or the mountains north of Rome. More or less always with a view of the Cupolone
1. The Grande Sentiero Anulare: by gravel or MTB
A long history, which began in 2006 fromMarco Pierfranceschi’s idea to join some points and crossings in and around Rome (it can be read in full on the GSA Rome blog) but in fact a story that has given the city one route idea with a basic ring and numerous variations up to over 80 km to be done all in one breath or in individual segments. Unfortunately, and despite the intentions to turn it into the GRAB, the Grande Raccordo Anulare for bicycles, has never become a formalized route, complete with signage and recognition by the Capitoline Administration. But on the same blog, or on Wikiloc o Chest of drawers files of different versions are found. The GSA or GRAB in any of its variants is essentially a gravel route of asphalt sections, dirt roads and country pathswhich can be done with an MTB or with any trekking or touring bike.
2. Queen of the Cycles
If the GRAB or GSA is a loop path, the Regina Ciclarum is the escape route from the Eternal City towards the sea. It is said Regina Ciclarum, meaning the last stretch, from the Urbe to the sea, of the Tiber cycle pathat the moment only a hypothesis of a great cycling itinerary (also born from below with the code name of Strabo operation). In fact though the Rome – sea route exists, it is 55km divided into 4 segments which start from the area of Castel Giubileo, in northern Rome close to the GRA, and follow the course of the Tiber passing through Ponte Milvio and Trastevere until they come out in the Roman countryside and follow the Via al Mare. Inside the city, the route is on a protected and paved site, always on the Lungotevere, outside there are dirt roads and paths of the Roman Litoral Reservefattibili in gravel, MTB o trekking bike.
3. The parks for mountain biking in Rome
I am mainly 3 parks for mountain biking in Rome: Villa Ada, Pineto and Monte Mario.
That of Villa Ada is the second largest public park in Romeis located in the northern area of the city, close to the Salaria and just beyond the historic center, which can also be easily reached by a beautiful crossing of the park of Villa Borghese. In addition to the classic circular tours and the routes between the entrances, over time many routes have also been created for MTB, mostly flat but fun, such as the Giro nel Bosco della Regina Elena or Villa Polissena, the Dorsale della Torre and that of the Colle Roccolo, the Traversa del Bunker and that of the Serre or the Diretta a Monte Antenne, of which you can find both maps and GPS tracks.
For a little more altitude you have to go to Monte Mario, whose Reserve, with its 139 meters of height, is the largest of the Roman reliefs. A great classic of the Capitoline riders is the panoramic training circuit that starts from the public gardens of Via Gomenizza in Piazza Maresciallo Giardino, 12 km of medium difficulty for an hour and a quarter of real fun in a typically Mediterranean vegetation. Inevitable then the ascent of the Zodiac17 technical hairpin bends e the descent the Endurista. For something extra you can make the connection with the neighbor Parco del Pineto where there is an XC course of about ten km to be done clockwise entering from Via Pineta Sacchetti or from via Proba Petronia alla Balduina and passing through the beautiful cork oak wood (where there is the legendary “Er Canyon” with some challenging and fun switchbacks). Here you can read our bike guide to the Pineto park and Villa Doria Pamphilj.
The Via Appia Antica by mountain bike or gravel
Another beautiful long-distance itinerary, which can be pedaled and which escapes from the Urbe, is that of the Via Appia, feasible both with knobby wheels and with a gravel (next to the paving there is a second dirt track) or a trek bike. The Appia Antica Park is among the most loved and frequented by the Romans, especially at the weekend when it fills up with runners, cyclists and families out for a walk, but it still remains one of the most fascinating offroad cycling routes in Rome. Ideally you should start from the Baths of Caracalla and after skirting the Museum of the Walls, take the Via Appia seeing the city transfigured into the countryside and mausoleums, catacombs and patrician villas appear. Made up to the end, it’s 30 km, up to the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo on Lake Albano. Undoubtedly a nice ride, with no height difference and no technical passages, but of unparalleled pleasure. If you want something more or different you can also take a detour to the Caffarella Park, where there are some trails very nice always among the finds of ancient Rome. Or, following the (present) indications of the Via Francigena del Sud which leads from Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca, arriving at Lake Albano and going around it entirely, perhaps with a stop at the numerous kiosks to eat porchetta.
Technical routes for mountain bikes outside Rome
Obviously to find technical routes for mountain bikes you have to go outside Rome. But not too far in hindsight. Formello for example, north of Rome, or rather the Came Bike Parkwhere there are no lifts but you pedal to climb and then there are some trails, discovered, designed and maintained by the pioneers of MTB Formellowith evocative names such as Squirrel, Fox, Wild Boar, Goat, Sheep and Woodpecker.
Always north of Rome, but above all north of Lake Bracciano, there is Trevignano Romano, whose name among the Capitoline riders is associated with that of the homonymous Granfondo MTB. But if you go up at the top of Mount Rocca Romana (and you need to have legs, or do some portage) then there are some exquisitely enduro trails, from the one of the same name which starts near the ruins of Frustone, Passerotto and Poiana, which have good technical sections and can also be easily linked together. Please note: as mentioned, they are enduro trails, so you need a suitable bike, at least an All-Mountain, and good riding skills.
For something more cycling in the Lake Bracciano area, which connects the dots between Formello and Trevignano Romano, there is the Calandrina Woods cycle pathwhich formally starts from the Anguillara Sabazia station and essentially follows the route of the Lakes Cycle Path, which connects the Olgiata station to the lakes of Bracciano and Martignano, or the northern section of the Tiber Cycle Path called North West Passage.
> Finally, here you can read about other cycling routes in Rome and its surroundings, on cycle paths and not necessarily off-road.
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