Dolomites Tips

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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clutchmarlin
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:28 pm

by clutchmarlin

Hey all,

I have a parental leave trip to Italy planned for May/June and will be bringing my bike. I've ridden in Tuscany and Emilia Romagna previously (and will be returning this trip) but we have a week in the Dolomites and I am planning to get a couple good rides in. We will be in Valle di Cadore for a few days (30 min from Cortina) and OberBozen for another couple. I plan to drive and park to do the Sella Ronde as one big day (that I've gotten the green light for ahead of time) but was trying to find a couple other routes and am having trouble finding gps routes that aren't full day huge rides. Any tips? On these trips I tend to ride in the mornings, ideally being back for 10 when my wife will be ready to go touring the area. Im also having trouble gauging how long rides will take with the amount of climbing, should I just look to do out and back climbs? Final question, is there really good signage for major routes there from the tourism boards? Or are gps routes 100% needed to find your way?

Bit of a mess of a post but thanks in advance!

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Konsi
Posts: 421
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:34 pm
Location: Genève
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by Konsi

Hello,

Depending on where exactly you stay, there might be a few shorter loops or out and back rides possible. I have done the Tre Cime twice in an out and back ride (it is a dead end anyway), that is definitely one not to miss. If you are doing the Sella Ronda, I would consider skipping the Campolongo, and adding Falzarego/Valparola: https://www.strava.com/activities/7801455817 (absolute stunner of a climb and such a sweeping downhill) Another route is difficult to explain, so I quickly drew it up on Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3063505140330510990

Otherwise I am not sure what you consider a before breakfast ride, something like this might be a nice four hours for me: https://www.strava.com/routes/3063507523366789774 or https://www.strava.com/routes/3063508663005427976 (three hours, but with a bit of driving)
Finally, if you are more of a morning person than me, Prad should be a 90 min drive from Bozen (not 100% sure, I normally cycle everywhere), and there you could do the Stelvio. Sunrise is around 5h30 ;)

clutchmarlin
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:28 pm

by clutchmarlin

Thanks Konsi, I saved those routes. Fantastic photos btw!
I'm also going through segment leaderboards and stealing routes that way too.
I have no issue starting rides before the sun comes up, that's standard timing for me. So long as the roads and routes are safe in the dark for the first bit.

Anyone know if there are any open group rides that happen regularly out there?

c50jim
Posts: 1015
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:42 am
Location: Calgary

by c50jim

I've ridden in the Dolomites about ten times over the years and it's truly a gem. Sella Ronda is my favourite ride in the world (clockwise much nicer than counter clockwise in my opinion and I've done both several times). Unfortunately, your stopping points aren't right on the routes I'm most familiar with. If you're time limited and not super fast, rides like Sella Ronda are probably a more appropriate lenght than really longer things. Also, driving times are long because average speeds are probably in the 60 km/hr range. I don't know how to give you GPS routing but in answer to your question about signs, there are usually enough signs to fid your way and there aren't a lot of options or intersections.

The route starting in Valle di Cadore looks ideal as a morning ride. Similarly, Sella Ronda is good but quite a drive to the start. The longer Sella Ronda version Konsi proposes would be nice too if you have time. If you're looking for something shorter in that area, you could drive to Pocol, go up the Giau, through Selva and Rocca Pietore and back up the Falzarego (or reverse if you'd like to do the Giau from the harder side). Or Pocol up Falzarego and Valparola through Corvara and back via Campolongo and Falzarego for ~70 km. I wouldn't recommend the ride from Cortina to Pocol on a bike because it's narrow and busy.

I'm less familiar with routes around Bolzano because I've just ridden into the city twice on the same route and left by car for the Stelvio which is a couple of hours' drive from there.

clutchmarlin
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:28 pm

by clutchmarlin

Thanks so much! Noted about the slow driving. I may do a few rides just to nearby villages to grab morning coffee and back on a few of the days. Just want to make sure I have a couple really memorable rides mixed in as I don't know when I'll be back to this region.

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