Castagna Bike on the Road

The “Castagna Bike on the Road” is a bicycle tour that takes place in Lunigiana in May, all on secondary paved roads with little traffic and incredibly scenic views. Suitable for all types of bikes and a dream with the specialissime road bikes! Organized as the little sister of the "Castagna Bike" (the MTB ride that every autumn draws more than 3.000 people to Lunigiana) it is increasingly becoming a "classic."

This is its long route, a perfect full-day road bike outing for those who are physically fit and eager to ride a bike.

The route sums up everything the road cyclist approaches the sport for. Views, gradients and fatigue. The difference in height is accumulated in several tranches, climbs to let the bike chain on the cassette go in search of the leg-saving sprocket. 

We start from the walled village of Filetto, in the municipality of Villafranca Lunigiana, and begin riding toward Bagnone, toward the Apennines and then in the direction of Castello di Bagnone and Licciana Nardi, along a wonderful scenic road with views of the northern walls of the Apuan Alps.

From here, more "eat and drink", woods, bridges and streams as far as Agnino, where 2 kilometers of high grip on the handlebar and short gear ratio begin; it is one of the most challenging stretches of the route, the launching pad to a picture-perfect scenic view. What opens up before the eyes of hikers on narrow wheels is an open view of the three tenors of the Apuan Alps: Pisanino, Pizzo d'Uccello and Monte Sagro. The challenging stretch gives way to less rugged slopes, amid olive groves and small, remote villages.

The second obstacle is a 7 kilometer climb as far as Pognana, the climb is long but we can ride along it on a long gear ratio, in view this time is the GPM (Gran Premio della Montagna). It will be at that point that we go down toward Fivizzano, a long and at times challenging nosedive that requires attention. We then ride back uphill with the climb to Olivola and then Quercia, to return toward the start.