Cycling around Lake Garda

inkyfingers · January 2010

I'm off to Malcesine on the shore of Lake Garda for a week in early May. It's not a cycling holiday as such but hoping to persuade the girlfriend to do a couple of days cycling. I have seen quite a few good bits about mountain biking in the area but can anyone suggest a place that hires road bikes in the area and can anyone suggest any good routes? Thanks in advance!

andymiller · January 2010

Might be worth doing a search. I've a feeling someone asked exactly that question a while ago.

dilemna · January 2010

Lake Garda is a beautiful area. May is the best month IMHO. Warm in the day, but can be cold at night and yet not too busy if early May.

Malcesine is on the Eastern side just north of Mt Baldo. The views in May will be stunning. The air will be really clean and the skies deep blue and hopefully snow still on the mountains. Beautiful.

However don't cycle along the main roads around the Lake, particularly on a sunday when the Italians from Brescia and Verona go out to the Lake for the day..... in their cars at F1 speeds.

On the western side the traffic can be very heavy and some of the Italians really put their foot down - lethal. Lots of blind bends and one quite a long tunnel half way up on the western side toward Riva del Garda at the northern tip.

If you want to get away from the Lake into the hills on the western side then the roads can be near vertical and you WILL need a mountain bike. The terrain is a bit more forgiving and lower on the eastern side which you will be on. You should have beautiful views of the snow capped mountains on the Western side and behind up toward the Trentino range. I can't remember Malcesine itself more the western side but the east side can be quieter. All the towns are beautifully preserved, chuches and piazzas and there are some stunning properties. I think the water front at Malcesine gives a tremdous view of the Lake and the mountains on the western side. Hopefully your hotel has a lakeside view.

As I say Riva at the northern end of the Lake is very pretty as is the road approaching it on the western side which is cut into the rock face of the mountains. Quite a few longish tunnels not all lit either. Riva is a windsurfing hotspot although maybe not be quite so early in May. It's surrounded by mountains and of course sits at the top of the Lake.

I would have thought you could hire bikes in Malcesine, if not, up at Riva, Torbole or back down at Garda or even on the southern tip Desenzano which is a bit larger. Sirmione just nearby, is on a peninsula jutting out into the Lake which is very pretty.

On the south western shores around Manerbo, Salo and Toscolano it is very pretty indeed but is very expensive and can be very busy as it is close to Brescia and Verona.
You can get to the lake at most towns around the lake and hire canoes/kyaks which is worth doing, although bear in mind the Lake is huge and out in the middle you can get quite strong winds and choppy waters. However many stretches of the beach are private and Italians are strict on security. Within minutes the carabineri could turn up waving machine guns. I experienced a number of road blocks, Italian job stylee when I was there. The Carabinieri don't mess around like our police.

Northwest of Lake Garda toward the Swiss border near Bormio is the Stelvio Pass 48 hair pin bends one after the other and unfortunately given wide publicity by Top Gear and repeated ad infinitum on Dave.

Have a great time as I am sure you will. Take a set of smart clothes and classy shades for when eating out and promenading as Italians like to dress up especially on a sunday when the whole family goes out together. It is fairly rich area but appears deceptively relaxed. Both Verona and Brescia are worth taking a good look around.

eskimo Joe · January 2010

[http://www.allmountainexperience.com/Location-Information/Lake-Garda-Italy/bike-shops.html has alist of bike shops . I hired a road bike from the shop in Arco , which is about 6k north of Riva del garda .
I would also not recommend cycling around the Lake , but you can take the ferrys across the lake . I cant remember any routes but I left from Riva del `Garda and just went up the mountains the same from Limone .

Fogliettaz · January 2010

I cycled round the lake last July from Garda down the Eastern side across on the ferry and back up the Western side which was truly terrifying, lots of tunnels some unlit it was approx 60 miles. If I was you I would forget the road and take a mountain bike and tour some of the trails around Malcansine and Riva which are fantastic

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php

mcj78 · January 2010

I was there a couple of years ago and saw loads of what seemed like pro mtb teams training around the area, as mentioned before the roads round the lake are mostly single lane each way & populated by a mix of tour buses & high end sports cars whoring it round - seen one guy very nearly park his 911 turbo in the lake on a sharp bend much to the amusement of our bus. Think it was the same bit a stunt driver parked an aston martin during the filming of the last Bond flick. So yeah, as mentioned above - I personally wouldn't fancy taking a road bike round the West side i'm afraid - good luck if you decide to go for it though!

We stayed in Limone, which is directly across from the mountain - good for a day trip if you fancy a quiet day - ferries run frequently from a few towns on the lake so it's easy to get around.

Also - you can take a mountain bike on the gondola to the top of Mt Baldo & enjoy a leisurely couple of hours coming back down - the scenery is pretty stunning & the goats are cool too...

Have fun!

goats on mt baldo

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1 ... =530751506

goat on mt baldo

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1 ... =530751506

inkyfingers · January 2010

Thanks for all the info and links, lots to think about there.

Just need to lose a few kgs put on over the winter now!!!

Alex_Gill · January 2010

May is probably the best time to be going.
earlier in the year it's way colder, and in the summer you have the catabatic and anabatic winds which can be blowing constantly 35 mph + if the conditions are right.
I've done a few sailing competitions out there and just cycling to the club you'd get annoyed with the headwind. there are some wide-ish paths that you can ride on on the Malchesine side, but there are a lot of pedestrians too, and people doing some kind of summer cross country ski thing with rollerblades and ski poles. Wierd.

pickled · January 2010

I'd recommend hiring a mountain bike and taking it up Mount Baldo.
You can hire reasonable hard tails from a shop on the approach to the cable car from Malcesina. Pick up the trial map and off you go.
There are a few routes up there that go down the back side and round toward the top of the Lake. It's part road, part pasture, with a little single track. The views are stunning everywhere.
You'll eventually come out in Torbole. From there catch the Ferry back to Malcesina.
Saw plenty of cyclists on that road but because of the tunnels there was no way I was riding on them!
My wife and I had a great day out, although we did get lost... The trial map isn't the most clear.

mercsport · January 2010

Have just spotted this thread and am mildly surprised that no one has suggested the old road out of Riva up to Lago di Ledro (or beyond). It's a delight.

Get off the ferry from Malcesine at Riva (about a half hour), turn left and up the obvious ascending road opposite the electric station at the cliff base and on the lakeside road. pretty soon you are riding the old road chiselled out of the verticality. This road and a series of short old tunnels on rough unmade road ultimately brings you to the Val di Ledro, where, higher up becomes a tarmac surface and hairpinning up to the village of Ledro. Mostly, wherever you are on this road the views are sensational. At one point there is a point which feels as if it's a thousand feet up and, leaning over the parapet, you could simply let go of a stone and it would drop perfectly onto the lake road far below.

Again, about half way up there is a junction which takes you across to the south side of the valley and the opposing cliff face. Never been across at that point but have noticed hordes of mtb's head that way.

First time I came across this road was about twenty years ago and on a touring bike. Had to duck under the 'road closed' barrier and another great fenced gate half way down, and the last couple of miles was akin to the local council tip, because that's exactly what it was. But it's all been cleaned up. And now there are lots of walkers and mtb's. Though last time, about 6 years ago, we did it on skinny wheeled racers ( mine with panniers).

Incidentally have cycled the lengths of both sides of the lake. In summer, East side : busy. West side : not so busy.

Incidentally, just along from Riva is Torbole and the home of Mecki's the 'Best F****ing Bike Shop in the World" (self proclaimed, of course). It is, in fact, very good. They'd sort you out with hire bikes and lots of local info on the best biking around, should you need it. Ivan, a past olympic champion is very approachable.

The YT vid , which looks to be a bit of 'production' and I haven't watched entirely, shows a lot of the road from a the air ( hang/para glider?).

http://www.mecki.com/homepage_eng.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9M33_ai ... re=related

Cycling around Lake Garda

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