May – October
Ride the highlights of our playground across two totally diverse alpine mountain ranges with full support from our Mercedes Vito Tourer vans and Bergtec trailers. You can custom your trip to include endless days of shuttling or more adventure based riding. We’ll take you along breathtaking ridgelines to the highest point of Tuscany at 2.050m, and to some of the finest rollercoaster trails above the coast, ending by the sea to round up the Mediterranean experience. This week has it all!
Apennine Big Mountain Days
Riding in the Tuscan Apennines is all about having backcountry adventures and descending on never-ending ridgelines with high meadow natural single tracks. With great vehicle access we can easily get you and the bikes right to the heart of the action. You will typically spend the morning above the tree line before descending into one of our four custom built trail and shuttle locations to finish the day off with.
Apuan Alps Coastal Marble Mountains
The famous Marble Mountains of Massa-Carrara are renowned for both their beauty and incredible trails that head down to the coast. Here we have two very different sides of the mountain range to play with which both offer a totally diverse riding experience. Our valley side is home to long winding ancient pathways in stunning oak and chestnut forests that we have revived, whilst the coastal side offers rugged custom built Enduro madness tracks that blast through the marble mines and down to the Mediterranean beaches.
EXPERIENCE THE GARFAGNANA
The Garfagnana is the valley situated in between the Apennines and Apuan Alps and is the heart of all our riding and our base. This huge area starts just north of Lucca and Pisa and is close to the coast. It gives you every type of terrain and riding possible, creating a unique mountain bike playground.
Take a look at the stunning scenery, landscape and the riding we have to offer here in this video we did with ABUS and Flamingo Films a few years ago. It gives you a taster from our highest peaks to the coastal trails and the beach.
If you have any further questions regarding the tour or how to book with us, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@ridgeline.bike.
THE RIDING
Who’s it for?
You love natural techy single tracks, and the challenge of switchbacks. You enjoy some purpose-built roller-coaster trail centers to finish the day off. You don’t mind some pedalling and potentially a bit of hike-a-bike, to earn some of the longest most rewarding descents in Tuscany.
This trip is very customisable and we can take advantage of the vans and trailers to ensure the pedalling is kept to a minimum if you desire. We can spend most of the trip shuttling or incorporating more backcountry style riding, it’s your choice!
E-Bike?
All our trips are suitable for e-Bikes too. Find out more about our love and offer for e-Biking.
Accommodation
You’ll be based at our main base, a traditional family-run Agriturismo with its own big pool and restaurant in the heart of the Garfagnana valley. Find out more on our Accommodation page.
PACKAGE DEAL
€1.295 fully inclusive package*
- 7 nights at Agriturismo
- 5 days of fully customisable riding
- 7 x continental breakfast and 2-course dinner with unlimited Chianti & beer
- Private shuttle & airport transfers (to and from Pisa airport)
- Access to full workshop, bike lock, and wash facilities
*This price is based on:
- A group size of 5-7 or 10-12 people.
- Two people of the same group sharing a spacious mezzanine room or a small apartment (with separate beds). Single rooms are available at an extra fee. Contact us for more details.
Individuals and smaller groups
Our package prices are usually based on bookings from groups between 5-12 people. If you are a couple or you can’t get a group of minimum 5 riding buddies together, please check out or Open Invitation Weeks or get in touch to see if we can team you up with a group for your preferred dates.
FAQ
How much climbing is involved in a day?
The riding in the Apennines and Apuan Alps is incredibly diverse, from open fast flowing runs to steep rocky technical descents by the coast. You can expect to be climbing a minimum of 500m a day and to up to 2.000m if desired, but expect an average of about 1.000m per day. Hike a bike and some pushing to get you to the endless descents is always part of our backcountry adventure.
Please note that most of the days can be modified with the amount of climbing and level of shuttle support. However, be prepared to put in the climbs to be rewarded of being in some of the most beautiful remote peaks that hardly anyone ventures to.
How much support will be provided during these backcountry days?
Our Mercedes Vito Tourer vans and Bergtec trailers will shuttle you from our base in the valley every morning, and bring you back to base at the end of the day. Although some tours allow you to ride directly back to base and no van is needed after the first drop-off in the morning. However, the van and trailer will be on hand every day to help out with any carrying of kit or emergency help, and we keep a full mobile workshop and mechanical spares kit where ever we go.
The remote mountain hut is only accessible by foot or bike, so we will be self-sufficient for this part of the week. But we use the vans and trailer to help with carrying your equipment until the final climb to the mountain hut, so you can ride light and enjoy the descents to the max. The it will be there in the morning after the main descent, so you don’t need to carry your beach gear and spare riding clothes for the overnight stop.
How does the accommodation look like?
Ridgeline’s guests are all based together in the beautiful Agriturismo Venturo for most of the nights, situated in the heart of the Garfagnana Valley. The Agriturismo comes with three guesthouses, a restaurant, a big outdoor pool. You will stay in spacious mezzanine bedrooms that are equipped with a living and kitchen area and en-suite bathroom.
The night at the mountain hut is a unique and incredible experience. Overlooking the Mediterranean and only accessible by foot or bike, it really is a remote location. However the Rifugio does have a small kitchen that the owners will use to cook up dinner for you and can cater for all dietary reuirrements. Ther is also an integrated bar stocking the essential beers and refreshments.
The sleeping is basic and contained to one large room with bunkbeds that sleeps around 30 people. Sheets and bed covers are provided free of charge. There is the option of a slightly smaller room if people prefer a bit more privacy that sleeps 6. Showers and wash rooms are available with showers costing an extra €5. Charging for phones and e-Bikes are also available.
You can find more details and images about the Agriturismo and mountain hut here on our Accommodation page.
What kind of food is offered and included in the package?
The restaurant of the Agriturismo is locally famed for its traditional food. In the morning you can enjoy a full continental breakfast, including the famous Italian coffee to kick start your day. Back after riding in the evening, a typical Tuscan and locally sourced two-course dinner with complimentary wine and water, will be served, all included in your package.
For lunch we usually stop at one of the local restaurants where you can expect to pay around €15-20 for a midday meal (not included in our package).
What about bike storage and accessibility to tools for maintenance of bikes?
Incorporated into the Agriturismo we have built a fully private, lockable professional bike storage and maintenance garage. Everything you need to build and maintain your bike is available to you 24/7 with our full Park Tool set-up, air compressor and jet wash area. The garage is located directly next to your private guesthouse, which means you are never more than a few metres away from your loved one!
Can I do this trip also on an e-bike?
Absolutely. We offer the same package also specifically for e-bikes. Please read more here on our e-Bike page.
Can the riding be customised to fit the skills and fitness of our group/riders?
Yes. We have the option to customise your tour to meet your fitness, preferred riding and amount of uplift support you wish for the trip. Due to our vast and diverse playground, we have the option to either focus on ensuring you spend the whole day in the backcountry with only pedal power to get you through, or the van and trailer can support during the day.
We normally plan on one overnight stop as part of this tour, but we have the flexibility to add another overnight stop in another mountain hut, or to add an extra day of riding to maximise your time on the bike for your trip with us. Just get in touch and we can plan your week together: info@ridgeline.bike
Do you offer alpine riding coaching?
Definitely. Everyone should have the chance to hone their Alpine skills whilst on a riding holiday and in this unique environment. Our guides provide free tutorials to coach and improve techniques like switchbacks, manuals, vision and trail awareness, but also basic suspension and bike set-up advice.
