The CyclingHero Journal
Cycling Tips, Destination Guides and Rider Stories from Northern Italy
Discover expert advice, iconic routes, and real rider experiences from the Dolomites, Stelvio, Piedmont, Tuscany, and beyond. Get inspired, plan smarter, and start shaping your next unforgettable CyclingHero adventure.
March 25, 2026 · Bob Rogers
(Updated July 22, 2026)
The Best Gravel Rides in Northern Italy
Five standout loop routes across the Dolomites, Prosecco Hills, Venice Lagoon, Asiago Plateau and Val d’Orcia (Siena) — with route stats, GPX files, seasonal advice and logistics for every ride.
February 16, 2026 · Togo Keynes
(Updated July 22, 2026)
How to Build Real Climbing Strength After 40 when You Live Somewhere Flat
After coaching endurance cyclists who are over 40 for many years, I can say this with confidence: Climbing performance is far more about how you train than where you train.
October 30, 2025 · Susan Rand
(Updated February 1, 2026)
Maratona dles Dolomites: The Indescribable Allure of the World’s Most Stunning Gran Fondo
Captivating, magnificent, breathtaking, fun, grueling, overwhelming, jaw-dropping are but a small sampling of words that have been used to describe Italy’s most incomparable amateur cycling event.
August 5, 2025 · Caterina Biffis
(Updated February 1, 2026)
What a Ride! Highlights from Our Epic 2025 Maratona dles Dolomites Adventure
There’s a reason the Maratona dles Dolomites is one of the most coveted cycling events in the world. It’s not just the legendary climbs, like the Passo Sella, Pordoi, or Giau, or the staggering beauty of the Dolomites.
June 14, 2025 · Caterina Biffis
(Updated February 1, 2026)
Cycling in the Land of Venice and the Prosecco Hills: A Love Story on Two Wheels
They say you only really get to know a place when you leave it.
I was born in Treviso, a small city just north of Venice, surrounded by gentle hills, quiet roads, and a culture steeped in wine, food, and an incredible cycling tradition.
May 29, 2025 · Bob Rogers
(Updated February 1, 2026)
Top 5 Questions About Road Bike Gearing & Shifting Answered
If you’ve been riding at least for a little while, you’ve probably had a problem with inadequate gearing or a dropped chain. In comparison to other actions taken on a bike such as braking, steering or pedaling, shifting is a bit more, shall we say, ‘shifty’.
April 18, 2025 · Ermanno Rambelli
(Updated February 1, 2026)
Epic Bike Tours in Piedmont: Our Top-pick Routes with GPX & Insider Tips
It's hard to stand out in a country as beautiful as Italy, but Piedmont is truly unique...Prepare to be blown away: majestic mountains, rolling hills, quiet roads, breathtaking landscapes...
March 14, 2025 · Landry Bobo
(Updated February 1, 2026)
Descending like a boss: Mastering Italy's Hairpin Turns and Mountain Roads
In this article, Landry Bobo shares his top tips for safe and fast descents while cycling in the Dolomites or other mountainous areas.
February 20, 2025 · Bob Rogers
(Updated July 22, 2026)
Best Cycling Routes in the Dolomites: 5 Epic Bucket List Routes with GPX & Insider Tips
The Dolomites are widely recognized as a dream destination for cyclists. Having ridden there regularly for the last 10 years, I can definitely vouch for that: fantastic roads, unbelievable scenery, challenging but not impossible climbs, all steeped in Giro d’Italia lore...
January 13, 2025 · Vint Schoenfeldt
(Updated February 1, 2026)
How to Master the Maratona dles Dolomites: A Guide to Preparation, Training, and Performing
Imagine this: it’s a beautiful morning in July, the sun is rising over the surrounding jagged limestone peaks, the cool mountain air is filling your lungs, media helicopters are hovering overhead for race coverage, and you’re surrounded by 9000 cyclists...
November 15, 2024 · Bob Rogers
(Updated February 1, 2026)
Want to crush your next challenging cycling trip? You need to get S.M.A.R.T.
Yes, it’s really that simple.
I’ll start with a confession: I haven’t been on my bike for the last four days. I don’t have a good excuse. The weather was fine, I’m not suffering from any ailment, and I had the time. What I didn’t have, however, was a reason...
April 26, 2024 · Togo Keynes
(Updated July 22, 2026)
Conquering the Passes: How to Climb More Efficiently on the Bike
Many cyclists have a love-hate relationship with climbing but as much as slogging up a steep hill or long alpine climb can be really tough, the sense of achievement is usually well worth the effort.
February 26, 2024 · Susan Rand
(Updated July 22, 2026)
A First Person Look Inside a Self-Guided Cycling Trip in Northern Italy
We asked a couple of our recent guests to share some thoughts with us about their experience cycling through the Veneto and the Prosecco Hills during their trip with us so that we could share their experience with others considering a self-guided cycling trip with CyclingHero.
March 1, 2023 · Joe Laverick
(Updated July 22, 2026)
Go by Bike
To me, it’s many things: discovery, freedom, enjoyment, pain, exploration, emotion and excitement. It is the humble bicycle that has allowed me to see thousands of kilometres of backroads around tens of different countries.
February 17, 2023 · Caterina Biffis
(Updated July 22, 2026)
The New Girona? We Have a Candidate, and the (Weather) Data Agrees…
A look into data: why ride around Treviso when Girona and Mallorca are calling?
Treviso, Veneto, Northern Italy. The home of Pinarello, gateway to the Prosecco Valley, and at the doorstep of the Dolomites.
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