Ciao Amici,
This is not intended to be a complete guide to Sicilian Cycling Roads. But as Sicilians, we would like to share with you a piece of our knowledge. Riding in Sicily is different from many other places in the world. If you like perfect tarmac and easy conditions maybe the island is not the place for you. You should maybe go to Mallorca or other locations like that.
When we discuss with our guests before they arrive in Sicily they expect flat roads along the coast. Actually, there are many roads like that, but we like to ride something else. Mostly we don’t like to ride where there are cars and where you can go by simply taking a bus or a train. During the Giro d’Italia, all the roads are fixed for the riders so when you see a perfect sleek road it is maybe because of the Giro.
The roads we are going to describe instead are sometimes in the middle of nowhere, a few meters wide, and sometimes with a bad tarmac not intended to please your butt but your soul! Because after you have ridden many kilometers you can say: “this place really deserved all the watts I produced!” These are what we consider the Top Cycling Routes in Sicily. But these are not all of course!
Here in Sicily, you end up riding a road thinking: “Will this street take me somewhere or should I turn my bike a return home?” This is what we like. Riding your bike in the mountains and finally arrive at a place where just a few old men are sitting at the cafe just playing cards and talking about old times. They look at you in your Assos clothes and Colgango bikes and start speaking old Sicilian telling you that 50 years ago they were riders like you. They look at your bike asking “Quantu pisa???” (How much does it weigh?).
We don’t want to drop you a GPX and ride. We want to transfer to you a bit of our culture and habits.
Sicilians have always been open to foreigners. We are a bit Greeks, Romans, French, Arabs, Americans… we have taken a bit of every population that has ruled the island during the centuries. That is what makes us Sicilians.
One question we are always asked. Do I need a Guide to ride these rides? The answer is simple. It depends on how much you want to get while you are riding. If it is just about climbing and watching landscapes then you don’t need it. If instead, you want to ride and during the ride be able to know as much as possible about the area, the Sicilian habits, and so on, then with one of our guides it will be really different. Maybe there is a nice historical building around the corner or a fountain or again you want to understand why we eat granita for breakfast or eat arancino upside down. Having a 100% Sicilian guide will make the difference. Also, our guides are strong, cool, and funny!
Do you want to get the best from your cycling day? Request a Guide!
Do you need a bike?
Anything else? Contact us here!
