5 Days on E-MTBs Around Lake Como with Bike It Bellagio

Guest Blog by Joanna Howley
If you want an amazing holiday - grab an e-mountain bike from Bike It Bellagio and head for the hills.  We are mum, dad and two boys (17 and 13).  We don’t cycle much although we have been downhill mountain biking in the alps previously.  The bikes were great levellers (the 17yr old pretended he never used turbo, mum and 13yr old loved turbo!).  The routes were spectacular and so quiet. It felt like we were in a forgotten world at times.  It was 32 degrees but we were mostly in the shade / not on hot tarmac so I can honestly say I did not feel hot at all.  The routes avoided all traffic - we were mostly off road and when on roads they were super quiet with little traffic. We visited places we’d never ever have found on our own.  Amazing.

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Here’s how our five-day ride went. 
Day 1: Bellagio → Porlezza
We started in Bellagio, hopped on the ferry to Griante (you need the car ferry for the bikes so the ticket office on the left hand side of Bellagio when looking at the lake).  We started cycling up through little paths and back streets - gorgeous. Soon we were climbing past the Twelve Stations of the Cross. Steep ! There’s a walkers’ path that’s easier — if you’re polite, you can sneak onto it with your bike. At the top sits a small church, nice to look inside… but it’s not the actual top. From there, the real climb begins. Fill up with water. 

The gravel / rocky path just kept going, winding all the way up into the mountains. Gears were essential. My son hadn’t quite mastered them, and turbo mode made it feel like we were flying out of control. Tour or e-MTB mode is better — slower, steadier, and safer on the rocks.

Finally, we reached the top. Huge views, and a rifugio where we tucked into meats and cheese. The ride down? Dreamy smooth road under the trees, all the way to Porlezza.

We celebrated with Aperol and ice cream in Osteno before finishing our route and checking into our accommodation, Antico Crotto on the outskirts of Porlezza. Stunning views, a pool, lots of sun loungers and tables with white tablecloths in a shady garden with a bar - a perfect recovery spot. Getting the bikes up to the accommodation wasn’t easy, and charging the batteries involved some creative sneaking around, but it worked.

Day 2: Porlezza → Colico
After the monster climb on Day 1, this day felt like a holiday. The route in the morning was mostly flat cycle paths and then as we approached the lake (James Bond house) we were pedalling through forgotten little roads, just metres from the water.  We then had a few hours along the lake shore near campsites etc which didn’t have the magic of the mountains but showed us how lucky we were with the rest of the route !
We rolled into Colico and stayed at the Lake Home.  This place had a fantastic bike storage with electric points.
Day 3: Colico → Bellano
We kicked off with breakfast by the lake in Colico, then straight into a five-hour climb. Sounds brutal, but honestly it was amazing. Almost all of it was on shaded trails, off-road, with plenty of water refill stops.  We were then touring through villages high up in the mountains.

By the time we reached the end of the climbing sections, we’d climbed about 6,000 feet. Huge effort, but such a good feeling.  And a smooth road that wound us down the final 20 km into Bellano. Pure joy.

Because the biggest climb was first thing, we did burn through a lot of battery early on so had some range anxiety.  We ended up stopping at a bar and plugging in.  But no stress — the whole final section is always downhill, so no assistance needed. To avoid range anxiety - just keep in a low gear and go in tour or e-MTB mode and save turbo for short bursts. And pack light. My 13yr old is light and has no panniers so he did the whole thing in turbo with no stress ! 

Three bike batteries were removable so easy to charge but the fourth bike did not have a battery key so had to be charged on the bike.  This is fine if you have accommodation on the ground floor where you can sneak a bike in.  In Bellano we were on the second floor but the host let us put our bike in her flat to charge it.  

Day 4: Bellano → Lecco
If Day 3 was incredible, Day 4 somehow topped it. Another 60 km ride with another 6,000 feet of climbing, almost all off-road, almost all in the shade, and barely anyone else around.  Once at the top the mountains were spectacular. It felt like cycling in the Andes. 

After the climb and touring at the top, Luca (route planner) had done it again: a perfectly paved descent waiting for us. This time it was 15 km of hairpins, curling down the mountain. Not a soul around, no traffic — just us and the road. We can’t believe it isn’t on one of those “Top 10 Roads in the World” lists. 

We finished in Lecco, but stayed a little outside town (fine with your e bike !)

Day 5: Lecco → Bellagio
The last day was a little easier — not so much climbing, so we let ourselves use turbo mode more freely to save our legs. Maybe too freely, because my husband rolled into Bike It Bellagio with his battery on zero miles.
It felt brilliant to ride back into Bellagio, after five days, tired but happy.

Final Thoughts
This trip was an adventure we’ll never forget. The bikes were brilliant, the routes Luca gave us were out of this world, and the GPS made it all stress-free — our 17-year-old had the GPS, and we barely missed a turn.  

A few practical notes if you’re thinking of doing the same:

• Food and water : plenty of water refill stops so don’t worry about water.  You won’t get hungry but maybe take some sweets for back up as limited cafes etc on day 1, 3 and 4. 
• Accommodation: let hosts know you’ll have bikes with you and will need to charge them so you don’t feel guilty once you get there ! Try to get bikes where the batteries come off easily so you can charge in your room.  Otherwise you’ll need to park the bike somewhere with access to a plug. ​
• Pack light.  I took a toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, PJ’s, swimmy, dress, flip flops, one spare socks and pants (wash as you go - most places we stayed in had washing machines so we just washed all our cycling kit each day). Phone charger. I’d also take a flannel - to wipe your face dry if you are sweating but also to use as a tiny towel if you swim during the day (we only swam once during the day on day 5).  Things you get given - we took two bikes chargers between four bikes. Locks can attach to bikes. Spare tyres are attached to the bike. Multitools. GPS - we had one between the four of us which worked well.
• In short: an absolutely amazing holiday. Challenging, beautiful, and unforgettable. If you’re looking for the best way to explore Lake Como, this is it.