Blog Archive

With a new year rolling in and another unforgettable cycling season on the horizon, we decided it was time for an upgrade. We are proud to announce the launch of our brand new Bike It! Bellagio website!

Over the past year, we've hosted riders from around the world on some of the most iconic roads in cycling. From the historic climbs of the Ghisallo to the legendary switchbacks of Lake Lugano. As our community has grown, so has our vision for what Bike It! Bellagio should be online. The new site is faster, easier to navigate, and designed to help you plan your Lake Como cycling adventure with clarity and confidence.

What's New?

A cleaner, modern design that puts the riding experience front and center.

Improved route pages with clearer details and planning information.

Streamlined booking and rental information.

Mobile-first performance so you can explore rides on the go.

Better SEO and site performance to help more riders discover Lake Como.

Whether you're planning a family day trip, group training camp, or a relaxed lakeside ride, everything you need is now just a few clicks away.

Built with Purpose

This website wasn't just redesigned, it was rebuilt from the ground up using modern web technologies to ensure speed, reliability, and long-term scalability.

The site was developed in partnership with NovaStrada Technology, a digital consultancy focused on building high-performance web applications for growing businesses. The goal was simple: create an online experience that matches the quality of the in-person cycling experience.

Because when you're riding around Lake Como, the details matter. And they should matter online, too.

Ride Into the New Season

We're incredibly excited for what's ahead this season: new riders, new climbs, and new memories made on two wheels. Take a look around the new site, explore the routes, and start planning your next adventure in Bellagio.

We'll see you on the road!

Lake Como Views - Bike It Bellagio

Lake Como is home to countless roads that climb from its shores into the surrounding mountains. Some are famous and well known, others are more wild and largely undiscovered. Luca and Alberto have ridden them all; there is no climb around the lake they have not tackled on two wheels. One winter morning, while talking about the endless variety of climbs around Lake Como, they found themselves wondering which one was the toughest. They both had the same answer, but Luca decided to research the details, mapping every climb, one by one, and ranking them using an algorithm designed to measure their level of difficulty.* The result is this definitive ranking of the 10 hardest climbs around Lake Como—with a number one that, interestingly, remains largely unknown to cyclists. (If you would like more ride details and commentary, as well as elevation graphs for all the climbs, please subscribe to our newsletter to obtain the complete article.)

Ranking and Key Stats

Note: Rank 7 includes three climbs starting from Gera Lario (San Bartolomeo, Montemezzo, Monti di Trezzone); they are grouped together because they’re very similar in difficulty and have the same starting point.

1. Bolla del Piazzuscel (from Rezzonico, west side of the lake)

On this climb, it is just you, your bike, and the road. Traffic is almost nonexistent, but your legs will get no real relief. Every now and then, a short stretch seems to offer a moment of relief—but it never really does. Just when you think it is over, the final kilometer somehow manages to make things even worse. At the top, the reward is perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the climb: no bar, no mountain hut, no comforts, and no one there to congratulate you. Just a small lake at the end of the road, nature all around, and the satisfaction of reaching a place that very few riders ever reach. At that point, turn the bike around and head back down, enjoying the views and, above all, the fact that the hardest part is finally behind you.

Lake Como Views - Bike It Bellagio

Bolla del Piazzuscel is the hardest and least-known climb around Lake Como. A perfect climb for riders looking to venture beyond the beaten path: brutally hard, wild, and with a character all its own.

2. Rifugio Venini (from Argegno → San Fedele → Pigra → Venini)

Lots of climbing, lots of effort, but surrounded by the kind of nature you can only dream of from the lake: beech woods, pine forests, lake views—and yes… every now and then you’ll share the road with cows and goats (they usually have a better cadence than we do, but don’t tell them). An endless climb, but so beautiful it will leave you speechless. Reaching the top is a must: the historic Rifugio Venini awaits for food and drink, plus an unbeatable panorama. Note: if you hear cowbells, it’s not your heart-rate monitor malfunctioning.

Lake Como Views - Bike It Bellagio

3. Muro di Sormano—Lombardy’s Classic “Wall” (from Sormano)

The Muro is a legend having been featured multiple times in Il Lombardia; it’s short, insanely steep, and psychological. The Muro isn’t explained—you endure it. It is the toughest bike path in the world, every single meter is marked with progressive altitude, which, more than encouraging, is demoralizing.

Lake Como Views - Bike It Bellagio

4. Alpe Oneda (from Valbrona → Corni di Canzo up to end of asphalt)

From Valbrona toward Alpe Oneda and up, in the direction of Corni di Canzo, Alpe Oneda is a climb that really grinds you down. Biting gradients, broken rhythm, and lots of mountain around you—the perfect test for anyone who loves tough ascents with very few “easy” sections. Just before the halfway point, you’ll find a barrier that forbids cars. Go past it and keep suffering!

5. Alpe Giumello (from Bellano → Vendrogno → Giumello)

When you climb Alpe Giumello from the lake via Vendrogno, meter by meter, the altitude and kilometers start to weigh on you. Giumello is a proper climb: long, steady, but never boring. It is ideal if you want a complete “climb,” with a crazy-good panorama and almost no traffic.

6. Roccoli Lorla (from Dervio → Rifugio Roccoli Lorla parking, Lavadè)

When you climb Alpe Giumello from the lake via Vendrogno, meter by meter, the altitude and kilometers start to weigh on you. Giumello is a proper climb: long, steady, but never boring. It is ideal if you want a complete “climb,” with a crazy-good panorama and almost no traffic.

7. The Gera Lario “Triple” (climbs similar difficulty with the same starting point)

7(a) San Bartolomeo (from Gera Lario → San Bartolomeo up to end of asphalt)

Part of the Gera Lario “Triple,” San Bartomoleo is the queen of the three, for both beauty and difficulty. You climb with purpose on a road that gains altitude above the Alto Lario: narrow and raw, with countless lake views—especially near the top. This climb is great for training rhythm and endurance on gradients that don’t forgive distractions.

7(b) Montemezzo (from Gera Lario → Montemezzo up to end of asphalt)

The Montemezzo climb shares the first part with San Bartolomeo—same base, same effort, at this point twin climbs! The middle section is the hardest; the final section is the most beautiful! The panorama over the upper lake is wonderful.

7(c) Monti di Trezzone (from Gera Lario → Monti di Trezzone up to end of asphalt)

Third of the “Gera Lario” group, Monti di Trezzone has the same area, same hard, steady climb. Monti di Trezzone is less famous but very real—shorter, but with nasty pitches here and there and plenty of proper climbing right to the end of the asphalt.

8. Cremia-Canua (end of asphalt)

From San Vito, the climb enters the woods and points toward Rifugio La Canua. It’s a secluded, very quiet road; the idea is to keep going until the asphalt ends. If you’re on a road bike, no hut: for that you’ll need an MTB (or a gravel bike if you’re in great shape). Note: Car access can be regulated; by bike you can pass without problems, cars not always (of course this is better for cyclists!). Up here the climb is silent, until your inner commentary starts.

9. Cainallo (from Olginate → Cainallo up to end of asphalt)

Cainallo is a tough climb... Serious kilometers, altitude that keeps rising, and a finale for real climbers. After you finish, it’s worth continuing up to nearby Passo Agueglio. The view is worth it!

10. SuperSuperGhisallo (from Bellagio → SuperSuperGhisallo up to end of asphalt)

The SuperSuperGhisallo is our “home climb,” as it starts right from the shop. This is the perfect “summary” of Lake Como. In 12 km you get the jump from “Bellagio chaos” to real silence; the transition from olive trees and lake light to pine forests and mountain air; beautiful lake views. If you want to start understanding Lake Como in cyclist mode, this is the intensive course.

Lake Como Views - Bike It Bellagio

It’s time to identify the 10 most iconic climbs in the Lake Como area (within 15 km of its shores, to be precise!). Obviously, there’s little to debate about the number-one spot, and overall there’s not much to debate about the podium either! The other climbs are included for their historical importance in professional cycling races (Il Lombardia and the Giro d’Italia above all). The list follows. (If you’d like more detail on each climb, subscribe to our newsletter.)

1. Madonna del Ghisallo

Ghisallo is the signature climb of cycling on Lake Como: a name that, in the racing world, is immediately associated with Il Lombardia, a must-see moment in every Il Lombardia.

Madonna del Ghisallo

2. Muro di Sormano

After Ghisallo, the Muro is the most common pass when talking about cycling on the lake. It’s a steep climb, with gradients of 18% up to 25% in one part, with the altitude painted meter by meter.

Muro di Sormano

3. Civiglio

As of recent years, Civiglio is the true “classic” finale when Il Lombardia finishes in Como. A tough climb, almost constantly around double-digit gradients, and just a few kilometers from the finish.

4. La Valfresca (San Fermo)

Even though it’s a fairly short climb and not particularly hard, the Valfresca/San Fermo della Battaglia ramp has been decisive more than once in recent years during Il Lombardia with a Como finish.

5. La Nesso (Colma di Sormano from Nesso

The ascent to Colma di Sormano is a new entry into Il Lombardia from the Bellagio side, we’re talking about 13 demanding kilometers of persistent climbing. Try your own climbing time and let’s see how you do.

6. Piani Resinelli

This was a tourist hub for Milanese visitors in the 1960s during the economic boom, but today it is a benchmark climb for cyclists, with fairly regular gradients and plenty of numbered hairpins that are a real pleasure to ride.

7. Valico di Valcava

A climb just south of Lecco and a link to the Bergamo area, it was an important feature of Il Lombardia in the mid/late 1980s.

8. Passo San Marco

Though not exactly on the lake (starting in Morbegno, about 15 km north of the lake), this is still a famous climb for the area. It’s a must-ride if you’re spending a few days on Lake Como and hungry for a long alpine climb.

9. Villa Vergano ('Strappo dell'Alpino')

A short ascent, but a real mini-Muro (with very steep sections up to 19%), that decided the Il Lombardia finale no fewer than three times, from 2011 to 2013.

10. Colle Brianza and Lissolo

For several years, they were the two decisive climbs when Il Lombardia finished in Milan and Monza. Today they’re less decisive for Il Lombardia, but still key features of the “Brianza classic.” In recent editions, the route regularly includes Colle Brianza in the final circuits—a symbolic climb of Brianza in the Lecco area and beyond.