Travel | Cedric Gracia & Jordi Bago at the Rincine Trail Area
Nestled in the mountainous region of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi in Italy, is the Rincine Trail Area. With such a vast landscape and according to the video below, home to equally as diverse trails, you’d expect this little slice of heaven to be a renowned mountain biking hotspot, especially as it’s only an hour out of Florence. Cedric Gracia and Jordi Bago were invited to shred the trails on Santa Cruz test bikes, available courtesy of Rincine Trail Area and shuttles from the guys at Firenze Freeride. Lucky them!
Not only does the area hold some beautifully maintained trails, but also a little taste of authentic Italian culture, with a typical family run restaurant where the delights of the region can be sought after. If that’s not your cup of tea, you’re a lover of the great outback and seeking a more ‘get to know yourself’ adventure, a camping area is hidden amongst the squealing brakes and hollering of trail enthusiasts from the world-over…
The trails start about 200 meters away from the center of the park near the restaurant and supermarket, with all available info from signs and maps to technical difficulty and descending meters. Not bad that they had each trail personally guided from the local guys from Firenze Freeride, too!
Unlike a lot of bike parks, every trail has different levels and terrains, with some of the Enduro trails having over 8 minutes of riding, plus, it’s clear that Rincine Trail Area has thought of everything, with rest areas to wait for your shuttle at the end of each run.
“Cedric and I love one trail which has open areas with rocks, fast and lose. There’s just so much fun riding it! Also the switchbacks provide a lot of flow and speed, twinned with many natural jumps, which you don’t find anywhere else”
Jordi uses the new Anywhre app which tracks all the trails he rides, (much like Strava, just more advanced and directed towards mountain bikers) which can be accessed by any riders who are bored of their local trails and fancy a change. It’s currently not yet released, but it’s one to watch out for! For more info on the app, just view our post: enduro-mtb.com
After a nice day of riding and fun, great meals were waiting for us in the restaurant!
For more info, visit: firenzefreeride.org
Words: Jordi Bago & Andrew Richardson Photos: Courtesy of Firenze Freeride