Another day without need for too much narrative. After breakfast in our apartment (scrambled eggs, granola, tangerines), we headed back into the Madonie. There aren’t too many paved roads in these mountains, but today’s looks like the natural choice for a day ride from Cefalu. We start climbing almost immediately after leaving town, and other than for a break to change our first flat of the tour, we keep climbing for about ten miles. After topping out at about 2,500’ we bump our way down again, first dropping to the Isnello River and then climbing a bit on stiffened legs to leave this basin and cross the final ridge to the sea. The final four miles into town are an unpleasant, increasingly crazy ride along the old coast highway, SS113. We end the day as we did last night, dining outdoors at a waterfront restaurant. It’s balmy enough that I break out my short pants for the first time this tour.
The Madonie Mountains offer some of the most spectacular cycling on the island, and if you like mountain roads we really recommend riding this way. If that’s the only reason you come to this part of the island though, Cefalu is probably not the base of choice - it’s too hard to bike into and out of, and its a bit too far away (for our older drive trains, at least) to make it into the highest, most spectacular part of the range. You’d be better off staying in one of the Petralias, or Castelbuono, or maybe Geraci Siculo. For an idea of what you might see in the higher southern part of the range, here is our loop ride to Piana Battaglia from our previous tour of Sicily.
There are other reasons to come to Cefalu than just for the rides though. Tomorrow we’ll leave the bikes behind and explore why Cefalu is one of the most popular towns in Sicily.
We leave the city at about ten, with the first sunbathers claiming their spot on the beach. Warm and windless, it looks like an excellent day for a ride.
On the outskirts of town, we reach the turnoff for route 136 and immediately start climbing. In no time at all we start getting decent views back to the coast.
Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetIt was pretty steep, but not terrible. Rachael thought it was especially so, and was relieved to find out it was just because her tire was flattening. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
With one flat in the first month, we can hardly complain. The conditions are certainly favorable enough too - this could have happened on our windy ride to Petralia Sottana.
I’m looking for the flattening agent, but don’t manage to find it. I hate that - I’m always fearful that we’ll change the tube and flatten again five minutes later.
Halfway into the ride, we top out at 2,500’. Looking east and down the Isnello River valley, I think we can just make out Castelbuono through the haze.
A last look at Isnello, from the north. The river drops into the gorge just to the left of the village, but it’s hard to imagine where from this angle.
This was another exhilarating descent, on a tour that has been full of them. This is such a long hairpin, that we could see coming ever since we crossed over the saddle on the left.
We’re still about six miles from town. We’ll be on this little road for two of them but the last four will be on the highway - busy, loud, a bit unpleasant. Cefalu is surrounded by some spectacular rides, but you first have to get out of town to enjoy them.
