Along the Tiber from Umbertide to Montone by mountain bike
Departure and arrival: Umbertide
Distance: 26 km
Difference in altitude: 450 meters
Difficulty: medium
Road surface: 50% dirt, 50% asphalt
See in the area: Umbertide, Montone, Tiber River, Hermitage Montecorona, Rocca d'AriesThe route starts from the center of Umbertide and after climbing for a few kilometers the river Tiber, moves to the hills to reach the charming perched village of Montone, considered one of the "most beautiful villages in Italy". The path can also be interpreted as a continuation of the route that leads to Ponte Pattoli in Umbertide and should be considered of medium difficulty due to several undulations and the slope leading to the center of Montone. With the exception of a particularly steep, in any case, much of the route is easily accessible and also the less fit, if armed with a little 'patience, may be able to complete it without too many worries.
We leave from Piazza Mazzini and head towards the river Tiber where we take the dirt road that goes up the river in the direction of Montone. We ride along the river for about two miles before turning inland and reach the main road that goes from Umbertide to Montone at kilometer 5.5. Here we turn left and immediately after (5.8 km) turn right onto the street to San Lorenzo.
Leave the asphalt to 6.2 km on the left onto a dirt road that runs through hilly fields and left us with a beautiful view of Montone. At kilometer 10, after a short climb, we return on a secondary road and after a short descent brings us back to the main road (km11, 5). We cross the street (paying attention to the traffic) and, taking a new dirt road, we start to climb towards Montone: this is the most difficult part of the route, with the last meters of dirt that are really steep and will force less prepared to set foot to the ground.
Once back on the asphalt (km 12.3), the climb is much sweeter and a little more than a mile lead on the outskirts of Montone, where you must visit the beautiful historic city and where you can enjoy magnificent views of the valleys below. From here we go back down to the tarmac to Umbertide, finding the dirt road at kilometer 18.7, when we turn to the right after a bend to the left. From this point on we cycle always in plain between a maze of streets, alternating asphalt and dirt, until you return to the long Tiber (km 23). From here retrace the first part of and go back to Piazza Mazzini, a few meters from the Medieval Castle and the city center. "