Electrically assisted bikes to move freely from one arrival station of the 4 cableways to the other, at 2,000 meters
Magnetic card on the reader; unhook the bicycle; get in the saddle and go. Nothing strange for the increasing number of users of bike sharing services in dozens of Italian and European cities. But there are no trams and asphalt, smog and pirate drivers here. They are not there because we are at 1980 meters above sea level, at the arrival station of the Col Alt cable car, in Alta Badia, in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, and the vertical walls of Sassongher and Sella are witnessing the scene, not those of banks and offices. On Saturday 7 July, the first high-altitude bike sharing service in the world will officially start and Repubblica.it was able to test it on the eve of it, while the latest technical checks were still in progress.
«Yes, we are the first. And you think that the idea came to me … on the sea. We were in Hamburg, it was raining and we had to move quickly. I saw that bike sharing bikes were a very convenient means of transport and … the light bulb went on ». Andy Varallo, son of the ski champion of the 70s, president of the SkiCarosello consortium – which owns 29 lifts in Alta Badia – and vice president of Dolomiti Superski is enthusiastic and satisfied. «It is a new element for our tourist offer. We address first of all to those looking for a comfortable way to move on “our” plateau and then to those who want to try the pleasure of pedaling in the mountains, on easy routes and with the help of the electric motor ». Yes, because the bicycles are electric, that is, equipped with a motor that “assists” the pedaling and the six-speed gearbox.
But how does the service work and what is innovative compared to traditional rentals (dolomitebiking.com is recommended in the area)? First of all, the vehicle is withdrawn at high altitude and not downstream. The Alta Badia plateau is reached by four lifts (Piz Sorega, Piz la Villa, Col Alt and Pralongià) which start respectively from San Cassiano, La Villa, Corvara and from the Campolongo pass.
Electrically assisted bikes to move freely from one arrival station of the 4 cableways to the other, at 2,000 meters
Magnetic card on the reader; unhook the bicycle; get in the saddle and go. Nothing strange for the increasing number of users of bike sharing services in dozens of Italian and European cities. But there are no trams and asphalt, smog and pirate drivers here. They are not there because we are at 1980 meters above sea level, at the arrival station of the Col Alt cable car, in Alta Badia, in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, and the vertical walls of Sassongher and Sella are witnessing the scene, not those of banks and offices. On Saturday 7 July, the first high-altitude bike sharing service in the world will officially start and Repubblica.it was able to test it on the eve of it, while the latest technical checks were still in progress.
«Yes, we are the first. And you think that the idea came to me … on the sea. We were in Hamburg, it was raining and we had to move quickly. I saw that bike sharing bikes were a very convenient means of transport and … the light bulb went on ». Andy Varallo, son of the ski champion of the 70s, president of the SkiCarosello consortium – which owns 29 lifts in Alta Badia – and vice president of Dolomiti Superski is enthusiastic and satisfied. «It is a new element for our tourist offer. We address first of all to those looking for a comfortable way to move on “our” plateau and then to those who want to try the pleasure of pedaling in the mountains, on easy routes and with the help of the electric motor ». Yes, because the bicycles are electric, that is, equipped with a motor that “assists” the pedaling and the six-speed gearbox.
But how does the service work and what is innovative compared to traditional rentals (dolomitebiking.com is recommended in the area)? First of all, the vehicle is withdrawn at high altitude and not downstream. The Alta Badia plateau is reached by four lifts (Piz Sorega, Piz la Villa, Col Alt and Pralongià) which start respectively from San Cassiano, La Villa, Corvara and from the Campolongo pass.
Magnetic card on the reader; unhook the bicycle; get in the saddle and go. Nothing strange for the increasing number of users of bike sharing services in dozens of Italian and European cities. But there are no trams and asphalt, smog and pirate drivers here. They are not there because we are at 1980 meters above sea level, at the arrival station of the Col Alt cable car, in Alta Badia, in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, and the vertical walls of Sassongher and Sella are witnessing the scene, not those of banks and offices. On Saturday 7 July, the first high-altitude bike sharing service in the world will officially start and Repubblica.it was able to test it on the eve of it, while the latest technical checks were still in progress.
«Yes, we are the first. And you think that the idea came to me … on the sea. We were in Hamburg, it was raining and we had to move quickly. I saw that bike sharing bikes were a very convenient means of transport and … the light bulb went on ». Andy Varallo, son of the ski champion of the 70s, president of the SkiCarosello consortium – which owns 29 lifts in Alta Badia – and vice president of Dolomiti Superski is enthusiastic and satisfied. «It is a new element for our tourist offer. We address first of all to those looking for a comfortable way to move on “our” plateau and then to those who want to try the pleasure of pedaling in the mountains, on easy routes and with the help of the electric motor ». Yes, because the bicycles are electric, that is, equipped with a motor that “assists” the pedaling and the six-speed gearbox.
But how does the service work and what is innovative compared to traditional rentals (dolomitebiking.com is recommended in the area)? First of all, the vehicle is withdrawn at high altitude and not downstream. The Alta Badia plateau is reached by four lifts (Piz Sorega, Piz la Villa, Col Alt and Pralongià) which start respectively from San Cassiano, La Villa, Corvara and from the Campolongo pass.
You go up with one of the lifts (in the summer there are a total of 13 operating in the area, integrated in the Dolomiti SuperSummer package) and in each arrival station there is a rack with four flashy yellow electric bikes. We contact the employee who, having acquired the identity document and entered the data in a server, issues a magnetic card and gives you a helmet (rental included in the price). At this point you are faced with the undulating elevations between woods and meadows crossed by tens of km of perfectly maintained dirt roads, always between 1900 and 2000 meters above sea level, and you only have to decide the time to devote to the trip …
Comfortable and robust with an 8-speed gearbox, the bicycles remain bicycles even if equipped with an electric motor. Which will delight those who are accustomed to mountain biking but who must not deceive those who were not practical with bikes and had the illusion of proceeding without tiring. However, the vehicle turns out to be within everyone’s reach. Advice? The departure from Col Alt is a very steep descent but non-experts and more insecure can easily proceed by hand for a hundred meters; never get caught up in speed downhill; get familiar with the skills of the electric motor before tackling a real climb; do not feel humiliated if you have to go down and push on the steepest walls (always very short). After that bike sharing has all the credentials to become a must in one of the most beautiful areas of the Dolomites which already has a very wide range of offers and services …
But let’s go back to bike sharing as our tour is coming to an end. In the four high-altitude stations it is good to know that as many free changing rooms are available which contribute to making this area a sort of open-air gym. And for those who, despite everything, are in serious trouble or are the victim of an electric bike breakdown, an emergency toll-free number will be available.
You go up with one of the lifts (in the summer there are a total of 13 operating in the area, integrated in the Dolomiti SuperSummer package) and in each arrival station there is a rack with four flashy yellow electric bikes. We contact the employee who, having acquired the identity document and entered the data in a server, issues a magnetic card and gives you a helmet (rental included in the price). At this point you are faced with the undulating elevations between woods and meadows crossed by tens of km of perfectly maintained dirt roads, always between 1900 and 2000 meters above sea level, and you only have to decide the time to devote to the trip …
Comfortable and robust with an 8-speed gearbox, the bicycles remain bicycles even if equipped with an electric motor. Which will delight those who are accustomed to mountain biking but who must not deceive those who were not practical with bikes and had the illusion of proceeding without tiring. However, the vehicle turns out to be within everyone’s reach. Advice? The departure from Col Alt is a very steep descent but non-experts and more insecure can easily proceed by hand for a hundred meters; never get caught up in speed downhill; get familiar with the skills of the electric motor before tackling a real climb; do not feel humiliated if you have to go down and push on the steepest walls (always very short). After that bike sharing has all the credentials to become a must in one of the most beautiful areas of the Dolomites which already has a very wide range of offers and services …
But let’s go back to bike sharing as our tour is coming to an end. In the four high-altitude stations it is good to know that as many free changing rooms are available which contribute to making this area a sort of open-air gym. And for those who, despite everything, are in serious trouble or are the victim of an electric bike breakdown, an emergency toll-free number will be available.