Days are getting longer and there is a warmth in the air. Spring is upon us and with it comes twisties and hairpins. Add in an epic landscape and a real sense of adventure and you’ve got biking nirvana.
Check out our top ten riding roads to help you plan your adventure this year.
Transfagarasan Highway, Romania
Arguably the best motorcycle road in Europe, it was built as a strategic military route with 90kms of north to south twisties, steep hairpins, long S-curves, and sharp descents.
Stelvio Pass, Italy
Built for riding, the Stelvio Pass is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps at 2,757m and the second highest in the Alps. A total of 48 hairpins on the northern side and stunning views to boot.
Trollstigen, Norway
The Troll’s Path is a narrow road up a steep incline of 10% with eleven hairpin bends where longer vehicles are prohibited. Great news!
Part of the Norwegian National Road 63 it connects Soggeberget in Rauma and Valldal in Norddal.
Col de Turini, France
Col de Turini (1,607m) hasn’t hosted the Tour de France and Monte Carlo Rally for nothing. It’s perfect for testing your skills, but do it in the dry or risk testing your aerodynamics in the valley below.
Furka Pass, Switzerland
Good enough for James Bond in Goldfinger and much photographed, this 2,429m high Swiss Alps pass connects Gletsch in Valais with Realp in Uri.
Amalfi Drive, Italy
Lose yourself on the 50 mile stretch of Roman road carved into the cliffs between the beautiful southern Italian towns of Sorrento and Amalfi. One side is towering cliffs and the other the azure blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Cat and Fiddle Run, England
The broad sweep of the Peak District and Cheshire Plain comes in and out of sight with each of this route’s many bends. Named after the Cat and Fiddle Pub at its peak it’s popular with motorcyclists and is often classed as the most dangerous road in the UK.
Nockalmstrasse, Austria
A lower alpine road and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful rides in Carinthia. Unlike may other high roads, this is more pleasurable to ride with 52 hairpin bends and a maximum incline of 12%.
Verdon Gorge, France
The route overlooks the Verdon River – named after its turquoise-green colour – which has cut a ravine to a depth of 700 metres through the limestone below the most impressive part of the route between Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie in south east France.
Fira to Ola, Greece
What’s a Santorini trip without riding around the rim of the famous caldera – a cauldron-like volcanic feature – between Fira and Oia? It’s approximately 12km between the two towns and offers stunning views of the Aegean Sea.
Have we missed any? Send us in your favourite route here.