Hiya – off the back of the Alps-but-not-Morzine thread: we’re planning a bit of a European road trip this summer, with a week near Pisa with family already booked in. Half of our family of four are not that much fussed by biking, but I and the oldest (who’ll be 12) are. I’d suggested stopping in the Jura or Portes Du Soleil area on the way down based on previous trips and races I’ve done there, but that did not fly. Then a friend suggested Finale as a combination of beach / old town loveliness and great riding. This seems to have passed the spousal approval process pretty painlessly, and now I’ve picked my jaw up off the floor, I need to do a bit of digging.

So: anyone have any experience of riding with their children in Finale? Mini Udder is already a fairly strong rider and above-average climber, and we’ll be taking trail bikes (Process 111 and 26″ wheeled Orange 5, hopefully). I’m very happy with riding loops, the boy loves a good uplift because 12 year olds.

All advice gratefully received.

Caveat – I have not done it with kids, don’t have kids and don’t know what sort of level a decent 12 year old is

However, if you are willing to spend the money, a private guide who can cater to your skill levels would be fairly pricey but would be a fantastic day out with the lad.

The majority of trails are not too hard. More fast paced stuff, can get a bit rough – than anything too steep

I’ve not really seeked it out but the pedalling stuff doesn’t seem that great. You could pedal up the road that you get the uplift but it’s very steep and full of Italian drivers (which is including the uplift drivers)

So: anyone have any experience of riding with their children in Finale?

Hell yes. Just for you 🙂

Family Fun in Finale Ligure

First time we went with the girls the youngest was 14 and by far a better rider than the rest of us.
We travelled down from a weeks riding with Bike Verbier and used Freeride Finale for guiding and uplifts. Girls enjoyed it as did we but we all bike.

Been back most years but later on in the season, not as hot ant to fit in with the EWS, and will be going again this year.

In the middle of the summer when we went it was very hot which made the riding uncomfortable at times but didn’t put us off.

The trail map is first class as is Trailforks however the guided tours do have their benefits but do get booked up quickly

Wow – thank you everyone! Looks like we’ll be there in July, which may limit riding time if it’s super-toasty. Generalist – you mentioned stuff with better tree cover inland. Is that a bit of a stretch to get to? Bear in mind we’ll have a car with us, so may be able to drive out to locations.

I haven’t ridden there for years, but even for a strong 12 year old the climbing will probably be a big ask without uplift. With uplift, if he is a half decent technical rider you’ll have a lot of fun.

Don’t forget that the grading is harder – a red grade out there is not the same as cannock monkey – or I was just out of my depth riding solo on a hardtail.

Rollercoaster trail is wonderful. Riding up the roads or tracks is doable, just long slogs (1.5 hrs ish).

If you’re not staying in the town the parking is a bit of a nightmare and in Aug it was very busy.

IfF kids are half decent, the Nato base trails are great fun and are under tree cover, I know kids 10 and younger that have had a ball up there, but definitely an uplift needed

Adding to the above – Just get a shuttle its a big climb out and you can get more done in the ltd time you have –
Agree with the Base Nato advise lots of flow trails, shuttle, and a fair amount of people up and down if anything does go wrong.

If you have time and can spring for a guide Look up Louise Paulin @ Just Ride Finale – She knows the area like the back of her hand, was the 2019 EWS Masters champ so can ride a bit, a Mum to 2 lovely girls so might add to the non-bike side and a genuinely cool person to spend time with.

Good luck Im looking forward to my week in September !

Finale Ligure and the area have some great trails, including some suitable for kids like yours…. The trick is finding them. I think this is a purposeful decision to avoid people heading off very far without confidence to navigate, or to encourage the use of guides.
Very few of the trails are signposted or labelled. There is an ok paper map available, and an online equivalent, but that isn’t very easy to use (you can’t see difficulty without a click, for example).
That official map has gradings of increasing difficulty green, blue, purple, black.
Almost all of those official trails are also on Trailforks (TF), which I find the most easy to use tool for find finding routes. However there is a mis-match in grading. Mostly the officially graded trails are shown in the same colour on Trailforks, but under the TF grading purple would be fire road / access road. That makes it somewhat difficult to see the difference between a difficult trail downhill, and a road climb.
The green trails are often worth riding and not just a fire road.
Single uplift will take you to either Café Din/Melogno/Top of Rollercoaster; or to Nato Base. 10EUR or 12EUR respectively.
Shuttle tours with a bunch of strangers will be 40/60 for half or full day. They are best option for getting the most riding in, but I suggest you check how they like to accommodate your skill level.
Private tours or more XC type tours possible too.

It will be warm in summer. Most riding is under trees, but climbing can become a chore. Popular trails get very dusty.

Working in a logical order, some tips:
Rollercoaster is a wonderful trail, rightly popular with all abilities. Easilly accessed by shuttle to Melogno. Trouble is that is finishes about 350m above sea level. I would suggest that the obvious ways down from there (Cacciatore, Kill Bill, Modonaa etc.) are too difficult. Your options are therefore the road down or Via degli Alpini trail.
I would avoid the trails on the headland between FL and PL… they’re rocky and janky and not much fun if you can’t ride them.
Otra Finale/Uke and Hiroshima/Hell Boy/ trails are fine for you. The trailhead is about 1.5hr steady climb/traverse from the shuttle drop off point at Melogno. Once down it’s probably best to descend all the way to the coast and bimble back along the seafront.
Isallo XTC is fine. Trailhead is about 30min steady climb from shuttle drop off point at Melogno. From Ponte (trail finish) you have option to descend all the way to the coast and bimble back along the seafront; to head for Via degli Alpini trail.
Toboga has some big steep steps. I would avoid it.

‘Nato Base trails’ include H, 115, Nato & madre natura trails. I think these would all be ok, although challenging. Easily accessed by shuttle to Nato base. I list them in my current order of preference. Once they are done the second half of the hill gets a bit steeper. I suggest to avoid Ca Bianca & Little Champery. Oribago, Pino Morto might be ok. Neandetal is a bit janky. Green trail Pian Marino is good.
Outcrop of Rugetta I would avoid, often janky trails which are occasionally steep or taxing.
Also accessed from Nato base drop off pont are Crestino trail, Cravarezza/Engegnere; and Supergroppo. These would all be good choices. Once down in Orco Feglino you can climb either side, but I suggest you head west up to Pian Marino. Or roll back down to the coast.

La Maine area behind Varigotti/Noli I don’t know so well, some nice trails, some loose and sketchy. It’s quite a long transfer to get there from Nato Base, but it’s also possible to climb up. It will be hot so I don’t recommend it. Some shuttle tours go there for people who don’t want the obvious stuff.
There is a nice loop behind Spotorno, to include Mao Crest, La Rete & La Folia trails. Can be cut short or extended as you need, and never far from rolling down to the coast for food, drink and gelato.

Trails heading to Mallare I wouldn’t bother with unless you have a shuttle arranged to wait at the bottom. They’re fine, but maybe bottom of the list in terms of quality to effort ratio.
There are nice trails above Osiglia that are worth doing. Not a huge height drop, so could make a fun loop to pedal. Not easily accessed by reached from the regular shuttles. I went there with a day tour.

you mentioned stuff with better tree cover inland. 

IIRC I mentioned it in relation to all the broad leaves covering the trails etc. Yep, I guess the trees away from the coast might be less spikier and spiney and provide more cover.
That was on a trip with Finale Freetide, for reasons expanded on in my thread I am a bit ambivalent about them. I reckon you’re best just to jump on the shuttle to bassnato or the other apex and DIY from there. There will be enough tree cover in most places.

Talking of temperature, riding up the road would be shit but doable in October/ Easter, but in July it would be utterly awful. Shuttles all the way.

My favourite option was doing a 30km or so XC ish route from bassnato back to town. You do a few uphills, but the general trend is downwards due to the shuttle.

Gotcha – thank you. And thanks to everyone else who has posted. Really helpful!