East of Rome, past Tivoli, the land rises into the Monti Ruffi, a small range of limestone hills cloaked in chestnut and oak, with old villages perched on every ridge. Gerano, Rocca Santo Stefano and Pisoniano are among them, small places of a few hundred to a thousand people, built of grey stone around churches and the remains of medieval castles, looking out over the Aniene valley towards the higher Simbruini mountains.
The riding here is wonderful, and almost nobody knows it. The roads climb from the valley floor in tight hairpins, then run along ridges with views on both sides, and the surface is variable, from smooth new asphalt to cracked and patched tarmac with gravel in the bends. Traffic is light, especially on weekdays, and the air at six or seven hundred metres is cooler than in Rome. Spring, with wildflowers, and autumn, with chestnuts falling on the road, are the best seasons. Watch for wild boar, goats and the occasional slow farm vehicle.
For water, the place to go is Subiaco, a short ride up the Aniene valley. There, below the town, the river forms the Laghetto di San Benedetto, a green pool beneath a small waterfall, where locals swim on hot summer days. The water is cold and clear, coming from the mountains, and the setting, with rocks and woods all around, is magical. Go early on a weekday in July or August; on weekends it gets crowded.
Subiaco is also where St Benedict lived as a hermit at the end of the fifth century before founding his order, and the monasteries he inspired are still there: Santa Scolastica, and above it the Sacro Speco, built into the cliff around the cave where he prayed, with frescoes covering every wall. Even if you are not religious, the place is extraordinary. Closer to Gerano, Olevano Romano is known for its red wine, made from the Cesanese grape, and for the nineteenth-century painters who came here to paint the light.
For fuel and services, Olevano Romano, about seven kilometres away, is the nearest town of more than five thousand people, and Subiaco also has stations. The villages have small bars and shops, but opening hours are short, so plan ahead. The ride back to Rome follows the valley road and then the busy Via Tiburtina or the motorway.