You are in the southern suburbs of Rome, beyond the modernist boulevards of EUR and inside the sprawl around Via Laurentina, close to the little settlement of Selcetta and not far from Trigoria, where AS Roma has its training ground. It is not a destination in itself, but it is a sensible base for rides into the Castelli Romani and further east to the Sabine hills and Abruzzo, because it puts you on the right side of the city and close to the Grande Raccordo Anulare, Rome's orbital motorway.
The landscape here is a strange mixture of city and countryside. Apartment blocks give way suddenly to fields, umbrella pines and ruined farmhouses, and the Decima-Malafede nature reserve, a stretch of rolling Roman countryside with woods and pastures, lies just to the south-west. On a clear morning, the Alban Hills rise to the south-east, a green volcanic massif dotted with towns like Frascati, Marino and Castel Gandolfo, and that is where you are going.
The first part of any ride from here is about getting out of the city. Roman traffic has a well-deserved reputation, and the main roads can be chaotic, with scooters, buses and impatient drivers. Leave early, ideally around dawn, when the streets are quieter and the light is soft. Once you reach the Alban Hills, the roads become more interesting, winding around the crater lakes of Albano and Nemi, through chestnut woods and vineyards, with views back over the city to the sea.
There are plenty of fuel stations and bars in the area, so getting coffee and a cornetto before you leave is easy. At the end of the day, coming back into the city can be slow, especially on Sunday evenings when everyone returns from the hills and the coast. Take your time and stay alert. In summer, the heat in the city can be intense, so a dawn start is not just a romantic idea but a practical necessity.