Sellaronda Bike Day: Four Passes, No Cars, One Big Party

Twice a year, four of the most famous mountain passes in the Dolomites close to cars and open to bikes. No entry fee, no timing chip, no start line. Just 20,000 cyclists, the Sella massif, some people going hard and others stopping for beer at the top of each climb.

This was the first proper alpine ride my girlfriend and I had ever done on road bikes. We made some rookie mistakes, but it's still one of the best rides I've ever done.

Watch the ride: my Sellaronda Bike Day video on YouTube · Follow along: @ben_hamer90 on Instagram

At a glance

Event: Sellaronda Bike Day, autumn edition
When we rode: Saturday 13 September 2025
Roads closed to cars: 8:30am to 4pm
Our ride: 73 km and 2,886 m of climbing, from Santa Cristina in Val Gardena
The official loop: 53 km and about 1,650 m of climbing
Time: 4 h 44 min moving, 7 h 15 min with stops
Difficulty: 7/10 for us, as first-timers on hired bikes
Cost to ride: Free, no registration
Best for: Couples or friends of similar fitness; e-bikes welcome if not
We stayed: My Arbor, Brixen (adults only)

What it is

The Sellaronda is the loop around the Sella massif, over four passes: Sella, Pordoi, Campolongo and Gardena. On a normal summer day it's packed with motorbikes and tour buses. On Bike Day, the four pass roads close to motor traffic from 8:30am to 4pm, and the whole loop belongs to cyclists.

It's not a race. There's no registration, no fee and no timing. You can start from any town on the loop, ride as much or as little as you like, and stop wherever you want. Road bikes, gravel bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes all turn out, and in good weather more than 20,000 people take part.

The organisers ask everyone to ride anticlockwise, so the traffic all flows one way. That's a big part of why it feels so safe, even when it's busy.

The route

We rode the official loop anticlockwise, plus the valley out and back between Santa Cristina and Selva. That added about 20 km and a steady drag uphill before the first pass even began.

The Sella and Pordoi are the two big ones, both just over 2,200 m. Campolongo is the gentlest, a welcome breather before the long grind up the Gardena.

How we did it

Getting there. We picked up a hire car on the Friday and drove into the mountains.

Where we stayed. My Arbor, a five-star, adults-only "tree hotel" on the Plose mountain above Brixen. We booked a Nest Suite for three nights through Mr & Mrs Smith. It's a beautiful place, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. But it's not on the loop, so we had a drive to the start and another back at the end of a long day.

Bike hire. This is where it went a tad sideways. By the time we tried to book, the shops in the loop towns were sold out of road bikes. The closest we could get was Santa Cristina in Val Gardena (bike rental shops in Val Gardena), so we hired two Trek road bikes there. Mine was a size too small. Not ideal for seven hours in the saddle. GET BIKES BOOKED.

Parking. The pass roads close, so parking near the loop gets busy early. I booked a full-day space in advance through the Val Gardena public car parks, which took the stress out of the morning. If you're driving in, sort this before you go.

The upside of starting so far out: riding up the valley from Santa Cristina to Selva added a proper extra climb and about 20 km. It wasn't the plan, but it turned a great day into a big one, in a good way.

The day itself

What took me by surprise was the atmosphere. I had read about the number of cyclists, but seeing it in person was really impressive. The mix of riders, from pro level right through to people having fun on e-bikes, was awesome to see, and it meant whole families could ride together. There's a real party vibe at the top of each climb. People ride a pass and stop at the top for food and a rest, and when they finish in one of the towns, everyone listens to live music and has a few beers.

Because everyone rides anticlockwise and starts from different towns, the road is never empty. Forget a KOM attempt; you'll be weaving through riders all day. That's not the point. Lap up the energy and enjoy it.

The scenery is honestly the best I've ever seen from a bike. Huge rock walls on every side, hairpins stacked down the valley below you, and no engine noise at all.

It was humbling, too. My girlfriend is very strong on hills and I was on a bike that didn't fit, so I spent a fair bit of the day looking at her back wheel. We also didn't bring enough food. It was our first big alpine day and we underestimated it, so we stopped more than we'd planned. But it really set us up for the following season of alpine riding, and showed us what to expect.

The roads reopen at 4pm, and you notice. Once the cars and motorbikes came back, the magic went. Start early and get round before then. Not doing that was probably our biggest mistake.

I'd call it 7/10 for difficulty. If you're both regular riders, it's very doable. If one of you isn't, an e-bike makes it a brilliant shared day rather than a test. I know people who've done it exactly that way.

The reward: My Arbor and the sauna

After the drive back, we went straight down to the spa. The highlight was the Aufguss, a guided sauna session where a sauna master spins a towel to push scented heat around the room, sometimes to music. It was exactly what our legs needed.

One heads-up: the sauna floor is textile-free, so go in knowing that. My Arbor is adults-only and set up for cyclists, but it's a drive from the loop, so it works best as the place you recover rather than the place you start.

Read my full My Arbor review for the room, the spa, the food and what it costs.

Eating gluten-free

I'm gluten-free, which isn't easy in a region built on bread, pasta and pizza. On the ride itself it was tricky: the stops at the top of the passes are heavy on sandwiches and pastries, so bring your own fuel.

Off the bike, though, Italy is very, very good. Most restaurants understand gluten-free properly and have good options, not just a sad side salad. My Arbor also caters for gluten-free diets. I can't say the same for France.

What I'd do differently

Stay on the loop. Book a night in Selva, Corvara, Arabba or Canazei, arrive the day before, and ride from your door. No drive, no parking, no stress.
Book bikes months ahead, or bring your own. Rental fleets in the loop towns sell out. I now travel with my own bike, and wouldn't go back.
Start early. The roads close at 8:30am and reopen at 4pm. The best of the day is the car-free morning, and the last hour feels very different once traffic returns.
Fuel properly. Take more food than you think, especially if you have a dietary need. The climbs add up fast at altitude.
Book parking in advance if you're driving in. The car parks near the loop fill up early.
Ride anticlockwise. It's what the organisers ask, and it's what keeps everyone safe.
Consider an e-bike for a partner who rides less. It turns a hard day into a shared one.
Don't chase times. It's too busy for a KOM, and that's not what the day is for.

Plan your own

The Bike Day runs twice a year: once in early June and once in mid-September. In 2026 it fell on 6 June and 12 September, and 2026 was the 20th edition. Dates for 2027 aren't out yet, so check the official Sellaronda Bike Day site before booking anything.

There are four official start towns, each with its own road closure:

Selva (Val Gardena): first climb is the Sella Pass
Canazei (Val di Fassa): first climb is the Pordoi Pass
Arabba (Livinallongo): first climb is the Campolongo Pass
Corvara (Alta Badia): first climb is the Gardena Pass

Whichever you pick, book the hotel and the bikes as soon as the date is confirmed.