ABOUT US

Foto Valico dell'Armizzone, vista Monte Raparo

MANUELA, SIMON, DINO E LUCA

We are Manuela, Simon, and Dino, founding members of FIAB Potenza ciclOstile, asocial promotion association born from a passion for nature and outdoor activities (trekking, mountain biking, cycle touring, ski touring) shared by a wider group of friends. Active since 2015, ciclOstile places the bicycle at the centre of a social revolution and a natural philosophy of life. In addition to the urban and daily use of the bicycle, ciclOstile supports and promotes awareness of Basilicata as a cycling destination par excellence.

This vision led to the creation of a network of regional cycle routes on low-traffic roads, which gave life to a series of publishing products (currently available in Italian only) dedicated to cycle tourism: the first volume of a series of printed guides entitled Basilicata Bikeways, La ciclovia dei Boschi Sacri, has been published in December 2021. It focuses on an itinerary of about 400 km along the Apennine ridge, in the western part of Basilicata, through forests, national parks, passes and descents. It is a travel story, enriched by professional photos, technical information and curiosities about the places.

The second book, soon to be published, the Ciclovia dei due Mari, is dedicated to a coast-to-coast itinerary from the Ionian to the Tyrrhenian Sea, starting from Matera, the splendid city of the Sassi and Unesco World Heritage Site. In addition to the detailed descriptions of the thematic routes, we have published Basilicata Bikeways - The map of Lucanian cycle routes, a 60x60cm paper map, a light, useful and easy-to-use tool. The front side shows the 5 thematic routes, with relative variants, identified on the basis of the characteristics of the territories and to make the discovery of the region more appealing. It has an overall development of about 2,500 km throughout the region: “La ciclovia dei Boschi Sacri”, “La ciclovia dei Due Mari”, “La ciclovia del Grano, dell’Olio e del Vino”, “La ciclovia delle Dolomiti e dei Calanchi”, La ciclovia Grand Tour della Basilicata”.

The idea of the Basilicata Bike Trail is a seed that has already existed for some time, but it took concrete form while writing the book and mapping the territory. We thought it would be great to put together a trail exploring the entire region, mostly on little-known paths and sheep-tracks. Many associations and friends contributed to the drawing of the tracks. And here we are, together with Luca, a bike-loving friend and photographer of the Ciclovia dei Due Mari, giving life to the ASD Basilicata Bike Trail and cultivating the dream of a consolidate event, incredibly coherent with the natural vocation of this land.

Manuela Lapenta

[1977]. Born in Potenza, she decided to live and study in her homeland: after graduating in Foreign Languages and Literature, she deepened her interest in the territory with a Master in Cultural and Environmental Heritage Management. Passionate about trekking and outdoor activities, she discovered the world of cycling in 2015, when she founded and became president of ciclOstile FIAB Potenza. She is author of the guidebooks “Basilicata Bikeways. La ciclovia dei Boschi sacri”, “La ciclovia dei due Mari” and “Basilicata Bikeways - La mappa delle ciclovie lucane”, published by Typimedia. In 2022 she obtained the title of Expert Promoter of Cycling Mobility at the University of Verona. She works as a Freelancer for Europlanning.

Ciclotour 2020 041 ©salvatore laurenzana

Gerardo Smaldone

[1979]. After graduating in design at the University of Florence in 2002, he has been working in Italy and abroad in the field of jewellery and fashion accessories, before returning back to Potenza where he currently works as a graphic designer and illustrator at Facto Comunicazione. He is one of the founders of ciclOstile FIAB Potenza, and, together with Manuela and Simon, he has been working for the realization of the guidebooks “Basilicata Bikeways. La ciclovia dei Boschi sacri”, “La ciclovia dei due Mari and “Basilicata Bikeways - La mappa delle ciclovie lucane” published by Typimedia. Freelancer in the field of communication and graphics.

Ciclotour 2020 075 ©salvatore laurenzana

Simon Laurenzana

[1979]. He is educator and music therapist in a psychiatric rehabilitation centre in Potenza. From a very young age he has cultivated a passion for music and nature. He has been playing as a drummer in various musical bands and at the same time an 'explorer' of his beloved Basilicata. In 2010 he became passionate about cycling, which became a further means of discovery. In 2015 he founded ciclOstile FIAB Potenza and became its vice-president. He is author of the guidebook “Basilicata Bikeways. La ciclovia dei Boschi sacri”, “La ciclovia dei due Mari” and “Basilicata Bikeways - La mappa delle ciclovie lucane”, published by Typimedia. In 2022 he became a Mountain Bike guide.

Luca Puglisi

[1979]. Creative director and owner of the DOT consulting, he is an expert in the field of communication since 2004; he has always been passionate about photography and working in both strategic consultancies for agencies and individuals and visual and non-visual communication projects. He has collaborated with domestic and foreign partners. In 2018, by a series of coincidences, he approached the world of bicycles, thanks to an e-bike; since then, he has been gradually trying to get around mostly on that, when possible without assistance. The meeting with ciclOstile was inevitable; Simon and Manuela, already friends for a long time, and Dino, guided him (and still guides him) into this world.

“We want to support the knowledge of a bare and beautiful land, perfect as it is, without adding or taking away anything; we want to accompany people to the discovery of its rough and sweet, multiple and silent soul.”