Great fall ride - Monteoriolo, Tavernuzze, Luiano, Quattro Strade, ...

A bit of a late start today, as Emily and I went to the COOP to do our grocery shopping.  We use busses, and the "Nonna cart" is pretty heavy for Emily to lift on the bus, so I almost always go.  Anyway, what else do I have to do except ride, which I can do after the shopping.  I left around 11:50, and started via the viales, climbing to Piazza Michaelangleo, then over to the turn to Poggio Imperiale.  I went down to Galluzzo, then up to Pozzolatico, continued up through Mezzomonte and Monteoriolo, turning off for the great descent through Baruffi to Tavernuzze.  I was on the main road in Tavernuzze, and put in some distance easily to the turn off for Luiano.  As always, a great climb, but at the junction at the top, I went left through Mercatale to Quattro Strade.  I turned off here for the tiny back road over to the Montefiridolfi ridge.  This road is really up and down, sometimes rather steeply.  It is super beautiful, and was the area I took all my pictures today.

Right after climbing to the ridge, you turn right, then a quick left for a super fun downhill to the valley where you turn right then a relatively quick left to get the road to Romita.  I have looked for this road the last two times I was in the area, and found two different roads that take you either side by 6 kilometers or so of Romita.  Well, right road today, a good climb, then the really quite perfect ridge road from Romita through San Pancrazio, San Quirico to Montagnana.  Turn right for the super fast descent to Cerbia, then the nice, gradual climb to Chiesa Nuova.  I had a group of 15 or so motorinos pass me on the way up, they were all identical, and were numbered.  I passed the group at the top, and am assuming that someone is taking tours out this way.  From Chiesa Nuova, back over toward Galluzzo, then left for the fast descent into Scandicci, then back home through the centro.  Yee-haw.  Check the link if you wish, but a summary is:  53 miles, with 3950 vertical feet, average rolling speed of 13.1, in 4 hours or so.

Great fall ride - Monteoriolo, Tavernuzze, Luiano, Quattro Strade, ... by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

I am totally into the vineyards changing colors, and like the shots down the rows.

Here, a church steeple is playing peek-a-boo above the vines.

More fall color in the vineyards.