Fun 2 plus hour ride between today's obligations.

I cleaned the house this morning as Emily is babysitting all day, and we have guests coming on Sunday.  I have to pick up Viola from school today, so a couple of hours presented themselves to me for a ride.  I have not done this ride in months, and the weather today was a little marginal, but it turned out fine.  As I write, the clouds are mostly gone and we are expecting sun for at least a week.  Hooray! I rode up Via Bolognese from the apartment, climbing through Pian de San Bartolo and Montorsoli to Pratolino where I turned off the main road.  I continued climbing and took the turn off on the tiny road which contours, with more climbing than descending, but both happen a fair amount.

This goes through Casellina and Viliano, then I took the left to go toward Vaglia.  Before you really descend to Vaglia, I turn off to the right and take a very rarely used road over to Polcanto.  The surface is a little rough, and is definitely worse for the wear from the winter.  It is still totally worth it, and it is mostly climbing with a pretty steep descent at the end into Polcanto.  So, not going fast on the climbs, you can easily miss the pot holes and rough spots in the road.  As Kay would say it is, "straciatella".  From Polcanto, you hook up with the main road, Via Faentina which climbs to the Vetta alla Croce then descends through L'Olmo, Caldine, Pian de Mugnone, then into Florence.  I go through Piazza della Cure, then take the bridge over the train tracks and am basically home.

Fun, quick ride with lots of climbing.  Summary is:  25.5 miles in 2:03 rolling time for an average speed of 12.5 mph with 2780 vertical feet of climbing at an average temperature of 62.  My first day in many months without a base layer, just a long sleeved jersey.  Sweet!

Pratolino, Casellina, Bivigliano, Polcanto, L'Olmo. by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Looking at Casellina approaching the town from Pratolino.

A view from the road between Bivigliano and Polcanto.

A view of the Chiesa in Bivigliano from below.

The countryside is incredibly green right now.

A beautiful abandoned gate house off the back road between

Bivigliano and Polcanto.