Nice afternoon ride on another perfect fall day.

I have not been feeling great the last few days, but the weather was clearing this afternoon, and blue skies always make me feel good, so I took a window of a couple of hours and got in a very nice ride.  I checked through my Garmin listings and had a choice of a few 2 hour rides.  I decided to do the one close to home with a fair amount of climbing, and it was great.  I went over to Le Cure, then up option #2 to San Domenico, then up to the turn off, and down through Maiano to the start of the Vincigliata climb.  The climb felt good, and the weather was making me smile, so, as always, getting out works for me.  After finishing the climb past Vincigliata, I descended through Montebeni to Compiobbi.  This really is a steep descent and with a little moisture remaining on the roads, I took it slow.

In Compiobbi, you get on the main road for a kilometer or two, then off at Le Falle for the Monteloro climb.  Today, it was pretty perfect.  The weather stayed quite cool, one of the first days of this type of weather in a while.  I stopped in Monteloro to get some water, and stopped a couple of times for some of the pictures you see below.  After finishing the climb above Monteloro, I hooked up on the road to Fiesole, and enjoyed a fast descent with some required pedaling.  I turned off in Fiesole for the descent to Pian de Mugnone, then powered on in to Le Cure on Via Faentina, then home.  Super fun ride, and the weather is supposed to be even nicer tomorrow, so perhaps a longer ride.  Today's numbers are 27.6 miles in 2:16 rolling time for an average speed of 12.1 mph with 3186 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 64.

Hills to the north in clearing weather - nice by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

The skies are clearing and crystal clear after last night's heavy

rain.  The church just above Vincigliata is on the left.

At the beginning of the climb to Monteloro, this view greets you.

The vines are definitely changing colors here above the monastery 

around 1/2 way to Monteloro.

Above Monteloro, this field of vines caught my eye.