Wonderful fall ride through Chianti.

Wow, what a perfect day for a ride.  Mostly sunny, a temperature of around 60 at the start, climb to around 68 by the end of the ride.  The fall colors in Chianti are seemingly at their height, and it is a pleasure to ride though the area.  Emily and I are off on a short trip to Venice tomorrow, and I will be off the bike for at least 4 days, which will be very good for me physically.  I tend not to take as many days off as I should.  I picked a ride I had done with Dave and Colorado a few weeks ago, checking the timing for what I was after.  When we rode it together, it took us 4:25 rolling time so I was surprised today when it took me 3:28 rolling time.  I guess even with fast riders you just go a little slower on a tour with clients.

I rode up through Ponte a Ema, Osteria Nuova, San Donato in Collina, then down through Troghi, Cellai, Incisa to Figline.  In Figline, I turn off to climb toward passo de sugame and turn off just before the top to go through La Panca.  I stopped today in Dudda at one of my favorite cafe / bars and had an excellent cafe normale and a cookie called a riciarello.  Both were great.  After Dudda, you turn off, take a little descent, then finish the climb to La Panca.  I found the water source there, which I was pretty sure I knew the location of, but had never verified and gotten water there.  Excellent water, just below the church at the top of a little park.  The descent toward Strada is one of my favorites, and today was excellent.  I continued the descent toward San Polo, then climbed the long, super mellow grade up to San Polo, turning off here to climb up and over a little pass to Capanuccia.  From Capanuccia, it is a nice slightly down hill ride into Grassina, where you easily hook up with the road to Cinque Vie, then up and over to the Viale.  Power ride home and there it is.  49.7 miles in 3:28 rolling time for an average speed of 14.3 mph with 3642 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 67.

San Donato, Figline, La Panca, San Polo by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Colors ahead on the way to Dudda and La Panca.

Around 1/2 up the climb.

Somehow, if you look at it right, the rows of the vineyards

line up with the cypress trees on the driveway above.

Vineyards on the climb to Dudda.

The vineyards just before Dudda.

My cafe and riciarello on the bench outside the bar in Dudda.

It was great.