Cloudy solo ride

I planned on riding with the team this morning, and got up to make it happen.  While doing my morning yoga, it started raining, and continued until 9 or so, the meeting time.  It was still raining pretty good around 8:30, my self imposed decision time.  I waited, and by 11 I felt it was pretty much over, although it was still quite cloudy.  It was pretty warm, but very humid.  It had not rained since 9 or so, but there was little to no drying on the roads.  I wanted to get out, so I was off.  I decided to ride over around the massive that defines the area around Bagno a Ripoli to Rignano to Rosano.  I climbed up to Osteria Nuova on Via Carota, my now normal route.  It is simply a beautiful little road with almost no traffic, so why not go a little out of the way to ride it.

On the main road below Osteria Nuova, then the climb to San Donato, which felt good.  I descended to Cellai, with the speed under control, but not too slow, as the roads were wet but it was not that cold.  I turned off in Cellai, then did the back cut off over to connect with the road to Bombone.  Another fun road with basically no traffic and quite beautiful.  I connect with the main road in Bombone, then ride through Torri to Rosano where the descent is over.  I crossed the river to Pontesieve, then rode down to Sieci then the cut off to Monteloro.

I enjoyed the climb, and Strava says that part of it was a personal record, but it felt slow and difficult to me today.  This is unusual, as I really like this climb and it is never too steep.  Some days you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.  Whatever.  I continued climbing above Monteloro to the main road from Fiesole, and continued up to the turn for Olmo, then enjoyed the descent through Caldine and Pian de Mugnone to Le Cure then home.  41.2 miles in 3:07 rolling time for an average speed of 13.2 mph with 3678 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 54.

Via Carota, San Donato, Cellai, Bombone, Rosano, Monteloro, Olmo, Caldine, by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

The road toward Osteria Nuova from Ponte a Ema.  Che bella!

I actually like the light on days like today.  I saw the low hanging

clouds in the distance and took this shot through a small olive grove.

Here are a couple of pictures of the low hanging clouds from 

just above Monteloro on the easy part of the climb.