Really nice ride on a very cloudy, grey day.

My first day without Italian classes and I enjoyed a slow start, sleeping what passes as late for me.  I had a slow breakfast, and outside I don't think it rained, but the air was foggy and thick enough that the roads were wet.  Well, I have learned that wet roads in the high 40's spells a slippery surface, so I was not anxious to get going.  I thought about a long walk, as I took the day off yesterday, as I had ridden 10 days in a row.  At some point the sun even came out, so I decided to go ride.  I had been out for a couple of errands, and I knew from that, that it was warmer than it appeared.  By the time I was ready to leave, the fog had come back in and it was grey and dark.  I got started anyway, and the weather was really quite pleasant.  It was quite a bit warmer than it has been in a while, which was really nice.

I started by going toward Bagno a Ripoli, turning off to Ponte a Ema, then taking Via Carota up toward Osteria Nuova.  I finished the climb to Osteria Nuova on the main road and turned off to descend to Antella.  In Antella, I found the road over to Capanuccia.  It is steep in places while climbing, but not too much vertical, around 500 feet.  It is a beautiful little road with little to no traffic.  On the other side you connect with the main road from Grassina to Capanuccia and San Polo.  I rode through Capanuccia, then did the climb to the little pass before descending to San Polo.  More water in San Polo, then the really fun, very gentle descent toward Strada before the last kilometer or two of climbing.  I rode though Strada, then turned off to cut over to Impruneta.  A little climbing here, then mostly a descent toward Galluzzo, and I turned off before the town to cut around through Cinque Vie.

On the climb to Osteria Nuova, I estimated the total vertical for the day, then adjusted my estimate just after Capanuccia.  I was within 3 meters, which I like.  Fun ride and really a great day to be out.  The average temperature of 55 was real as there was no sun to push the average up.  35.1 miles in 2:35 rolling time for an average speed of 13.6 mph with 2795 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 55.  Loved it.

Osteria Nuova, Antella, Capanuccia, San Polo, Strada, Impruneta, Cinque Vie by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Yes, it was a pretty gray day.

A couple of shots of the beautiful road between Antella and Capanuccia.

This view is on the final push on the climb before the descent into San Polo.