Whats a little rain when you need to work off a Christmas dinner.

We spent the day yesterday with Kate, Nicco, and the kids, and had a huge, huge meal there.  Nicco's parents and a friend of Kate's joined us for the traditional pranzo as well.  2 primis, 2 secondos, and 2 dolce, and of course, I had to eat some of everything.  Maybe this is why I ride so much.  I love to eat!  Weather forecast for today was 100% rain, dropping to 60% by 5.  It rained pretty hard in the night, and when I was making my decision, it had not rained since 7:30, and looked OK.  I decided on a ride in the Chianti hills, and suited up and took off.  It started out pretty warm as well.  I rode out through Ponte a Ema to the cut off for the climb through Vacciano to San Gersole, then over to the main road to finish the climb to Impruneta.  The weather was still pretty nice and actually looked like I might get the 4 hour ride in I was hoping for.  I descended from Impruneta toward Falciani, then started the climb through Luiano.  The skies totally changed during the climb, and by the time I finished the climb a steady rain had started.

There is a gas station right past where you get on the main road, and I pulled in there to hopefully wait out the rain.  Even when the skies changed, I thought it was just moving through.  I waited a little over 1/2 hour there, and did miss the hardest of the rain.  It was raining steady but not hard, and I decided to just go.  Well, it continued the remaining hour back to Florence.  Not bad though, as I had pretty good clothes with me (who knows why I did not have my best rain gear) and knowing you are back in one hour to dry off and take a warm shower makes an hour in the rain fine.  I really just kept my head down and cranked it, not going fast at all on the slippery descents.  I rode back through San Casciano, Chiesa Nuova, down to Scandicci, and into Firenze on the main roads.  31.8 miles in 2:15 rolling time for an average speed of 14.1 mph with 1955 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 53.  Ciao.

Ponte a Ema, San Gersole, Impruneta, Luiano, San Casciano, Chiesa Nuova, Fi by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

I guess there really was this much blue sky, although

I think this was it for the ride.  On the way to San Gersole.

Another picture on the way from Vacciano to San Gersole.

My 1/2 hour shelter from the storm until I decided it was not 

going to quit.  But I did wait out the worst of the rain here.