Nice Chianti ride with a team of one - Me.

I awoke at 5 to take care of what many middle aged men need to do more times at night than I would like, and checked the weather.  It was truly pouring rain, and it did not look good for the team ride.  After yesterday, I decided to get up for the ride anyway, and the rain stopped around 7:30.  I was at the meeting spot in Tavernuzze before 9:30, and waited for 10 minutes with no one else showing up.  No real surprise, as the weather was what it was.  The skies were still threatening, but I did not get rained on the entire ride.

I went out from Tavernuzze to Greve, a popular route for many teams, and joined with 2 groups at different times on the way.  Both times, after a couple of kilometers, I was simply tired of trying, sometime successfully, sometimes not, the spray from the tires in front of me, and eventually just let the groups go.  The second group was relatively fast, although I am sure I could of stayed with them if I really tried.  It was nice to simply go my own pace anyway.  On the climb from Greve to Panzano, I passed somewhere around 8 of the people from both different groups anyway.  In Panzano, I had an excellent cafe machiato, then decided to return to Firenze on the ridge to the south of the valley I had just climbed up.

It is a beautiful ride, with lots of up and down, some of which is quite steep.  As I turned, the skies were screaming rain, but I had the whole rain kit with me, so I was prepared.  As it turns out, no rain until after I was dry in the apartment back in Firenze.  I enjoyed the ridge road over to Quattro Strade, and rode to San Casciano weighing my options.  I decided on descending through San Andrea by the Machiavelle estate, then climb to Impruneta from Tavernuzze.  It was a good route.  I don't ride this much anymore, and have never ridden it often on the descent.  From Impruneta, I took the San Gersole / Vacciano route to Cinque Vie, then home on the Viales.  I loved the ride and am totally happy I got up and made it happen.  55.9 miles in 3:44 rolling time for an average speed of 15.0 mph with 3990 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 56.

Greve, Panzano, Mercatale, San Casciano, Impruneta, Firenze by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

It ended up being a team of one today.  It was truly pouring at 5 am,

and only stopped around 7:30, so I was not surprised it was only me.

After turning toward the ridge road from Panzano to Quattro Strade,

I saw that the sky was screaming, rain.  It never materialized until

I got home in Florence, and then only sprinkles.

Clouds, hills, and valleys from the road between Mercatale

and San Casciano.  

Just a nice view with the low clouds / fog on the hills.