La Lima, Pruneta, Pescia for my last Lucca based ride.

A great last ride in the Lucca area today, as our mini vacation here ends tomorrow.  It has been really great both staying here in the peace and quiet, and riding a wonderful location with lots of new riding and big mountains.  I took the regular route out through Ponte a Moriano to Bagni di Lucca, then up to La Lima for my first break of the day.  It is a very gradual climb, and I managed to average a solo speed of around 27.8 kph, which is fast for me.  After a banana in La Lima, and a map check, I took off for Pruneta.  It is a nice 600 meter vertical climb in around 10 kilometers so it averages around 6%, which is great.  Beautiful road, great views, beautiful little towns, what more could you ask for.

At Pruneta, I again checked the map, although I had been through here with Don and Kay a few years ago.  On the way a few team cars with obvious pro riders were spotted, although they were going the opposite direction from me.  On the descent from Pruneta, I saw a couple of pro riders (my assumption) each with guys on motorcycles pacing them.  I think you have to be a pro to have a personal pacer, but who knows.  From Pruneta, you have a really long descent down a ridge at a very gradual grade for around 10 kilometers, then you have a switchbacking, steeper descent for another 10 plus kilometers, before the last 4 kilometers of gradual descent into Pescia.  Just a blast riding down here.  Great road, great views, great choice for my last ride here.  From Pescia, it is a head down crank back home of around 20 k which took me to my local bar for a much appreciated last post ride beer.

The riding has been just great here, and I will have it as an option for clients, and hopefully will return here myself for more riding in the future.  For now, I need a day or two off the bike, as this makes 13 days in a row of riding.  Tough life!

Here is the garmin link for this ride:

Bagni di Lucca, La Lima, Pruneta, Pescia, Lucca. by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

The stream from the Serchio to La Lima had me thinking about

fly fishing, as this picture shows.  The streams around here are 

the first to make me think about getting a line wet.

Petiglio, on the climb from La Lima to Pruneta.  Che bella!

The church in Pruneta, pretty much at the top of my biggest

climb of the day.  A long ride slightly descending along a ridge

with a great descent to Pescia awaits.

On the descent from Pruneta, Vallero had this great bell tower

with a view of the valley below.  Around 1/2 the descent remaining.

A view of one of the many hill towns above Pescia on the descent 

from Pruneta.