Regello, Saltino, Vallombrosa, Consuma con squadra.

Really fun tour this morning with the team.  We met at Obihall, on the Arno on the east side of town. We started with 8, then picked up two more in Pontasieve.  We cranked out the main road and turned toward Figline, and kept going all the way to the road to Mattissino.  We went out that a little ways, then turned right on a road to Regello that I had not been on before.  It was a good climb, and steep in places, Massimo said his garmin read 16%.  We all regrouped in Regello, and went to my favorite bar for a cafe and pastry.  It is a great bar / cafe, and all enjoyed.  Many times lately others had paid for the cafe stop, and I ordered the cafes (8) and after finishing mine went to pay, but Filippo had already paid.  I will have to be faster next time.

We hung out there for a while, then went off together toward Donnini.  In Pietrapiano, around 1/2 broke off to return to Firenze, while 6 of us turned off to climb to Saltino, then Vallombrosa.  David and I were the first to the top of this relatively challenging climb.  Lorenzo was only a few minutes behind, and Lorenzo and I started back the way we came up to meet the last three, and luckily, we met them right before the road got steeper.  We regrouped on the far side of Vallombrosa, then decided to ride over on the beautiful, but at times rough, road to Consuma.  Even with the potholes in places, I really love this road.  Pretty, mostly a contouring road, it climbs another 100 meters before joining the road just below the Passo della Consuma.  We turned and enjoyed the descent to Pontasieve, and I followed Lorenzo who was setting a really nice, fast pace until we caught a cautious car, which slowed us down.

We were all together at the base of the descent, and I led the group over to the south side of the river and went toward Bagno a Ripoli.  Somewhere in the first couple of kilometers of my leading, we lost 1/2 the group, but continued, to a turn off before Bagno a Ripoli that David knew.  We waited there, and eventually Lorenzo and Rossano caught us and we waited for Terenzio.  Terenzio had decided on a different route, so we took David's backroad which was great and took us to the road by the river, which goes directly to the bridge I take to get home.  We all said goodbye, and possibly all will be riding tomorrow, although I did not make a commitment.  Really nice tour today.  Grazie mille, la squadra.

Regello, Saltino, Vallombrosa, Consuma, Firenze con squadra by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Most of the squadra at the start, in the shade, before it got sunny,

on the way to Pontesieve.

Lorenzo hamming it up with Agnese outside the bar

in Regello where we all had cafe.

The remains of the team, less Amanda who went ahead, getting

some water at my new favorite water spot.  Great water and 

beautiful fountain, between Vallombrosa and Consuma.