Meet and greet extended to La Panca, and solo return through Poggio alle Croce.

The slightly out of control busyness continues.  After an excellent concert last night, I was up relatively early this morning to do a "meet and greet" for Dominick, whom I do work for occasionally.  I met Ray and Christie at the shop, helped them get set up on road or "racing" bikes, and started them out on their 3 day self guided tour.  They are celebrating a "big" birthday for Christie, and I will not say which it is, but she is certainly older than I thought she was.  After a similar reaction on my last meet and greet, I started thinking it may be my perspective and I need to realize just how old I am these days.  Anyway, with race bikes, their own helmets and pedals, I thought they would be strong and they were.  Ray competes in track racing and even made the amateur world championships last year.

We did the standard route to Impruneta, where I reviewed their options.  The choose the "hard core" option, which goes to La Panca, which I was kind of planning anyway, so I rode with them to La Panca.  After we hooked up with the road to Passo de Sugame, I left them and turned down to go to the cut off to Brollo.  Excellent descent followed by a very nice cut off road that becomes more enjoyable and easier with every riding.  I climbed to Poggio alle Croce, then descended to San Polo, and did the little climb before descending to Grassina.  Back through Cinque Vie and back home on the standard route.  Really, a very nice ride, and I am sure Ray and Christie will do well on their self guided tour.  Tomorrow morning a group of 4 for a "flat", relatively easy ride.  Say tuned, we will see how I do with that.

Meet and greet to La Panca, then Dudda, Brollo, Poggio alle Croce, San Polo by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Ray and Christie at Piazzale Michaelangelo.

On the road from La Panca.

Coming to the junction with the Passo de Sugame road.