Mountain biking in Val Gardena!

We traveled to Ortesei yesterday, and settled in to the hotel well.  We stay at Hotel Grones, in Ortesei, and really love it.  Included in the price are breakfast and dinner, and the food is simply amazing.  We had our first 5 course dinner of the trip last night, so I needed to work off some calories so I can indulge again tonight.  Emily and I had a slow start, we are on vacation, and for a change, I have been working enough to really look at it as a vacation.  We did a nice walk up by a stream, where there is a spot where they have made a little kind of course where you walk through very shallow flowing water and it is supposed to make your feet feel good.  We enjoyed.  Back into town, and I spoke with the people at the hotel, where they have mountain bike guests can use, and set one up for me with my pedals, etc.  The overwhelming advice was to take a lift up to the valley rim, as the riding would be more fun and scenic from there.  Good advice, I really enjoyed the ride.  I had hiked this area a few years ago, and much of what I rode the first year we were here.  

Great riding, really quite fun, but I was surprised that I was not thinking I should mountain bike more.  I enjoyed the day, but am looking forward to the epic road riding here that starts tomorrow when I pick up my rental road bike.  Today, I had some sweet single track, although most of the ride was dirt roads.  Fun to be out, incredible scenery, pretty perfect weather, so what more could you ask for.  30.9 kilometers of riding time in 2:41 with around 700 meters of climbing.  

Yes, I took the bike up in a lift.  Kind of against my own personal

rules, but good advice from the locals.

Beautiful first piece of single track.  Simply sweet!

More single track - nice views.

I guess I just like taking pictures of water sources.  I really took this

for Chris Brekon, a friend in England, who usually gives me a hard

time about these photos.  So, me being me, I keep taking more.

Pretty horses.  They are all this breed in this area.

More beautiful riding to come!

Nice 2-1/2 hour ride with lots of climbing.

Today was mostly about getting ready for our trip to the Dolomites, for which we leave tomorrow.  We had a nice dinner party for 8 last night, and I was not in bed ready to sleep until after 1am, so I was a little sluggish as well.  So, a short tour to the rescue.  The more I feel like I don't have the energy, the more a tour gives me energy.  Today, I once again planned the tour around water availability, but had a super nice tour.  I climbed both Vincigliata and Monteloro, which are two of my favorites close to home.  Not too hot, high around 93 F, with a nice breeze.  Relatively short distance of 43.7 kilometers in a slow 2:23, but with 924 meters of climbing.  That will shake out the cobwebs.  Ciao a tutti!

I liked the iconic cypress trees on the road above Monteloro.

Above Monteloro on a beautiful day.

Santa Brigida, Rufina, and Diacetto solo.

Up relatively early this morning and on the bike around 8:30 for a four hour plus or minus ride.  I picked a ride I have not done in a while, although the first part is getting kind of repetitive.  I did a slightly different route to Fiesole, through Pian de Mugnone, but I have Fiesole on the route because there is a good fountain for water there.  Not as hot today, but quite humid.  Not sure if 89 F with 90% humidity is better or worse.  Anyway, as long as you are moving it is pretty nice.  Along the ridge toward Vetta alle Croce, then the turn off to go over to Santa Brigida.  I don't think I have ridden this for a couple of months, as it is not a normal client ride.  Loved the ride to the Windmill, then down to Rufina.  The water in Santa Brigida was flowing hard, quite cool, and super refreshing when you put your head under the spigot.  Sweet.

Excellent pastry filled with panna in Rufina, of course with a  cafe (espresso), then the climb to Diacetto.  On the way there is one of my favorite water spots, with a spigot flowing into a basin that is full.  Perfect place to dunk the head under, then do the same with my helmet.  Feeling refreshed, I finished the climb then descended over to Pelago.  On the way back I visited a Frescobaldi spot for a possible snack / wine break for clients, as Bona Frescobaldi, the Marchese, suggested this to me.  It looks like a good spot.  Nice ride, felt good, and back in time to help for tonight's dinner party.  74.7 kilometers in 3:33 with 1200 meters of climbing.  

I love this view at the top of the climb from Rufina to Diacetto.

One of my favorite roads and a gentle, but consistent climb 

of 350 vertical meters.  

Nice villa at the top of the hill.

The road ahead, a slight descent, then a little climb to Diacetto.

Quick ride to Cercina.

After a late night last night, I just did not want to get up and out early, so I headed out at noon, before the hottest part of the day, but close.  My garmin had the average temperature at 98.7, so it just matched my body temperature.  You would think this would be comfortable, and it actually was.  Lots of errands, more information gathered for the Italian tax returns, then a nice quick ride.  I was remembering a hot summer a couple of years ago, when I decided to embrace the heat.  Starting today, I will be trying to enjoy it.  Probably a good idea, as it is here either way.  Easy to say when the mountains are waiting for us with cool temperatures on Saturday for a week.  I could not find additional water for drinking on the ride today, but for a first, I stopped by a small stream and after finishing all the water in the bottle, really enjoyed a few bottles of cold water over the head.  

On a day like today, when it is hot, the key is to find some sweet

shade like this.  It felt good.

A nice olive grove above the shade on the road to Cercina.

Great solo ride to the west then south

Really nice ride today.  I planned this ride for a friend who is visiting, but did not email him until 6 or so yesterday, and by the time he read it, he could not do the ride.  He had not really ridden to the west of Florence much, which is some of my favorite riding here.  I did the ride anyway, and combined a number of favorites.  Out through the Cascine, then to Seano and up to Bacheretto.  The hard part is after the town getting to the road to Pinone, then you finish the climb to Pinone.   A cafe and pastry there, and the pastries there are just excellent, always.  Sweet descent through Castra to Limite, then into Montelupo.  I branched off my normal route here and enjoyed the super pretty, but challenging road to Montespertoli through Turbone.  A good steep climb to start, then some steep rollers all the way to Montespertoli about 10 kilometers.  From Montespertoli, my standard way back through Chiesanuova, then home.  Lots of good water breaks and a bottle or two over the head is now normal at every water break.  I kept the water breaks close enough today to do the water in the face a few times between breaks.  It keeps one cool enough in 35 C (95F) weather.  I am trying to get centigrade into my head and will be using centigrade for reference in the future.  Home by 12:30 before it goes to 39 or 40.  87.3 kilometers in 3:52 with 1145 meters of climbing.  Sweet ride!

Loved this field of sunflowers just breaking out with vineyards and hills in the background.

That shade ahead is looking good.

Fields of vineyards on the way to Montespertoli.

Here is part of the tiny road from Turbone to Montespertoli.

A challenge with lots of ups and downs, but a total pleasure to ride.

I'm back - 2 posts in 2 days means a few days off work.

After some errands this morning, which included a nice muffin with Kate and Viola at Mamma's bakery, I decided that a ride would be more fun than hiding inside, sitting in front of the fan, as the temperature in Firenze is around 100 F.  Good decision.  From watching the weather, it appears the day's high hits around 3 or 4, and stays quite hot until 9 or even later.  So, off around 12:00 on a ride designed to get to what I thought would be one of the coolest places relatively close.  Montesenario is around 800 meters of climbing in around 21 kilometers from the apartment.  Water and head dousing in Fiesole, then the same at the top with lots of water consumption also.  Felt pretty good at the top, then after getting kind of wet with water all over me, the descent was super fresh, at least the first 1/3 of it until I dried off.  The real heat did not return until around 2/3 the way through the descent around Caldine.  Fun ride, felt good even in the hot weather.

Looking back to the east on the beginning of the last part of 

the climb to Montesenario.  You can feel the simmering heat

in the valley below in the picture, or at least I can.

There is Montesenario at the top of the hill.  Only another 200

meters to climb.  

Fresh, cold water at the fountain at Montesenario.  Sweet!

Lots of tours and a special 4th of July

It has been a week, and a busy one at that.  Tours most every day, and when I did not have tours, I had commitments or rode with the team.  I have to admit, when I do not take pictures of the crew I am taking out, I am forgetting names, and often these days, I am simply using client's phones for the pictures.  I need to take my phone out and also get one, but often when I finish with theirs, they are already moving on.  So, a couple of Chianti tours for Florence by Bike, and 4 days of tours for Dominick with one day riding with the team, Saturday.  I needed the team ride, as most client rides are at a totally different pace, and it is nice riding fast, not leading, and not being responsible for everyone.  So, Saturday was a great team ride, and we were out before the heat hit.  In the last week it has also really gotten hot, I think as hot as it has been here in a couple of years.  I know the temperature today hit 104F while we were riding.  Ouch!  Actually with an air conditioned van, it is fine.  I do need to be very careful with the clients, as today a 17 year old, very healthy young man was fine one minute and in a couple of minutes, he was "finished".  Good to have the van in that situation.

The highlight of the week for me was the 4th of July.  I rode with the team in the morning, with only 4 of us showing up, but David back on the bike after a nagging injury kept him out for 5 months.  He only did a part of the tour, but it was nice having him back.  The other 2 were enthusiastic and strong new members of the team.  Both spoke excellent english, so we could communicate without any difficulty.  Fun ride.   After the team ride, Emily and I went to a friend's house in the country for a party for her son's birthday and the 4th of July.  A beautiful spot, and a very nice party.  It was kind of hot, but less warm than Florence.  At the party, Viola had a surprise for me.  She was wearing a beautiful dress that my mother, who passed away a couple of years ago, gave to me when she was cleaning stuff out.  The dress was last worn when my mother was 6 or 7, in the middle 1930's.  Viola was beautiful in it, and it pretty much choked me up.  Sometimes it is great getting old, as it is fine to get chocked up on something like this.  Anyway, a real highlight for me.

All my tours were good, although the heat really makes it a challenge.  Pretty much no one complains, which is nice, and almost everyone hangs in there.  I did have to get a cab for one person who had simply had enough and did not want to ride back to FBB.  This week should be less busy, so perhaps more posts about solo rides for fun.  Saturday, we go to the Dolomites to escape the heat and enjoy the epic riding there.  Ciao a tutti.

Gary and Jesse Robbins on a van supported return tour to Florence from 

Radda.  Gary, the father, made it the whole way without the van.  Here

they are at the Antinori wine facility where we had lunch.  What a beautiful spot.

Viola and Kate after just getting their nails done in red, white, and

blue for the 4th of July.

Viola wearing the dress of my Mother's from the 1930's at the 4th of July 

party.  Super special for me, and I know I am prejudiced, but isn't she as cute as it gets.

The Bastian family at Luiano today on a nice Chianti tour with 

Roby doing super van support.