The "Photos From Today's Ride" thread. (Vol. 2)
Discussion
This is where the Italians tried to hide Mussolini when they surrendered in '43. The Germans wanted him as a figurehead to keep Italy in the war, so they sent in paratroopers gliders and a Storch, and whisked him away.
This is at the top of Campo Imperatore, a stunning plain between two high mountainous outcrops.
The last 10km is very hard, made harder by the +30° temps and I was on my own, a long way from any help. And I'd already ridden 45 km and climbed 1500m! Out of 5065 riders on Strava, I placed...5065!
Daveyraveygravey said:
This is where the Italians tried to hide Mussolini when they surrendered in '43. The Germans wanted him as a figurehead to keep Italy in the war, so they sent in paratroopers gliders and a Storch, and whisked him away.
This is at the top of Campo Imperatore, a stunning plain between two high mountainous outcrops.
The last 10km is very hard, made harder by the +30 temps and I was on my own, a long way from any help. And I'd already ridden 45 km and climbed 1500m! Out of 5065 riders on Strava, I placed...5065!
Daveyraveygravey said:
This is where the Italians tried to hide Mussolini when they surrendered in '43. The Germans wanted him as a figurehead to keep Italy in the war, so they sent in paratroopers gliders and a Storch, and whisked him away.
This is at the top of Campo Imperatore, a stunning plain between two high mountainous outcrops.
The last 10km is very hard, made harder by the +30 temps and I was on my own, a long way from any help. And I'd already ridden 45 km and climbed 1500m! Out of 5065 riders on Strava, I placed...5065!
sry guys not using strava but komoot as I couldn't get used to strava on my phone.
today was windy and rainy. cycling over Drumochter Summit was biblical but then had 19 miles down to blair Atholl to dry everything out...except my feet.
look me up but nothing to see really
https://www.komoot.com/user/1768383229227?ref=amk
or follow my journey with videos and live tracking
https://www.facebook.com/miles.long.14606
today was windy and rainy. cycling over Drumochter Summit was biblical but then had 19 miles down to blair Atholl to dry everything out...except my feet.
look me up but nothing to see really
https://www.komoot.com/user/1768383229227?ref=amk
or follow my journey with videos and live tracking
https://www.facebook.com/miles.long.14606
Edited by TheDrownedApe on Sunday 22 May 18:06
dontlookdown said:
Fabulous. Gran Sasso? On a clear day you can see it from the terrace of my friend's holiday house, about 50miles north, near Amandola. Wonderful country, if tough cycling. Will be there again in August all being well!
It's magical up there, isn't it? I have a place inland from Francavilla, we have the Blockhaus, the Gran Sasso, the coast and a deep valley off our roof terrace, it's definitely my happy place. Gran Sasso is a long way for me, I think it was nearly an hour and a half in the car, then an all day ride, and then back in the car. Glad I did it! You just have to be ready for the roads to go from billiard table smooth to troubling a Land Rover in the space of half a metre, then it's spot on.
Cafe stops are a joy - four of us having proper coffee and croissants, rarely much over €10.
Daveyraveygravey said:
dontlookdown said:
Fabulous. Gran Sasso? On a clear day you can see it from the terrace of my friend's holiday house, about 50miles north, near Amandola. Wonderful country, if tough cycling. Will be there again in August all being well!
It's magical up there, isn't it? I have a place inland from Francavilla, we have the Blockhaus, the Gran Sasso, the coast and a deep valley off our roof terrace, it's definitely my happy place. Gran Sasso is a long way for me, I think it was nearly an hour and a half in the car, then an all day ride, and then back in the car. Glad I did it! You just have to be ready for the roads to go from billiard table smooth to troubling a Land Rover in the space of half a metre, then it's spot on.
Cafe stops are a joy - four of us having proper coffee and croissants, rarely much over €10.
One from a load of photos from the King Alfred's Way ride over the weekend. This one off the back of Old Winchester Hill. We did the route over 3 days, 140/140/80km split days, staying in booked accommodation. Worked well for us as it was challenging enough whilst remaining a social ride.
Can't recommend the route enough. We're both local to the start at Winchester, therefore many parts, especially the SDW were familiar to us. Day 1 was pouring rain for 5hrs+ in total and like riding through a wet hedge from Winchester to Salisbury, a section which can be and is now quite overgrown. Salisbury Plain was good for us in weather terms and generally, a great place to ride. Ridgeway was it's usual rutted, slippy when wet self.
Up through Frensham in the sandpit was at the end of day two and was OK, the climb to Devil's Punchbowl was at the end of 140kms, tough. Then down through Liss and Petersfield to the SDW and back to Winchester. All very familiar with the toughest climbs, like Butser, Old Winchester hill etc.
More from last week. Going backwards through my ride.
This is climbing up the southern edge (I guess) of Campo Imperatore, starting my ride home effectively.
Turned off the plain, heading up the dead end road to the observatory and the hotel. I remember seeing Clarkson in a Ferrari on the box up on this road.
Some BMW bikers heading off road. Don't know how far they got!
You can see this place for miles. They do a lovely snack dish called Arosticini, which is skweres of mutton with salt and herbs, cooked on a special narrow barbecue type grill. Tastes fantastic, but I didn't need any.
The first real view of the plain as you come over the ridge from Castel del Monte. You can see where the road is heading off to the left. It is not a place to get caught when the weather turns nasty.
The plain is below the ridge on most sides, which means you have to go up and down to get on and off it. This is as you start to drop down after Castel del Monte.
A view that I kept seeing on the ride up, finally it came into a good position for a photo.
Castel del Monte. We had stayed at the Albergo Parco Gran Sasso for a night earlier in the week. The hotel itself was ok in a functional, basic kind of way. The restaurant was out of this world!
My Cinelli hire bike in the foreground. If you are planning on a trip with a hire bike, can I suggest you seriously consider taking your own saddle? My arse and that seat did NOT get on. Uncomfortable in two ways - hard enough to feel like it was bruising and then also chafing. I rode nearly 400km and over 6000 m of climbing in a week, it would have been more but I needed a total day off after each ride. Otherwise a good enough bike. The background might the Majella mountain, the home of the Blockhaus, although I think that might be more to the left.
This is climbing up the southern edge (I guess) of Campo Imperatore, starting my ride home effectively.
Turned off the plain, heading up the dead end road to the observatory and the hotel. I remember seeing Clarkson in a Ferrari on the box up on this road.
Some BMW bikers heading off road. Don't know how far they got!
You can see this place for miles. They do a lovely snack dish called Arosticini, which is skweres of mutton with salt and herbs, cooked on a special narrow barbecue type grill. Tastes fantastic, but I didn't need any.
The first real view of the plain as you come over the ridge from Castel del Monte. You can see where the road is heading off to the left. It is not a place to get caught when the weather turns nasty.
The plain is below the ridge on most sides, which means you have to go up and down to get on and off it. This is as you start to drop down after Castel del Monte.
A view that I kept seeing on the ride up, finally it came into a good position for a photo.
Castel del Monte. We had stayed at the Albergo Parco Gran Sasso for a night earlier in the week. The hotel itself was ok in a functional, basic kind of way. The restaurant was out of this world!
My Cinelli hire bike in the foreground. If you are planning on a trip with a hire bike, can I suggest you seriously consider taking your own saddle? My arse and that seat did NOT get on. Uncomfortable in two ways - hard enough to feel like it was bruising and then also chafing. I rode nearly 400km and over 6000 m of climbing in a week, it would have been more but I needed a total day off after each ride. Otherwise a good enough bike. The background might the Majella mountain, the home of the Blockhaus, although I think that might be more to the left.
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