Happy new year

Well, 2008 is about to end (in 4 hs where I am now).

I wish you all a curvy & twisty 2009.

Me myself I'll start enjoying from tomorrow: I am exactely where the Dakar 2009 will start... and tomorrow I'll enjoy checking out all the vehicles that will race it.
For the way I ride, the Dakar is exactely my target, the raid I must do at least once in my life.

Happy 2009 to you all!

Dead winter dead

Well,

my birthday.

Sometimes I wish I was born on a sunny July day... to gift myself with like 20 passes in a day :-)

Been rather cold lately. Bike safely parked in warmed up garage, under cover, battery removed.

I must start doing something.

1st: wash it. Still left unwashed after the summer blasts.

2nd: start planning maintenance. Apart the obvious oil service, I need to get new chain & sprokets.

3rd: plan new rides

ok. Xmas is ringing at the door bell. This mean it will go in a blink of an eye... and then spring will be back.

Rock 'n' roll! :)

Just another map, just another idea

I already explained that the route I did on saturday is the result of a change of mind as I was riding on.

When I left home, I had in mind another little thing. Far too little for my tastes indeed, but still a pretty funny ride, or better yet, a nice warm up route.

Wanna do it? 

follow this or see it below:

This route does a very single pass, SAN BOLDO, which is pretty funny for its multi tunnel, one way structure:

      

Somebody even did an onboard video.

It could be the season opening ride... isn't it?

Game over. With style.

This amazing autumn weather had to come to an end. And indeed it did ;)
It pours rain today. And yesterday it rained as well. Probably it will rain all week.
Moreover we switched from DST, so days are much shorter & darker now.
For people that work in day time, this completely erases the chance to go for a ride after the work day... as we we get back home it's night already.

So, knowing this all, I took the chance, the past Saturday (25th Oct) to go for the last one.

I left LATE, like at 3:30pm.
I thought to do just coupla corners, but as I rode I found my mind going around thinking about work stuff, & other bullshits.
I NEEDED a challenge to focus on the ride. So I said to myself... what if we try a longer run? I was thinking about a 150km loop around here, but I suddenly desired something harder to do. I had about 3hs of useful daylight... and I was on a dark visor....
So I twisted the throttle more and get myself in my normal challenge-it mode.
My mind forgot about troubles, and it focused about DOING it.
I leaded north toward the Passo Rolle (about 100km from starting point). Once there I descended the north side.. and skipped the usual entrance to my world (aka: Passso Valles and then up all the others ...) and continued west toward Predazzo & Cavalese... where I picked the great MANGHEN pass just as the sun was starting to set. I did it pretty fast, and I even lost the bike once, as the surface isn't anymore the one we used to have in summer time (especially at about 5:30pm, with evening humidity starting to make its war against grip). I descended Manghen south side and joined the Valsugana hiway that I did at pretty high speed.
Last 20 km were ridden in TOTAL DARKNESS. I had my eyes wide open to face the dark visor barrier.
I made it.
Run some 252km in about 3h 15 min... making an average 77km/h.. which is, for Manghen especially a pretty fucking good pace! :-)

That was all. Game over. I stopped bike insurance on monday, and now let's wait 2009 for more fun, and, above all, the Culo di Titanio ride wichi will be repeated and, hopefully, completed.

As we wait for next warm season, I'll keep on posting. Maps of ridden routes, ideas & maps for new route, winter days delirium.. whatever. Just stay tuned

Well, this is the google link to it... and below the map.

Lovely Autumn Ride

Well,
yesterday weather wasn't TOP but it didn't rain.
I even had to leave pretty late (11:30am) but managed to climb 8 passes, enjoy the ride, and clock 374km ;-)

Passes I rode are:

• Duron
• Staulanza
• Giau
• 3Croci (and the following Misurina Lake)
  
• Cimbanche
• Falzarego
• Valles
• Rolle

Acutally the last 2 passes were sunny, the rest was with threatening clouds, but they didn't let it go :-)

Ride route click here

Map:

Fingers still crossed

This weird season is really twisted.
We're having a WARM october. And WARM means with summer like temperatures.
We topped +28°C yesterday.
Saturday was a BRILLIANT day. Pity I was sick.
I would have killed for a last ride of the season (Yes, the prev one wasn't my last, cannot quit yet!).
So I am crossin' fingers for this weather (and temperature) to last... at least untill the weekend!

Here the forecast:

Last season ride?

So, on Saturday (September 27th) I took profit of nice weather and still not freezing temps to go for one of my rides.
Route was likely this:

• Valle del Mis/Mis Lake
• Passo Duran
• Passo Staulanza
• Passo Fedaia
• Passo San Pellegrino
• Passo Valles
• Passo Rolle

325km. Felt great.

Google link click here:

Map:

Where has summer gone?

It became really cold in the last few days.

I had still few rides to do before winterizing, but well, we woke up with a +11°C this morning. It snowed over 1700mt (lower than my average pass rides).

I hope this won't last much... september & october are pretty nice month for riding.... but I would prefer dry and some temperature ;)

Indoctrination

So I brought a CULO-wannabe mate with me today.

429km, 8 Passes, mostly in dry (fog in beginning and a little rain 40km from home).

Did great, took it easy, stopped for food around... good day.

Passes list is:

• Rolle

• Valles

• S.Pellegrino

• Fedaia

• Giau

• Falzarego

• Valparola

• Pordoi

• Manghen

Saturday

Well, this blog attracted people. Many wrote me "call me when you do it next time".
One, out of them, will be actually baptized this saturday... some 400km across not less than 13 passes (I'll mostly ride around the mega ride missing part).

Just wishing weather will stay by our side ;)

What's next

Well, first I take few days off.
Then in early september I will surely do those missing km out of the ride.

And then I'll start planning for 2009.
Well, actually there's not much to plan: I will repeat this, but this time I wanna make it all.

The REAL trip

Here what we actually did. It's not the original plan, but still scary.


Click here to see the original plan.

Nine hundreds nineteen

Passo Pordoi

Passo Campolongo

Up passo Erbe

Pass Giovo

Passo Fuorn (CH)

Resia

Passo Stelvio

Passo Gavia

Passo Tonale

First Pass, and view of Garda Lake

The day after (2)

Realtime posts cleaned and even sectionized for reader's comfort.

I'll comment the comments, so check the comments on those posts to see more details of the ride ;)

The day after

OK... first let's clean those live posts. They are full of phone provider crap.... since I won't erase anything, I want just make them a little easier to be read.

About the ride: well, we failed.

We couldn't make it. I mean, we couldn't complete the planned ride... but we had a hell of a ride.

I must try again in a longer day month, like July. Darkness caught us too soon to continue.
Moreover AUGUST isn't the month. Too much damn traffic (tourists).
18hs or ride, with few little stops, never longer than few minutes.
We did the 3 countries. We did 14 passes (map of ridden route to follow). We did 919km (which isn't far from 1000 at all).

Weather was perfect. We caught a little rain down the last pass (Rolle) that we even did in the night (amazing), but nothing worth mentioning.

Last night I thought

1. this is impossible to be done
2. I won't do it again
3. I won't ride for coupla weeks
   

Today, after a good rest, I still think it's possible to be done, I will do it again and I will ride sooner than you may imagine.

Thanks to all those who followed me on the blog, that text'd me, that phoned me, that emailed me. It was kinda like you were out there riding with us.

You will soon see the pictures we took... stay tuned.

home!

919.2km!

Rolle as last pass

now in feltre. Home in about 35min

pedrazzo

about to pick Rolle...

Campolongo and Pordoi

now descending to Canazei

section 27

but we quit. 742km and still coupla hundreds home. Loaded 14 lt

pass erbe

i think we will die here

section 22 complete

wow! We are toasted.

un saludo a Bruji y Cheche

all the others may ignore this post.

Passo Giovo

633km about 12 hours. Section 22.

562.5km

loaded 17.15 liters. 20km to Merano.

Fuorn pass

500km so far.

up to section 13 ok

now leading to Resia pass to outborder to A and CH.

339km

9.52 liters. My buddy almost fell of a cliff on gavia :-D Now to stelvio.

Down Tonale

food break. Now Gavia and Stelvio ahead, the thoughest.

police

been pulled but survived it! :-) Now toward passo Tonale

212km

17.03 liters fill

ROVERETO

Sections 1 to 6 completed

pass Pian Fugazze

115km ridden. 1.5hs. Weather at its best!

we leave!

bye!

having breakfast

we leave in 15 minutes!

TOMORROW.

Bikes are both filled up & ready to rock. We loaded all we need (maps, camera, water, whatever).

We should be leaving at 0500am, say in 10 hs

26 AUG 2008: NEW DAY, NUOVA DATA, NUEVA FECHA

Just a reminder....... :-)

Back to weather paranoia

Tomorrow forecast:

Early morning:


Morning:


Afternoon:


Evening:

NEW DATE / NUOVA DATA: 26 Aug 2008

So here we are. Sitting in front of a computer rather than being lost somewhere in the alps.

My buddy really couldn't make it. I was the 1st one telling him we should not. So no problem: TOMORROW is the new day.

RIDE DAY MOVED AHEAD!

My buddy was caught on traffic and made it here TOO late to be ready to leave early tomorrow. SO we moved the ride to the day after, Tuesday August 26th.

We could skip the thunders awaited for tomorrow afternoon in the alps....

1 to go... TOMORROW

NO CLOUDS on sky. Sun, warm. Lovely day.

I hope it lasts....

Forecast, ofcourse....

Here there time ranges weather forecast for Monday August 25th.

Morning:


Afternoon:


Evening:

2 days to BLAST!

Just filled up the bike to the very very very top. Loaded 20.04 liters out of the 21 liters capacity ;)
WOW

Later I'll lube chain, clean the bike a bit, check tire pressure, load the bag.

My buddy is reaching me at my place tomorrow.

Ah: on a side note, a thunderstorm is approaching as I type this! This image taken from a web cam 15 km from my place says it all:

THE REAL FORECAST

Just back from a ride on my bicycle around the hills.

On my way I stopped to chat to the dude at local gas station. He is a funny good bloke, really kind. I always have fun askin' him about weather, temperature or whatever (as he runs a car wash too, so weather is kinda like a key issue for him).

With solemnity, He claimed: Tomorrow (Saturday) it will be bad, but then it will get better & better.

I TRUST HIM (or at least I want to!)

My daily forecast....

3 days to go...

my bike only needs a fill up, chain lube and tire pressure check.....

One last one, before dinner

It's getting a little better...

Cannot stop this...

really, I need professional help :-)

meanwhile:

The right shoes (well... mmh)

Few asked info about the tires we're using.
ok, here it goes:

RF900R: Metzeler Sportec M3

GSXR1000: Bridgestone Battlax BT014

...don't try this at home :-)

4 days to go...

Weekend approaching.
We're about to start! 4 days!

Yesterday I adjusted my bike carburettors, to prevent a too rich mixture on higher passes (and we got a few!).

What about weather? :-)
Well, Paranoia is now an endless spiral of madness..... :-)

Here the forecast, foreseen today: