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 ;)