tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89567762583321286252024-02-07T04:09:17.974+01:00...and now, For Something Completely DifferentApril 30, 2009 starts Something Completely Different. I will post periodic updates over the next 5 months as I do a little exploring.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-60564501005509467172009-06-25T00:17:00.004+02:002010-01-27T02:55:30.452+01:00Leaving Bormio<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Just a transportation day<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 0 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 0 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - No route today.<br /><strong>People</strong> - Ned from Scotland.<br /><br />This post is from June 23, 2009.<br /><br />Today was a transportation day, so there isn’t much to report. Just a couple of loose ends.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/573105632_Hp6nP-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 550px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/573105632_Hp6nP-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Daniele has been telling me about his “second wife” since I arrived in Bormio. I couldn’t leave town without getting a picture of the two of them together. He claims that wife #2 is less expensive, only requiring a water bottle and a strong pair of legs. For the bike geeks out there, yes, that is a Pinarello Prince – there is no more coveted bike in Italy. For the fitness geeks out there, no, I can’t lift my bike straight off the ground that way – and it’s not my bike’s fault.<br /><br />The other loose end is an interesting story. There have been very few single people in the bike hotels. One such person was Ned, a lawyer from Scotland. He checked in the day before I was scheduled to leave. At dinner one night, he mentioned that he had seen my Moots in the bike storage area. He asked, “Moots – aren’t those made in a tubular shaped former foundry building in Steamboat Springs?”. I must have been dumbstruck for a few seconds, then said, “They haven’t been made there for over 5 years. That is now Orange Peel Bike Shop, but how in the world did you know that?”<br /><br />He said that he had seen it in a magazine article about 5 years ago. Not only did he remember an article he saw 5 years ago about a bike brand that is nearly unheard-of in Europe, he remembered and could describe the building where they used to be made.<br /><br />I’m still shaking my head about that. I guess I see how he got through law school. His legal library needs must be very small.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-21113592805890021712009-06-22T22:49:00.004+02:002010-01-27T02:55:14.955+01:00Challenge<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Rode Passo del Mortirolo from Mazzo (the difficult side)<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 35.77 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 6,706 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7436610">View Today’s Route Here</a><br /><strong>People</strong> - Just me.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571072673_zEjCW-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571072673_zEjCW-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This post is from June 22, 2009.<br /><br />Today was original scheduled to be my check-out day at Hotel Funivia in Bormio. Since I had not made adequate progress on planning my next steps, I decided to extend for a day.<br /><br />With my extra day, I set out to ride the "easy" side of Mortirolo Pass. I had the route in my GPS, I was dressed and ready to go. I pulled my bike out of the deposit in the garage and walked outside and it started raining. It wasn't a warm rain. It was in the 50's, blowing and overcast. Not the best way to set out on what promised to be a challenging day.<br /><br />I ran into Daniele and he assured me that the rain was moving north, and if I headed south toward Mortirolo that I would avoid it. He even offered to shuttle me down the valley to a lower starting point and I took him up on it. When we arrived 15 miles down the hill, it was just as promised. Warmer and no rain. Unfortunately, the wind continued. Daniele has been a fantastic host throughout my stay.<br /><br />Since I had the jump-start from the van ride, I decided I should take advantage of the opportunity to ride the even more evil side of Mortirolo. My new plan was to ride up the Mazzo approach and down to Grosetto rather than up and down Grosetto. The Mazzo approach has more elevation (it starts lower) and climbs to the summit in 12 km rather than 18. That makes for a significant difference in grade. If I'm going to do the climb of a lifetime, I may as well do it right.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571076121_bESqv-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571076121_bESqv-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The pictures I selected for today's post are not for scenery. They are an attempt to give a sense of how steep the pass is. Pictures have a way of flattening out terrain, so these only give a little bit of the flavor.<br /><br />The question of, "what is the steepest climb you have ever done?" has now been answered and will probably stand for the rest of my life. It wasn't the longest or the most vertical gain, but it was certainly the steepest. If Lance Armstrong can call this the most difficult climb he has done, I don't feel too conflicted saying that it is probably the steepest I will ever do.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571073622_tPFrs-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571073622_tPFrs-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The average grade is over 10%. That is deceptive because it honestly seemed as if it almost never dropped below 10%. It was mostly 12-15% with frequent blips above 20%. It's amazing how 10% can begin to feel like a recovery zone after pulling 15% for a while. Only the somewhat flatter section near the top caused the average to drop near 10%.<br /><br />Key Stats for climb:<br />Distance: 7.18 miles<br />Time: 1:28:28<br />Avg Speed: 4.9 mph<br />Vertical Feet: 4,184 ft.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571073074_WAYUU-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571073074_WAYUU-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />On both the climb and descent, I had a couple of mountain bike sensations that you usually don’t get on a road bike. Climbing some of the steeper pitches, I could actually feel my front wheel lifting up from the pavement. Not so much that I was going to flip over backwards, but enough to know that the grade was affecting my weight distribution. On the way down, I had the sensation of diving over the edge. I extended my butt off the back of the saddle like you do on a mountain bike to assure that my rear brake could be effective. Neither was scary or dangerous, but not sensations you usually attribute to a road bike.<br /><br />Mortirolo is a challenge that has been in my mind since starting to think about visiting Italy. It wasn't a challenge I was committed to achieve, but I knew it was there. Riding it today, I thought about challenges in general. Anyone who has ridden a bike uphill at 12% knows that it isn't easy or comfortable. When you hear that there is a pass in Italy that sustains that for nearly 7 miles, most people's response is that they couldn't do it. They can go 100 feet at that grade if they need to, but 7 miles? No way.<br /><br />I have observed during previous big challenges, and confirmed today, that everyone is capable of so much more than they know. Do I think I can sustain 12% for 7 miles each time I encounter a 12% hill? No. Like everyone else, I think it is ridiculously steep. If that 7 miles happens to be the 7 miles in front of your wheel, however, you find a way. Not only do you survive the challenge, you realize that it isn't the limit of your capacity. I'm not saying I want to get any closer to discovering my climbing capacity any time soon, but it is useful to know that self-imposed limits are not necessarily real.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571117556_uDCcd-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571117556_uDCcd-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The climb back up to Bormio was made substantially more difficult by a head wind. Between the pass and a headwind climb back to the hotel, today was my slowest day of riding (maybe ever). All things considered, I’ll take it.<br /><br />Daniele will be driving me down to Tirano tomorrow to catch a train to Fianle on the Riviera. It will be Bike Hotel #4, so I will continue to build some miles. From there, I want to do a fast pass through Switzerland without the bike and do some hiking and sightseeing. If I can find a place to stay, the next stop will be Monaco to see to first stage of Le Tour de France. Beyond that, my itinerary is again blank.<br /><br />My original plane ticket was scheduled to return to the U.S. on July 7. Given how much I have left to see and do, I am going to extend that return date and cancel my plans to ride the Pacific Coast. I will need to leave that for a future adventure. I have managed to keep the budget in line so far, so I think I should keep my run of good experiences going in Europe for a while longer.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-61564705970132284322009-06-22T22:45:00.003+02:002010-01-27T02:55:03.644+01:00Bormio<a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571064540_qVeAp-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/571064540_qVeAp-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Bormio is a ski town sitting at 1,200 meters in the Alps. As you can tell from my recent posts, it is a great home base for cyclists and motorcyclists to ride the high passes of Italy.<br /><br />This picture tells the story. At this intersection, you can turn right to Gavia Pass, left to Stelvio or do a U-turn for Mortirolo. How would you like to climb today?Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-49517446753181874772009-06-22T22:29:00.003+02:002010-01-27T02:54:22.834+01:00Cioccolata Calda<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Rode Bormio 2000 and had the best cioccolata calda (hot chocolate) ever made<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 11.54 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 2,368 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7436560">View Today’s Route Here</a><br /><strong>People</strong> - Just me.<br /><br />This post is from June 21, 2009.<br /><br />The day was cold and windy, so I didn't plan any big activities. I didn’t want to be completely inactive, so I rode the Bormio 2000 climb that starts 50 meters from the hotel. At the top of the gondola (Bormio 2000) there was an open concession, but not much going on. To give myself a head start on staying warm for the descent, I ordered a cioccolata calda (hot chocolate). I was expecting something functional to keep me warm, but what I got was far more than functional. It was called hot chocolate, but it was really more like hot chocolate pudding. It would have been possible to drink it, but I ate it with a spoon.<br /><br />At 2.30 euro ($3.25), I assumed the high price was attributable to being at the top of a ski resort. I don’t think anyone would ever complain about the price of hot chocolate if we could make it like this at Steamboat. I asked the concession owner what chocolate he used, and he went into the back to bring out a bag of powdered chocolate called Moretto. He said he used 1 ladle per cup and the ladle looked like about 2 oz. I have not searched yet to see if this is available to purchase in the U.S., but if it is, you will be welcome to try it at my house because there will certainly be some in my cupboard.<br /><br />I may have done something else after this, but it is all a blur after to cioccolata calda.<br /><br />Actually, there was one more thing. I spent the afternoon planning next steps for the trip and not finding much. A lot of rain is forecast everywhere this week. I finally decided to go to the Italian Riviera where chances of dry weather are better, but not guaranteed.<br /><br />I considered going to a city in Switzerland so that I could do city activities if it rained, but nightly rates were outrageous. I do want to do a quick pass through Switzerland, but with costs as high as they are, I want to do a little more planning. I also considered going to the Pyrenees to continue climbing in western France, but the place I would like to go did not have availability this week. I may still go there later depending on availability in the schedule. In an effort to keep my economical and active streak going, I found a 4th Bike Hotel in a town called Finale on the Mediterranean. I will be extending my stay in Bormio 1 day and checking in at Finale on 23 June. My travel looks like a child’s scribbling on a map of Italy, but it’s working for me so far.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-27373899581429638542009-06-20T23:36:00.005+02:002010-01-27T02:54:11.170+01:00A Taste of Mortirolo<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Rode to Tirano and part of Passo Mortirolo. First equipment breakdown<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 61.40 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 5,782 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7366851">View Today’s Route Here</a><br /><strong>People</strong> - Just me.<br /><br />This post is from June 20, 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569594195_orAUm-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 550px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569594195_orAUm-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I set out today with a route planned to go from Bormio to Tirano and back. With one exception, it is 25 miles downhill to Tirano and 25 miles uphill back. The picture above is the valley I passed through in both directions. A little more than ½ way there, a sign appeared saying “Passo Mortirolo”. The dreaded Mortirolo.<br /><br />Daniele has said a few times that, “you must ride Mortirolo once in your life”. He may be right, but I’m not sure if this trip is my time. I knew that I wasn’t prepared to ride it today. I had not eaten yet, only had one bottle of water and still had at least 35 miles left to ride after the pass. Curiosity got the best of me though, so I made a deal with myself to ride just the first 3 km (2 miles) of the climb. There are three ways to climb that pass, and this one is considered the “easy” route. “Easy” is certainly only relative to the other 2 approaches. I have never heard a single person say that any of the approaches are, “not that bad”, much less “easy”.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569594080_oBsXr-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569594080_oBsXr-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The party got started quickly. Immediately the hill climbed at 13%. I expected that, but I didn’t expect the leveling that came next. After a short recovery, it went back to 11 and 13%, then 15%. Very steep and difficult, but surprisingly, the recovery sections continued every so often. When I got to my 3 km goal, I was feeling good, so I decided to go another 2 and see what was ahead. The pattern of steep and recover continued. I recognized that if I went much farther, goal-orientation would take over and I would start to think I should just do the whole climb. I knew it wasn’t a good idea without food, but I also knew that I was likely to talk myself into it. I went 1 more km to 6 km and then turned it around. I did not even get up to tree line, so it is entirely possible that the character of the ride changes higher up, but the part I rode was merely torturously difficult, not impossible.<br /><br />After descending off Mortirolo, I continued toward Tirano. Shortly after passing through the town of Grossetto, I had my first mechanical breakdown of the trip – my chain broke. One of the links came loose, caught on the front derailleur and got mangled. Fortunately, I was pedaling lightly enough that I don’t think I did any damage to the derailleur. Also in the fortunate column, Brock had the foresight to sell me a tool kit that included a chain tool and a spare master link to replace the broken one.<br /><br />The only explanation I have is that I generated such an overwhelming amount of torque climbing Mortirolo that the chain just couldn’t handle it. It was either that or something else.<br /><br />I was able to remove the broken link and install a spare master. Since I had never fixed a chain, I was happy that it went well, but the break happened on the link right next to the existing master link needed to remove the chain when packing the bike. Having 2 consecutive master links in the chain was not a good long-term solution, but the fix got me rolling again.<br /><br />Throughout this trip, I have been quite surprised at how few bike shops there have been in Italy. That made it startling when I found the biggest shop I have seen in 6 weeks just 2 miles down the road from my breakdown.<br /><br />We had no language to draw on to discuss the problem, so I showed the mechanic what had happened and asked “Una link” or “Tutti chain”? I was trying to ask if I had to replace a single link or the entire chain. He got the idea and changed just the broken link and gave me back the master link for the next emergency. Between my front and rear brakes and this chain, I have visited bike service shops 3 times in the Alps, including the house call. My total labor charges so far are 0.00 euro. It must be tough to earn a living as a bike mechanic in Italy. No wonder I can never find one.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569592614_L34jL-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 550px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569592614_L34jL-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569593892_kLsrX-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569593892_kLsrX-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>On the way back to Bormio, I found this little church up on a pass hidden back from the road. Something about it made me want to explore. There was a sign saying that it was built in 1392 and survived a landslide in the 1500’s that destroyed everything else in the area. Being a mountainside chapel rather than a city church, I was taken back when I looked inside one of the buildings and saw a room full of perfectly organized skulls and femur bones. Mike from Ohio had told us about that tradition on our tour of Vatican City, but I didn’t expect to see it here.<br /><br />Good luck to everyone in Colorado who is doing the MS Bike Ride next weekend. I was thinking of you today. Sorry I won’t be on the team this year.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-12978360130511172782009-06-20T23:17:00.007+02:002010-01-27T02:53:58.739+01:00Easy Day in the Alps<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Visited Daniele and Elisa’s family cabin for lunch<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 0 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 0 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - No route today<br /><strong>People</strong> - Lunch with Daniele, Elisa, Elisa’s father, Richard Steiner from Hotel Dory and spouses of Dutch riders.<br /><br />This post is from June 19, 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569590162_4w5dK-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 525px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569590162_4w5dK-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569589889_ZhaHB-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569589889_ZhaHB-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unlike yesterday’s “recovery”, today was a true rest day. There was forecast of rain, but it did not come until very late. As it turns out, it would have been better to ride today since the weather for tomorrow does not look promising. It is amazing how one day of inactivity makes me feel lazy after establishing such an active routine.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569590035_a8Qfq-L.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569590035_a8Qfq-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>In spite of my sluggish ways, it was a fun casual day. Rather than risk the weather up at 2,000 meters at Daniele’s family cabin in Stelvio National Park, we went to his father in-law’s cabin just above Bormio. He cooked us lunch with a big pan of local polenta, salami, cheeses, bread, 2 types of grilled sausages, pork chops, grilled vegetables, local wine and peach torte for desert. Just another lunch in Italy.<br /><br />It occurred to me on my ride yesterday that the very same PowerBar that arrived with me in Italy is still in my saddle bag. That means that over 1,500 miles of riding has been 100% fueled by local “real” food. Not a single Gu or energy bar. That not only says something about Italian food, but also the frequency of availability. There has not been a single stretch of road between cafes that was long enough that I needed to carry food. It also says that I have been taking a slow enough pace that I don’t mind stopping to eat. I keep the PowerBar with me as an emergency backup, but who wouldn’t rather have a prosciutto panini, pizza or plate of spaghetti than a bar of extruded “stuff”?<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569588841_4VsqM-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/569588841_4VsqM-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Richard Steiner checked into the hotel last night. You might remember his name as the lead of the guide program at Hotel Dory, the very first bike hotel where I stayed in Riccione. Like Maurizio from the Lake Garda Hotel, Richard is 66 years old. He was the coach of the Swiss National Cycling Team at the Olympics in Bejing and rides 20,000 km (12,000+ miles) / year. Being Swiss, he is the reason that rides at Hotel Dory scheduled to leave at 9:30 almost never leave at 9:31.<br /><br />Richard is visiting this region because he is getting ready to personally ride the Trans-Alp race next month. It is a 7-day race with 2-person teams that climbs 19,000 meters (62,000 feet) over the 7 stages. He is bringing the Dory guides to Bormio in a couple of weeks to ride 3 consecutive days that will include the ride I did 2 days ago and two others with comparable effort. Not bad for 66 years old (not bad for 26 years old).<br /><br />Thank you for the responses on the “<a href="http://randyhowie.blogspot.com/2009/06/where-should-randy-go-next-sweepstakes.html">Where should Randy go Next Sweepstakes</a>”. I am leaning toward going to Switzerland first (since I am only a few miles away from the boarder), then either Kent or Mary's suggestion for Monaco or Croatia. I have a whole lot of logistics to work out in the next couple of days.<br /><br />I hope tomorrow will let me get back onto The Machine, but if not, I will try to make logistical progress toward the next chapter of the adventure.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-61300461872926213012009-06-18T22:42:00.007+02:002010-01-27T02:53:46.306+01:00Where Should Randy Go Next SweepstakesI only have a few days left in Bormio, then my itinerary is completely blank. I think I am going to extend beyond my origainally planned return date of July 7, but it's time to start building my extended plan. I need your help.<br /><br />I can't offer any big prizes, but whoever makes the best suggestion for where in Europe I go next will get a souvenir from that location. Bike, hike, beach - anything is in play. I have an unlimited Eurail Pass, so I can go about anywhere, just keep in mind that I have a bike and all the related weight to lug around.<br /><br />In case you don't already do so, please click on the "...and now, For Something Completely Different" link in your e-mail to go to my blog. From there, you can enter a comment so that everyone else can share and chime in with their opinions.<br /><br />Here is the map of all of the destinations that have been suggested so far. Green have already been visited, blue have not. My current location (Bormio) is in red. (remember - you can you view maps if you go to my blog - not from your e-mail message). Also, remember that you can zoom and pan around the map to make it easier to view details.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="325" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.it/maps/ms?hl=it&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114044186672193621385.0004684454f1eb7e17559&ll=44.119142,7.998047&spn=10.249523,17.578125&z=5&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>Visualizza <a href="http://maps.google.it/maps/ms?hl=it&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114044186672193621385.0004684454f1eb7e17559&ll=44.119142,7.998047&spn=10.249523,17.578125&z=5&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Possible Destinations</a> in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori</small><br /><br />Please don't wait. I have let this go too long, and I need somewhere to go!. Such a problem to have.<br /><br />Thank you.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-45619589990255950452009-06-18T21:58:00.006+02:002010-01-27T02:53:32.264+01:00Recovery Day vs. Rest Day<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Rode to Cancano<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 21.44 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 2,704 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/8305577">View Today’s Route Here</a><br /><strong>People</strong> - 2 Italian kids escorted me to the bike shop in their matching race kits. Same mechanic as Monday installed front brakes and trued my rear wheel.<br /><br />This post is from June 18, 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567566536_gFP2R-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567566536_gFP2R-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567564750_gkYmj-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567564750_gkYmj-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I learned today the difference between a “recovery day” and a “rest day”, at least by Daniele’s definition. I asked him for a route selection that would let me recover from yesterday’s big climbs. He suggested that I go to a couple of lakes called Cancano in Stelvio National Park where his family has a cabin. All of the hotel guests are invited to visit his cabin tomorrow for some homemade polenta.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567564436_QNt4h-L.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567564436_QNt4h-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>So, what is a recovery ride? It was 47 switchbacks and 2,700 vertical feet. Nothing like yesterday, but not the kind of ride I would seek out the day after doing Tour de Steamboat. Your legs are toast? Why don’t you take it easy and just climb Rabbit Ears Pass.<br /><br />Tomorrow’s weather forecast looks like I may be rained out for the first time in 6 weeks. Given my need for a rest day, it couldn’t come at a better time. After 26,000 vertical feet in 4 days, kicking up my feet at Daniele’s cabin and maybe making some progress on my upcoming itinerary sounds pretty good.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567564661_9pS6J-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 550px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567564661_9pS6J-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />On my way off the mountain today, I encountered the woman in this picture who put all of my recreational effort into perspective. She was walking up a very steep hill to her house after it appears she spent the day cutting and raking hay. Even after what must have been a demanding day, I said, “Buona sera” and she lit up with a big smile.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-58569059490848568872009-06-18T21:02:00.004+02:002010-01-27T02:53:19.044+01:00157 Switchbacks, 10,000 Vertical Feet<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Climbed Passo Stelvio from both sides. Rode through Switzerland and back to Italy. Limoni torte at the top of Stelvio<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 62.66 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 10,454 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7252551">View Today’s Route Here</a><br /><strong>People</strong> - Dinner with Geert from Belgium.<br /><br />This post is from June 17, 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567477562_U8VBS-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567477562_U8VBS-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I told you today might be a big ride.<br /><br />Today was an all-time record for me in a couple of ways. I have never ridden anything close to 157 switchbacks, and the 10,000+ vertical feet beats the Bicycle Tour of Colorado day when we climbed over Berthoud Pass, Loveland Pass and Ten Mile Canyon in one day. It took 6 ½ hours in the saddle to go 63 miles, but I don’t think I could have managed a much faster pace. At least 5 of those 6 ½ hours were spent climbing in my smallest gear. The final climb was a sustained 20 mile, 6,000 foot climb.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567479250_KhNHo-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567479250_KhNHo-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>You can count the switchbacks on Today’s Route GPS data, but I’m pretty sure 157 is the correct number. It makes your head swim.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567474713_VWPoJ-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567474713_VWPoJ-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Like Day 1 in Bormio, I started by climbing the near side of Stelvio Pass. This time, however, when I got about 3 km from the top, I took a left turn and dropped down the Umbrailpass into Switzerland. I have long wanted to visit Switzerland, and plan to spend more time there later in this trip, but it seemed appropriate for my first view to be entering from the highest paved road in Italy. Getting through “customs” was a complex process. There was a white stripe in the road that said, “Stop”. I did so, re-clicked into my pedals and continued. There was nobody around, so I guess that is S.O.P.. I may have been photographed, but that was all it took. Returning to Italy at least had a staffed station, but I was just waived through on my bike.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567545833_tgLNt-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567545833_tgLNt-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The road through Switzerland was beautiful. Geographically, of course, there was no big change, but the architecture, language and clothing changed immediately. I stopped at a hotel restaurant for a salami sandwich to keep me going for a little while, but I forgot that Switzerland does not use the Euro for its currency. Fortunately, they accepted my money at what I’m sure was a greatly inflated rate. Whatever the exchange rate, the sandwich tasted good and was needed.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567476113_saFU6-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567476113_saFU6-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />After returning to Italy, the road continued to go downhill until it reached the base of Stelvio on the opposite side from Bormio. My next challenge was to climb Stelvio again, but this time from a lower elevation, which made this even more challenging than the first ascent. If you remember the picture of all of the switchbacks from “<a href="http://randyhowie.blogspot.com/2009/06/mighty-stelvio.html">The Mighty Stelvio</a>” post 2 days ago, that was the back side of Stelvio that I was about to climb. As impressive as that set of switchbacks were, the thing I didn’t realize was that those were only the top 4 miles of a 20-mile the climb. There was a 16-mile approach before you arrived at the bottom of those final switchbacks. Here is a picture that shows the final 14 of 49 switchbacks from the bottom rather than the previous view you had from the top. Unfortunately, the backlighting makes it impossible to see much of the striking detail.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567472255_oX8QB-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567472255_oX8QB-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The pass is located entirely within the Stelvio National Park, and the scenery was enjoyable throughout. That helps provide some distraction from the suffering that is inevitable on any climb that long. In fact, the road I ascended for the final climb has been rated the most scenic alpine road in Europe. That could explain the number of sports car drivers and motorcycles out testing their cornering abilities.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567472464_7RPec-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567472464_7RPec-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The switchback count started over at the bottom on the far side of Stelvio. Although there were 49 of them, this was the first where I could pull off to take a picture.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567478986_witS3-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567478986_witS3-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I have to admit that my fuel tank was getting pretty low by the top, but I made it with no real drama. I made a few more photo stops as I approached to top. Yes, I stopped, and yes, I took a photo, but if I didn’t carry a camera, I probably would have been taking time to examine the composition of the asphalt. The good news is that it was much more comfortable than the time I climbed Alpe di Suisi with the cold back in mid-May. By the time I reached switchback #1, it was time to smile again.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567480622_3jTMU-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/567480622_3jTMU-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I was happy to have arm warmers, tights and a jacket for the descent back to Bormio. It all helped hold off the shivers that make riding a bike downhill a little bit adventurous. Although these may look like the same switchbacks I showed a couple of days ago, this picture is actually the Bormio side of the pass where you can see all of the tunnels below the switchbacks. The tunnels are dark and leaky. I just concentrate and get through them as quickly as I can. I was thankful that in spite of the long ride, much of the descent was still in sunshine.<br /><br />After 3 days of riding these passes, I am going to take an easier day on Thursday. Daniele helped me find a recovery route that is shorter and less climbing than the past few.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-91645512551930770912009-06-16T22:36:00.006+02:002010-01-27T02:53:06.559+01:00Another Day, Another Epic Pass - Gavia<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Climbed Passo Gavia and Bormio 2000 (the top of the gondola at the Bormio ski resort), drank hot chocolate at Rifugio Bonetta (restaurant at top of Gavia).<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 47.9 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 7,173 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7214806">View Today’s Route Here</a><br /><strong>People</strong> - Rode alone. Dinner involves cross-talk between tables of 11 Dutch, 1 Belgian and 1 Yank.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565690335_MCTRi-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565690335_MCTRi-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565690776_PCja5-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565690776_PCja5-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The anxiety has not been fully eliminated, but I ventured on today and increased my mileage and vertical feet. I continued to follow Andy Hampsten by riding Gavia Pass. I have mentioned a few times that Andy is the only American to ever win the Giro, and it was on Gavia in a blizzard where he clinched the win. I thought of what he must have been going through many times on today’s ride. I think Andy is the most respected American cyclist by Italians, probably even more than Lance due to the courage of that win.<br /><br />At a particularly difficult part of the climb today, I looked down at my computer and saw that my heart rate was 176. I’m not sure what my true maximum is, but that is pretty darn close. That is my body exclaiming like Scotty from Star Trek, “There isn’t any more. I’m giving you all she’s got”.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565692966_ZikDg-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565692966_ZikDg-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />On the descent back to Bormio, I passed through a little mountainside town and accidentally became part of a funeral procession. I don’t know who died, but this tiny town came out in force. At the front of the line were a flag color guard, band and a priest. Behind them, people from the town seemed to drop whatever they were doing and joined one by one until there were over 100 people walking in a silent line. Most of the men had their hands clenched behind their backs. The sounds were stricking. In addition to the band playing music, the church bells were ringing at the end of the street drawing the procession toward them. I was behind the line and didn’t think it would be appropriate to ride past, so I became part of the procession for 20 minutes. It reminded my of a New Orleans style funeral, but I never heard the part where the band broke into celebratory Dixieland.<br /><br />This last picture is a good view of Bormio from the second climb of the day called Borio 2000. Bormio 2000 is actually the name of the gondola that goes to the mid-way point of the ski mountain, but the road goes by the same name because it climbs to 2,000 meters.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565692427_STHGk-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/565692427_STHGk-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow may be a very big ride, but let’s not put that into the books until it happens.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-30746011979338697172009-06-15T23:05:00.004+02:002010-01-27T02:52:53.621+01:00Personality Test<a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564661943_SSSx7-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564661943_SSSx7-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Personality Test</strong><br /><br /><strong>Step 1</strong>) Click on the image above so you can see a full-size version of it, then come back to this page.<br /><br /><strong>Step 2</strong>) Answer the question below.<br /><br /><strong>What was the first thing you noticed?</strong><br />a) Wow - what a beautiful mountain<br />b) The clouds are building, I hope Randy got off the mountain before the weather turned bad<br />c) Check out the black Ferrari<br /><br /><strong>Interpretation</strong><br />I know that my mom answered 'b' and switchboard Kent answered 'c'. I hope everyone else answered 'a'.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564666932_7FoHK-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564666932_7FoHK-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Speaking of cars, Kent - BMW was up on Stelvio today test-driving prototype hybrid cars. I guess the black tape over the emblem and lines is supposed to keep us from recognizing them as BMW's. Take a look at the brake dust on the wheels compared to the spotless exterior of the car. Do you think they were driving them hard?<br /><br />All of the exotics were out today. Ferrari, Lotus, Porche and a couple of open wheel roadsters.Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956776258332128625.post-40816860672141272242009-06-15T22:12:00.008+02:002010-01-27T02:52:42.772+01:00The Mighty Stelvio<strong>Miles from Home</strong> - 5309.75 <br /><strong>Firsts / Highlights</strong> - Arrival in The Alps, Climbed Passo Stelvio, ate a bratwurst from Richard’ls Wurststandl at the top of the pass.<br /><strong>Miles Ridden</strong> - 36.83 miles<br /><strong>Vertical Feet</strong> - 5, 580 ft.<br /><strong>Route</strong> - <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7185084">View Today’s Route Here</a> - Sorry Chuck, I forgot to wear my heart rate monitor.<br /><strong>People</strong> - Met Daniele Schena – owner of Hotel Funivia, cyclist and former ski instructor.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="325" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114044186672193621385.00046c68872cd2b77e49a&ll=45.429299,10.568848&spn=5.010917,8.789062&z=6&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114044186672193621385.00046c68872cd2b77e49a&ll=45.429299,10.568848&spn=5.010917,8.789062&z=6&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Bormio</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br />This post is from June 15, 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564678400_hWTRa-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564678400_hWTRa-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I went to bed last night feeling anxiety and woke up this morning with the same feeling. The picture above explains why. I have arrived in the Alps right at the border between Italy and Switzerland and the riding here appears that it will be as difficult as anything I have ever done.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564671672_Jrjd5-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564671672_Jrjd5-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>For the third time on this adventure, I am staying at a Bike Hotel. This time, it is Hotel Funivia at the base of one of the ski resorts in Bormio. Also for the third time, I have received unexpected personal assistance and attention from the owner of the hotel. This time, the owner’s name is Daniele Schena. It took 3 trains to get from Siena to Tirano, but that was still 40 km from the hotel in Bormio. Daniele drove down to pick me up personally. After a long day of lugging my backpack and bike through train stations, it was very nice to not need to make a bus connection to finish off the trip. On the way up, Daniele told me about the area and the rides. Some of his descriptions probably contributed to my anxiety beyond just looking out the window (e.g, “Mortorolo will make you cry…”). He knew about Steamboat and is anxious to visit Colorado some day.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564666473_XEfWX-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564666473_XEfWX-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Whenever someone asks me where I come from, I first say, “U.S.”. If they seem to want more, I say, “Colorado”. The almost universal response is “Ahhh… Colorado”. Most people don’t know very much about where it is, or anything about it really, but they almost always have an image in their minds that I assume is like most of our images of Switzerland. The truth is, this area right at the edge of Switzerland does look quite a bit like the big rugged mountains in Colorado. There is a lot more vertical relief here, but the vegetation and snow-covered mountains are noticeably similar. Of course, the big difference is elevation. These mountains are not nearly as high as the Rockies, but the difference between peaks and valleys is far greater and tree line is much lower here.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564679504_mfjY8-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564679504_mfjY8-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unlike the last two bike hotels where I have stayed, this one does not offer guided group rides. That was a little bit of a disappointment, but also a bit of a relief. Riding with a group on huge climbs can be difficult because the group is quickly splintered. I was happy to plan a solo ride. The ride I selected could never be called “easy”, but there is nothing short of making circles in the parking lot that is. I decided to ride up Passo Stelvio and back down. Not a long ride, but a substantial climb with 13 miles up at 7-8% average grade (almost exactly 2x Rabbit Ears). It is the highest pass in Italy.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564678038_hWVWo-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564678038_hWVWo-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />There is an extension off this ride that I hope to do before the end of the week. It splits off the pass just before the summit and goes into Switzerland. It drops down back into Italy to the bottom of Stelvio on the far side. That gives you the good fortune of being able to climb Stelvio a second time from the even longer far side before dropping down the front to Bormio (over 10,000 vertical feet total for the day). That is a similar amount of vertical to the Triple Bypass ride in Colorado, but it all happens in 65 miles instead of over 100.<br /><br />All in all, today went well. I was a little tight in my lower back, but other than that, I felt pretty good physically. I am glad I didn't go for one of the bigger rides to start my week of monster climbs, but I had a good solid start. Tomorrow will tell whether I get stronger or more tired as I go along.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564667059_DPYc9-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564667059_DPYc9-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Stelvio is one of the three huge passes that can be accessed from this hotel. The big 3 are Gavia, Stelvio and the all-time killer Mortorolo. Mortorolo is only 8 km long, but it averages 10.5% grade and maxes out at 20%. Lance Armstrong claims it is the hardest climb he has ever ridden. I can see why Daniele says it will “make you cry”. I am not sure whether that one is in my future or not.<br /><br />Speaking of Lance, he will be staying at the hotel at the top of Stelvio for the next 2 weeks leading up to the Tour de France. The theory is that to peak your conditioning, you should “live high, train low”. Stelvio is one of the highest places where you can live, so that is where he will be for 2 weeks to stockpile some legal red blood cells.<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564672274_rxGEp-L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 200px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564672274_rxGEp-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Every switchback has a sign saying how many more switchbacks there are to the top of the pass. It's nice to know what progress you are making, but it's pretty discouraging on the first turn to realize you have 39 to go. The side of Stelvio that I rode today has 40 switchbacks - the other side has 49.<br /><br />I started off this morning by replacing my rear brake pads. They had been worn down during the Giro because I had to ride the brakes so much descending the passes in the post-race traffic. I got the pads installed successfully, but getting the cable tension correct was nearly impossible to do with only 2 hands. Daniele offered to help, and with 3 hands we were able to get the cable tension correct, but they were still not right. Neither of us wanted me to head up onto a monster pass with my brakes in a questionable state, so he offered to drive me with The Machine over to his favorite mechanic’s bike shop about 5 miles away. When we arrived, we discovered that the shop was only open a couple of hours on Monday and they had already closed for the day. Daniele called the mechanic at home and he said to come over. We did, and the mechanic was able to get the brakes working after some effort. Total cost for transportation, house-call and repair – nothing. These bike hotels just have a different idea about service than any place I have encountered. Oh… housekeeping just dropped off my cleaned cycling clothes at my room from today’s ride -- what was I saying?<br /><br /><a href="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564662752_QCXvo-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://randyhowie.smugmug.com/photos/564662752_QCXvo-L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Randyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452867676386464501noreply@blogger.com2