Photo of the day - 14: Pimping my ride!

Found on my ride - at the side of the road!

It's not particularly good form to leave your unwanted items outside your house. Folks are encouraged to take them to recognised recycling venues or charity shops. But in London we are seeing it more and more, especially as the things left outside do get picked up. I once saw a piano left in the street. And that was taking too, even though it looked in bad shape and would have been horribly out of tune. Today, it was my turn to do a roadside pick-up, of an unwanted item. It was left outside a house a couple of streets from where I live. The design of this coat really caught my eye as I rode past, at the start of my training ride. Initially, I thought I would wait to pick it up on the homeward run, but then changed my mind because to me, it looked stylish enough that someone else would pick it up during the hour that I was out riding in the country lanes. Usefully, I had my customary mini rucksack with me, so I was able to stuff the coat into my bag and continue my journey. I have no idea if it really was a high price coat, but it looks like something you don't see very often and that is what made me pick it up. Mind you, it was left outside an expensive looking detached house with a blue plaque on the facade, so that could give a clue of the value of the coat! As I stuffed the coat into my rucksack a Mercedes estate pulled up, and a young couple stepped out of the car. As they looked at me, they greeted me and said "thank you". Then they walked into the house with the blue plaque. I felt a mixture of slight embarrassment, but also satisfaction that they perceived me as having helped them get rid of their "rubbish". The coat proved useful, as later on it got a bit cold so I wore it for the run-in home. It's not quite Rapha cyclewear, but it was just as warm, and stylish!

Navigli of Milan and suburban bike ride

Darsena bassin, at the start of the Navigli

Ever since I left Milan a few years ago I have made a habit of returning there once a year. I didn't manage to get back last year, so I thought I would redress the balance as soon as possible.

What better time to do it than right before "Brexit Day", the day the United Kingdom officially left the European Union. Although we have to resign ourselves to this fate I am not particularly happy to see happening. So being away from the UK when it all kicked off would make me feel completely dissociated from what was going on, which for me, was no bad thing.

Hoping to get to Pavia

Once I had dropped off my bag in my flat near Porto Romana I caught up with my friend Ilaria, and then went to collect my hire bike from Biciclette Rossignoli in central Milan. Given that I would only be in Milan for a couple of days, and would be travelling to Courmayeur and Chamonix for skiing, hiring a bike was the practical option.

Furthermore, it can cost up to £90 to take a bike on a flight. Rossignoli were charging 90 euros for two days' bike hire. So the decision to hire was a no-brainer!

All set to start my afternoon ride

It was nice of them to have a bike ready for me at short notice, and after my quick trip over to Corso Garibaldi in the Brera I emerged with a carbon fibre Cinelli Saetta.

Friday's ride started with a quick trip along the Naviglio Pavese, with my intention of getting to Pavia - a place that I regularly used to go to and found really pretty.

It all seemed to be going well in the afternoon sunshine, until I got close to Binasco, not far from the start of the professional Milan - Sanremo bike race. The path, which is normally beautifully surfaced was closed off and undergoing works, so I made a detour along a quiet road through some fields and a nearby village, but things did not get better.

Not knowing where to pick up the Naviglio Pavese, I asked some local walkers, who pointed in the direction of a trail, saying "yes ride along that path and it will take you all the way to Pavia." What the man didn't tell me was that it was a dirt track, and I was on a road bike.

Normally, I wouldn't be so phased by a bit of off-road. After all, folks ride road bikes in Strade Bianche races on unmade roads. But this path was very rough, with massive ruts and stones, and it wasn't clear how long this would last for.

The Naviglio Pavese - how it should be (photo from a previous trip)

With a full schedule of things to do, today was not the day to have a frustrating ride, so I decided against going to Pavia, and instead opted to stay within the Milan area.


Sadly no Pavia, but a bit of Abbiategrasso

My ride then took me across some suburban roads to places like Noviglio, Rosate, and many places called Cascina something-or-other. The terrain was pretty unchallenging and in parts, slightly dull being surrounded by arable fields, but it made for very easy riding, and was a place where you could get in a good bit of chaingang riding. In fact there were a few groups out. Some of the roads in this area had a cycle path alongside them, which was quite handy given that the main carriageway had quite a lot trucks on their way to the nearby motorways.

Even though this area was a little non-descript it felt quite refreshing and peaceful to be there on this sunny, Friday afternoon. It was also made a change to just see how ordinary folks, away from the hurly burly chic of Central Milan, lived.

I passed one village called Gudo Visconti where it looked like the kids had knocked off from school early - or maybe it was the school holidays - and they were out dancing and having a barbecue - in January!

Eventually I reached the Naviglio Grande, which was the prettiest part of the ride. At least that canal towpath wasn't dug up, which was a relief. Nearby, at the end of the Naviglio Grande is the Roman suburban town of Abbiategrasso. This place used to be one of my regular training ride destinations when I was based in Milan. On one occasion during the summer I remember seeing people walking around the town dressed in flamboyant medieval costumes.

At first I thought it was just what folks normally wear out there, until someone told me they were holding Il Palio - a crazy barebacked horse race that is most associated with Siena! No one was dressed like that today; folks were just going about their normal business, which included enjoying a stroll or a ride along the Naviglio.

Home-run to Milano

Naviglio Grande at Gaggiano

Other places I passed along the way included the pretty suburbs of Gaggiano and Trezzano sul Naviglio, where a man, in typical Italian style shouted "Ciao" to me and attempted to strike up a conversation, asking me what I was doing and where I come from. I would have loved to stop but I was in a slight rush to get back home and get ready to meet my friend, Silvia. Italians do like to talk.

My ride back into central Milan was straightforward and quick as the road surface was smooth, perfectly flat, and mostly traffic-free. It was also a trip along memory lane, as I passed Corsico, a place where I would go for my early morning runs prior to going to work. There was also San Cristoforo church, which was on my cycle route to get to work; Porta Genova where there was a flea market and also a place for finding stolen bikes - probably including my Specialized road bike that was lifted by a scumbag while I lived there.

Naviglio Grande at Trezzano

The last part of the Naviglio is not so easy to ride as you are weaving around tourists and locals at the canal-side cafes having aperitivos. So it was better to get onto the road at this point and join the rush hour traffic, and bounce the bike over the cobbles and tramlines to reach my base at Porta Romana.

My cycle route on Strava


Related posts
My Tour of Lombardy: Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Grande

Giro dei Navigli - Naviglio Martesana

One day one photo - 25: Kentish Spin

I try and get out into the local lanes on my bike regularly, though trips away and other writing jobs means that I end up cycling elsewhere and not managing to get out enough in my local area.

Then typically, when I do so the forecast is for rain, and I find myself having to hurry to get back before the deluge arrives. Or if the weather is not rainy, the roads are damp, so it means when I have to ride over those infamously steep hills of the North Downs I have to ride the 20% gradients in the saddle, as the back-wheel spin from an out-of-the-saddle effort unnerves me a bit.

Today was one of those nice sunny days where there was wall-to-wall sunshine, and everyone in South London was out. I couldn't stop waving and saying hello to folks. A big group of guys from my club, Penge Cycling Club was out. I didn't join the ride as I couldn't quite make the start, and also I had a specific route that I wanted to do, and needed to be back in time to compete in the Southern Road Relays that afternoon. But I gave a hello to them, and hope to be out on a ride quite soon.

This route is one that I call my quick Kentish Spin. It's not long, but it is still a good work-out as it includes the long drag up Layhams Lane, a short, sharp, steep ramp up Saltbox Hill, and another short, sharp, steep ramp up Cudham Lane. Then you can breeze home via Downe (aka Nigel Farage's hangout) and Keston before returning home. Although this ride goes about 12 miles out of London, and is within the M25 London orbital motorway, it still feels very much like you are in the countryside.

I find it amusing how people from other parts of the UK often ask how I could possibly find anywhere to ride when living down in London. Surely, it must be nicer to live in Yorkshire or Cheshire than in London if I want to get in nice quiet country lanes? Well the answer is, not really! It's not that difficult to find country lanes, or even steep hills from where I live. They are all there, within half an hour of me leaving the house, and that's one of the great things about riding these roads - their proximity as well as their natural beauty. Of course, cycling in Cheshire and in Yorkshire is lovely too. But it's a bit of an ask to get a train all the way up there every Sunday morning!

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 4 & Conclusion

After more twists and turns and drops I reached a T-junction with a main road. At this point there were streetlights and even a few cars. Not being entirely sure where I was, I consulted the map and found that I was in Cicagna. On the map it did not look far from the coast, but talking to the locals I realised I still had some way to go. And, guess what? More climbing!!

I popped into a bar where there were alot of people singing, dancing and merrymaking. It looked like the folks were having a salsa evening and people were speaking in Spanish. They were a little bemused to see a cycle tourist walking into their joint! "You want to go to Rapallo? Seriously, my friend. It's too far for you to travel. You've got a 10km climb up a steep hill and at this time of night going up that steep twisty road with no proper lights would be dangerous! Stay here, have a party. We have a spare room."

I still felt keen to stick to the plan. Anyway, my legs were too tired to do any salsa dancing and dancing in cycle racing shoes would look ridiculous, and may even be more dangerous! The woman then ended up having a debate with another reveller who seemed a bit drunk, but was suggesting that I ride 20km down to Chiavari and then ride up a shorter easier climb to Rapallo. I didn't really know who I should believe, but in any case I was fed up of cycling. It was after midnight. If I could find a taxi that would be the best solution for me.

The folks were friendly and they offered me a mojito, which made a change from the energy drinks I'd gotten a bit sick of. The guys were from Colombia and they were having an end of summer party. They were impressed at my cycling challenge, though the woman seemed worried about me. She probably thought I was half crazy! Maybe I was! The revellers wished me a safe journey, but not without warning me again not to take the direct road to Rapallo.

A few streets away I found an old man's local bar, and asked them about taxi ranks. Initially they said there was no firm in Cicagna, but if I headed 18km down the main road to Chiavari I would find taxi companies there and they could take me to Rapallo. I really wasn't in the mood to do any cycling. I had had enough of turning pedals. I asked if they had a telephone number of a firm but no one did.

The guys must have read the pained expression on my face when I realised I may have to do more riding. In the end, they called over another man who was a taxi driver but was not on duty that night. He agreed to take me to Rapallo. His usual catchment area was Genoa, but he would be able to take me to Rapallo. At that point Higg rang me, hoping to ask me how my ride had been. "You haven't arrived there yet??" He said, shocked. "But it must be going to 1 o'clock in the morning over there!"

"Er, yeah. But it's ok, I've found a guy who is going to give me a lift to the hotel." I explained to him.

He was mystified. "But what are you doing out riding at this time of the night, and who is this man?"

I was trying to talk to him but the taxi driver was asking me what time I wanted to leave. He was having a coffee and wanted to finish that before leaving. The bar man was also asking if I wanted a coffee, and the pals of the taxi driver were curiously asking about where I was from, how far I'd ridden etc. I couldn't properly answer Higg's questions while trying to make pleasantries in Italian with the blokes in the bar. Higg was a little annoyed at not being able to get proper answers from me, and being in London, powerless to help me out. The the last thing he heard from me, was when I told him I had to go, as I needed to load my bike into the taxi man's car.

The sight of a bona fide taxi cab gave me reassurance that this guy was not a crazy or a pervert, so I was happy to get in.

Rapallo was not far away - about 13km. However, it was quite a climb to get there. The taxi driver, who was called Giovanni, agreed that this would have been a pretty tough and dangerous climb to do at that time of night. It was different to the previous climb I had done from Montebruno. This climb to Rapallo was steeper to climb and to descend. It was narrower, twistier and the road surface was poor. I was quite relieved to be now sailing up this climb effortlessly!

Rapallo - not a bad view to wake up to

We talked about different elite bike races in the area, and Giovanni mentioned the Milan-Rapallo cycle race that takes place in late September - a race I hadn't realised existed. Apparently it is roughly 210km, so not quite as long as the Milan-Sanremo but equally challenging. Again, the riders face a few climbs near the finish though they are tougher than the Poggio and Cipressa ascents of the Classica di Primavera.

I am sure that riding this section over to Rapallo during the day would have given some beautiful views of the sea below. The area looked quite dramatic, with lots of rocky outcrops mixed with palm trees and other interesting vegetation - at least that's what I could only vaguely make out at 1.30am!

Finally, I arrived at my hotel in Rapallo, forever grateful to Giovanni, who made sure I got there safely. The receptionist at the hotel was pleased and quite relieved to see me. "We knew you would arrive." (which probably meant they'd privately been worried about what had happened to me!)

I was pleased to see my bed, and the room looked very comfortable - exactly what I needed. From what I saw of Rapallo at almost 2 o'clock in the morning the place had a Riviera feel about it. I went to bed, looking forward to what I would see in the morning - but not without texting Higg to let him know I had reached my destination safely. My long Saturday was finally over!

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed my ride, but as you have probably gathered, it was a little bit long! I made a few mistakes in the mapping out of my ride. I did not have a GPS and I had not researched the route properly beforehand. I completely miscalculated the distance - which was almost 210km - and the amount of climbing, which was God knows how many metres! My lack of fitness had not helped either.

Thankfully, I had set out with a back-up pack in case of the unexpected (as I usually do). The fact that I did this ride on a sunny day in September when the days were still reasonably long meant that conditions were not too miserable!

Finally, the people I talked to along the way were very helpful, friendly and kind. That made all the difference to this trip.

I would not set out to go through these inconveniences again, and maybe I should put a "don't try this at home label". However, when I look back at it I think it was quite an interesting and somewhat fulfilling adventure. It doesn't do much harm to test yourself sometimes. And I did not come out too badly in the end. Though next time, I think I will do some Salsa dancing in Cicagna!


Related posts
Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 1

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturdaay - Part 2

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 3

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 3

Not wanting to dwell too much on the fact that my day of climbing was still not over, I set about riding uphill. The gradient was steep and very quickly the Saturday night revellers in Montebruno became a small detail a long way below me. The road went into woodland and there were no longer any streetlights. It was scary. No way would I be able to ride through that!

So I dropped back down to return to the village and ask the locals about taxi firms. The old boys in the bar gave me very intriguing looks as I walked in. To them, I might as well have been a martian. I guess cycling Lycra can hardly be described as typical Saturday night glad rags!

When I told the folks where I was headed they immediately told me not to bother. At this rate I wouldn't get to Rapallo until the following day! There was no taxi firm in the village, so I would have to contact a company in Rapallo or Genoa and it would cost me a fortune. I should stop giving myself a hard time and just stay in Montebruno. They knew a lady who ran a B&B - I could stay there.

I was duly pointed in the direction of the hostellerie, and knocked at their door - silence. I rang the bell, and asked a few locals if they knew of any other B&Bs in Montebruno, but this was the only one. There had been a village festival that day so many people, including the proprietor of the B&B had gone out for the night.
When I rang the taxi firm they confirmed what the locals had said. The fare would cost a fortune - 200euros!

So, there was only one thing for it - ride over the hill. By this time it was around 10.30pm. I rang the hotel in Rapallo to say I was still on my way. The man I spoke to didn't seem phased at all, even though I said I was on my bike in Montebruno. It was probably the night porter who answered the phone and he may have just thought that Montebruno was a suburb of Rapallo!

It's a good job I had remembered my motto from the Scouts - "be prepared". I put on my flourescent jacket, some city lights and wolfed down some cereal bars had a swig of energy drink and set off. Even though I had taken precautions in case of unexpected events, I still felt pretty scared.

Every sound through the trees gave me the jitters. I suddenly kept thinking some strange creatures might leap out and bite me. Even a bogey man might grab me and drag me away somewhere. Sometimes I'd jump at the sight of my shadow when I suddenly passed a farm with its lights on.
The road twisted and turned and my lights were not bright enough to show the the road surface in detail. The only sure thing I knew was that the road was going up! I needed to watch out for where there might be potholes or ruts or gravel in the road. At one point the bike went over a big rut, and I was sure I'd got a puncture. Thankfully, the bike was fine.

About two thirds up the climb I stopped for another snack as I passed through a hamlet. A little dog came up to me and sniffed around curiously. I thought it might have barked at the sight of a stranger in his manor, but he was friendly. Some people who were returning to their home after dining in another house across the street saw me and bid me good evening, like it was the most natural thing in the world to see a cyclist sitting at the side of the street in their village at 11.30 on a Saturday night. Maybe it was normal, and I was just making a fuss over nothing! Afterall, I had never been on these country roads late at night before. How would I know what was customary practice in these strange parts?!

Eventually, the road plunged downhill. Thank God. Sadly, I couldn't enjoy it since my eyes were peeled, focused solidly on every hairpin as the road girated through the pitch black. It was quite cold and an autumn fog had now descended. I was glad I had high vis clothing, and also an extra coat. Although I was going downhill for over half an hour, I had no idea which way I was facing. I had expected to see something glistening in the distance that looked like the sea. But all I saw were trees.

In fact, it looked as though I was even going further inland and away from the coast. It was pitch black so there was no chance of reading a map. I had come up to a few junctions and not been entirely sure which way to go so I had plumped for a right turn on a hunch that this road led towards the sea. Could I have missed a turn? Might I be heading back towards Montebruno? I wanted to panic, but realised I really needed to keep myself together. There was no one around, and I had to somehow make sure I arrived somewhere that had warm, indoor accommodation!


Related posts
Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 1

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 2

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 4 & Conclusion

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 2

Grinding my way through the vineyards of the Oltrepo Pavese

Continuing my two-wheeled excursion from Milan to the Ligurian coast via the hilly Oltrepo Pavese.....My ride up Monte Penice did not fail to disappoint! At an average of 5% over 15km the climb was not so difficult, however since I had already ridden around 25km uphill to get to this point things were not so easy! I was passed by a father with his young son who both approached Monte Penice with a certain trepidation, though they were still faster than me.

I was also overtaken by a few club riders who sailed up the climb like it was just a teaser. Maybe it was a teaser, but I was weighed down by my day pack and an overnight bag. That's my excuse anyway! Just like with any road that has lots of switchbacks on it, there were lots of motorbikers around who were really enjoying the hairpins. If only I could have had a small piece of their engine!

I must admit, this climb was beginning to test my force of will. I had already been climbing for 3 hours getting over the initial section of the Oltrepo Pavese, and I was beginning to get bored of being in the same old granny ring. I needed a new faster ring that would be easier to pedal - a supergranny ring! Also, I had gotten my fill of cute hilltop villages that I could only look at without touching. They were beginning to lose their charm, as I began to struggle upwards. Where are the boring flatlands when you need them?

I stopped at the side of the road for a snack, while mentally regrouping. Nearby, a wedding reception was taking place in an old palazzo. If only I could have snuck in and joined the celebration. My ride was no longer that joyful, so I could have done with doing something uplifting! Not knowing when I would reach the summit of this beast was getting rather frustrating.

Finally, just when I wondered how much more I could take, the road levelled off and began to descend. This was no false dawn either, since the sight of other cyclists in coats and longs riding in the opposite direction meant that there would be a significant amount of downhill to ride. I had reached Monte Penice -yay! At last, my legs could get some respite!

I savoured every moment of the descent. I had a permanent smile on my face as the bike sailed around the smooth curves in the road, all the way down to Bobbio.

The mountain gateway village of Bobbio was a meeting point for all travellers - motor bikers, motorists, walkers and of course cyclists. I would have loved to have stayed to visit the cathedral and the abbey in this old town which apparently forms the backdrop to Leonardo di Vinci's Mona Lisa painting. But time was marching on. In fact, so much time had passed, and as the clock struck half past four I wondered if I should call it a day and maybe just stay in Bobbio.

By now, I was 70km from Genoa and it was touch and go as to whether or not I would reach my hotel in Rapallo before dark. Even worse was that where I had thought the road would be downhill from Bobbio, it was actually climbing! Oh God!

Feeling that it was too early to stop, and not wanting to throw away the 70 euros I had paid for my hotel reservation in Rapallo, I continued along the road to my next milestone, Montebruno. Surely this place would be so close to the coast that from that village it would be just a 1-hour mad descent to the coast. Yes, that would be something to look forward to.

In the meantime I would content myself with a false flat along the SS45 road which meandered round rocks and gorges, following the river and occasionally dropping under crags.

If I hadn't felt in a stressed out rush I would have really appreciated this area known as Val Trebbia. Many people had stopped to go sunbathing or bathe in the thermal springs. Oh well, this would be yet another venue to note on my increasingly long list of places to return to in the future!

I had to climb hills, and more hills to reach the Ligurian coast

En route I rang the hotel to tell them I would be late and that my estimated time of arrival would be 9pm.

When I mentioned to the receptionist that I was on a bicycle about 5 miles from Montebruno she didn't seem phased and said that my ride would be downhill after the village.

Of course it would be downhill. After all, I was in the mountains and Rapallo is right by the sea! It would be a piece of cake getting to Rapallo once I reached Montebruno. I was really looking forward to arriving at Montebruno, knowing that once I arrived there it would be the end of my hard work.

Just as night fell I reached Montebruno. It was a quarter to nine. Okay, so I was going to arrive in Rapallo an hour later than scheduled. I may have missed dinner but I was sure I would find a late-night snack-bar in the town somewhere if room service had finished.

According to my map, a left hand turn in Montebruno should have taken me towards my destination. But the lane I saw was too small to be a real road. There weren't even any streetlights.
I asked directions from a local, and he confirmed my fears.

"Sure that's the right road for Rapallo. Just go over the climb and follow the road. You'll get there."
"Go up?" I asked, bemused. "Don't I go down?"
"Oh yes, you go down - after you've done the 10km climb. You look strong, you'll be fine!"

My heart sank. I couldn't believe it. I'd managed to hang in there, thinking that things would be plain sailing after Montebruno, and here I was faced with another long climb - at nightfall!!


Related posts
Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 1

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 3

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 4

Cresting the Bwlch - The Dragon Ride : Part 1

The Dragon ride had been touted as the premier cyclosportive event in the UK. The organisers had aspirations of this event being included as the UK edition of the UCI Golden Bike series. This would give it international status and also denote the high standard of the cyclosportive in terms of the course, organisation and location.

This was probably why the event filled its 2300 places very quickly. Luckily, I managed to get a last minute place when someone dropped out. So on Saturday we zoomed up the M4 to Bridgend for the event that was taking place on Sunday 24th.

The race day weather forecast was grim. Showers and strong winds were on the agenda. So not fancying 200km of riding in the wet, I opted for the shorter 135km route. I had originally intended getting to HQ at 8am for an early start. However, given that it was raining I had a more leisurely breakfast and didn't leave the hotel until 8.45. By the time I reached HQ the start gantry was deserted, save for a handful of start marshalls. The music echoing around the car park reflected the emptiness of the environment. But hey, I wouldn't be subjected to hanging around for half an hour before moving off - as was the case for the majority of other competitors ! I could just start my ride immediately - and the rain had stopped too.

I began the cycle ride along the lonely dual carriageway out of Bridgend, my raincoat zipped right up to shield against the wind and the expectant rain. A couple of women set off just ahead of me. They said hello to me while we were waiting at the traffic lights. I wasn't ready to ride with them at that stage. One of them was in Vlaanderen Capri-Sonne sponsored kit and I figured they might be a bit strong for me. I wasn't warmed up, so couldn't ride at their speed as they powered up the road. Also, this road towards Port Talbot was slightly uphill, and already at this early stage I was sweating, even though I wasn't riding especially fast. I began to wish I'd left my coat at the hotel.

I was relieved when the road dipped slightly downhill - if only just to allow me to cool down a little. Suddenly a group of 10 riders passed me. Not wanting to miss my opportunity to be in a group I jumped in with them. We continued down the road at a steady 20miles an hour. I was still quite hot, but was keen to stay with the group, just so I could stand half a chance of getting through the ride quickly. We passed a number of other late starters, including the two strong women who'd dropped me a few minutes earlier !

Soon, we were in the Afan area, near where Him Indoors and I had been the previous day. It was nice to be on familiar terrain. While pulling up at the traffic lights I noticed a driver wave at me. Lo and behold it was Him Indoors, who was on his way to the mountain bike centre at Afan Argoed. "Shall I take your coat ?" He asked. This was a God send for me. Without replying I just threw it off anyway, wished him a good ride and was off on my way.

This stoppage made me lose the group I was with, but I didn't mind because my little foray with them had brought me up past numerous riders along the road, so I knew it wouldn't be long before I would come across other groups. I now stood a chance of finishing the ride in reasonable time and hopefully before the rain.

Cycling around the Amalfi Coast

Thankfully I left Gragnano quite quickly, and then was on a country road that began the steady climb up to Agerola.
As it was a Friday, people were still at work so the roads were relatively quiet once I was away from the coast. There were just a few villagers around here and there. They generally said "Ciao" to me and looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and awe at the fact that I was about embark on the 12km climb.

As I progressed further and further up, signs of human life became more sparse and the vegetation changed from something almost tropical to something akin to the hills, though not alpine. The citrussy smells from the coast gave way to the smell of pine, as I neared the summit.

This was a long climb but it wasn't of alpine proportions. The gradient was farely manageable. I could have done it faster, but I wanted to take the time to look
behind me and admire the view below. The coast was a long way down, and I was able to get a full appreciation of the profile of the countryside and the sea below. It looked really spectacular - the jagged rocks of the coastline against the smooth cool blue of the sea. It looked beautiful.

Suddenly I was sucked into a cold, dark damp tunnel which seemed to be never-ending. It was actually 1km long and was still going uphill. That was probably the most unpleasant section of the whole ride.
Immediately out of the tunnel the road plunged down-hill, and I was flying through quaint hillside villages as I made the rapid descent towards Agerola.
I managed to stop and take a few pictures of the different villages. They were literally jutting out, clinging onto the edge of the mountains and hanging over the sea.

I also took a photo of a plaque that was dedicated to the memory of Fausto Coppi, one of Italy's most famous professional cyclists.
Pushing onwards, the road just continued a steady descent with lots of switchbacks, some of which were quite tight. I could see a number of inlets ahead of me, underlining the irregularity of the Amalfi coastline.

Finally at the bottom of the hill, just outside Amalfi I turned left to head towards Praiano. I may have been at the bottom of the hill, and on the coast road, but this road was by no means flat. There were constant rises and dips - thankfully nothing too steep. The rises provided good points from where I could take photos - which I took advantage of.

I soon arrived in Positano - this was a very pretty village. Even prettier than is shown in the guide books. However there were 2 snags for me about this place. Firstly, the fact that it was so attractive, made it a massive tourist magnet. Therefore there were loads of cars and buses. And given the small size of Positano, it made the roads just heave with traffic - often gridlocked, as tourist buses, local buses, school buses, delivery vans and cars tried to pass each other on the narrow streets. That was a shame. the second snag for me, was that the main area of town meant that I had to plunge down 150m to go there and have a look - meaning that I would have to ride back up the steep narrow streets to re-join the main road to Sorrento. All good training I suppose.

The road back to Sorrento was pretty staightforward, more ups and downs, with a couple of steep sections at Colli San Pietro and Picco San Angelo. Both were around 10% - not really what I wanted at the end of day's cycling. However the run in to Sorrento was a dream. It was a fast 5 mile descent all the way from Sant'Agata sui due Golfi back to the hotel.

I was pleased with the day I had, and rewarded myself with a good glass of the local wine.

Related posts

So why go to the Amalfi coast?

7th Giro Ciclistico della Penisola Sorrentina e Costiera Amalfitana - Part 1

7th Giro Ciclistico della Penisola Sorrentina e Costiera Amalfitana - Part 2

7th Giro Ciclistico della Penisola Sorrentina e Costiera Amalfitana - Last part 

From Flanders to Amalfi