Christmas cycling gift ideas - 2

Following on from my previous post, here are more gift ideas for those who are into cycling, or would like to get into cycling.

Like a gloworm
Proviz continue to produce their distinct range of totally reflective jackets. There's the standard 360 reflective jacket, which I have, or the more colourful ones in the range which also make you stand out during the day.

The 360 as ever is really eyecatching in the dark - not just on the road, just anywhere dark. In fact, you might even be a hit, glowing like that on the dance floor if you felt like trying it out there!

Proviz Reflective 360 cycling jacket
provizsports.com
£89.99-£149.99

















Keep the heat in
It is said that you lose around 10% of your body heat through your head. So with these cool temperatures warm headgear is important. A Gore Windstopper skull cap could do the trick.

It keeps the heat in, without you getting overheated, and it covers your ears as well. I always find that having my ears covered makes a lot of difference to how well I enjoy my ride.

Gore Bike Wear Windstopper Soft Shell Helmet Cap
gorewear.com
£14.00-22.49

















How to Build a Bike: A Simple Guide to Making Your Own Ride -  Jenni Gwiazdowski
London Bike Kitchen director, Jenni has written this book that gives instructions on how to build a bicycle - not necessarily all types of bikes, but just a standard single speed bike.

It gives step-by-step information on the key parts of bicycle and how you fit them all together. Even if you aren't going to build a whole new bike, there is enough information there for you to learn how to fix small parts of the bikes like fitting brake pads.

How to Build a Bike: A Simple Guide to Making Your Own Ride -  Jenni Gwiazdowski (paperback) - £14.99
Available from Waterstones











Putting the warmth in your toes
I wanted some Sealskinz 100% waterproof socks because I have heard they are waterproof as well as windproof. Knowing that I could be spending a few hours out on the bike during the upcoming wintry weather especially when riding the Festive 500 has made me even more conscious of the need to stay warm and have everything protected.

The weather tends to be okay around the London area over Christmas, but it can be a bit wet and wild in places like Bristol, or up in Yorkshire. So I want to have all my bases covered - literally. This is a savvy gift for anyone wanting to cycle over winter.

Sealskinz waterproof socks available on Amazon
£24-£42

















Another Primal jacket
I mentioned in my previous post how I like the colours on the Primal clothing. Well here's another nicely coloured item the Horizon Blue women's jacket.

The jacket makes for a nice addition while you're out. It's not a heavy jacket, so more something to wear for if you are doing a training ride at a fastish pace on a winter's day. I was sent this one by Primal, (along with the Tripper Day jersey), and I must say it feels great and is not at all restrictive.

Primal Horizon Blue Women's Jacket
£56


Queens of Pain: Legends & Rebels of Cycling - Isabel Best
In the year where we have been celebrating the emancipation of women - in particular with reference to gaining the right to vote, we can also look at what was happening in the world of cycling, and learn more about the women who pushed back boundaries in cycling.

Different women give first-hand experiences of being involved in these different events between the 1890s and the 1990s, such as the Tour de France and six-day track cycling events.

I must admit I haven't read this book yet, but it is a book I would like to read, so anyone is welcome to buy it for me as Christmas gift!

Queens of Pain: Legends & Rebels of Cycling - Isabel Best - £25
Available from Rapha Racing 




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Christmas cycling gift ideas

Christmas cycling gift ideas - 1

It's that time of the year again, when on-line shopping goes bananas as people go on the hunt for Christmas gifts for their friends, their families or even just for themselves.

Here are some ideas:

The joy of socks!

Primal socks - as seen at the Cycle Show

Socks, socks and more socks. You can never get tired of them. If you're anything like me, I constantly lose them and always end up with odd pairs. Well if you're going to wear odd pairs why not do it in style and flair with a pair from Primal. I love them.

Not sure if it was a good idea, but I wore a pair of them at a cyclocross race recently, thinking they would be fine.

My favourites: Wild ride; HT.A link; Floral Explosion

But by the end of the race they were completely unrecognisable - covered from ankle to toe in mud. Shame really as they were the zany purple and green ones (Wild ride).

Still, at least they looked good on the start-line of the race!

Socks: £8-£15

https://www.primaleurope.com/

Don't be afraid of the dark

Light with helmet mount

To enjoy a bike ride at night it pays not just to be seen, but also to be able to see the path ahead.

This Lezyne Macro Duo 700 dual front and rear helmet light could do the trick. The front light has various settings that go up to a maximum 700 lumens, so that's enough to light up a path or road with no streetlights, or a country lane. The rear light is 30 lumens. 

It's a good complement to lights that you have on your bike, whether they are commuting ones for urban streets, or high-power lights for a night mountain-bike ride.

Dual front and back light

I bought these for when riding around country lanes at night. The good thing about a helmet light is it is particularly helpful when going around bends and corners as you get an advanced view of what's ahead, rather than relying on just the light on the bike. These will also come in useful for me when I do the Rapha 500 and ride along gravel tracks. I won't have to stress too much about getting home before nightfall. Mind you, I don't intend being out all night either - I still want to have a bit of a Christmas!

Lezyne Macro Drive Duo 700 Light Set: £70

Available at Sigma Sport - https://www.sigmasports.com/

Irongran: How keeping fit taught me that growing older needn't mean slowing down 

by Edwina Brocklesby

I must declare my interest: I have known Eddie for around 15 years - since when I joined the Serpentine Running Club. She has always been so full of enthusiasm and energy for doing sport, in particular, triathlon. She's done many marathons, including the London marathon on a number of occasions. As if that's not enough Eddie has taken part in Ironman triathlons, including Kona Hawaii, and regularly represents Team GB at the age-group world triathlon and duathlon championships. And she's 75 years young!

This book tells of how Eddie got into running and multi-sport races, and how she was spurred to do even more sports following the sudden death of her husband from cancer. Eddie has always had a positive outlook on life, and in the book she talks about how she juggled her job in social work with all her training. Even with all that going on, she still had the time to set up a charity, Silverfit, which is specifically aimed at people approaching the third age.

Having read the book I would definitely recommend it for anyone into sport - not just older athletes or would-be athletes.

Irongran: How keeping fit taught me that growing older needn't mean slowing down (paperback) - £14.99

Available at https://www.waterstones.com/

Bike monthly

Cyclists around Yorkshire

We might live in an age of digital diaries and planners, but there's still a market for arty calendars. So how about this bike-themed 2019 calendar from Lucy Pittaway, the official artist of the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race from 2016 to 2018. 

Her paintings have been a feature over the last three editions of the four-stage race, notably the one of the riders going over Park Rash (Welcome to Yorkshire!), and the ones of them going up the cobbled main street in Haworth (Pedals, passion and glory). 

Lucy has produced a calendar with depictions from different stages of this year's tour. I look forward to hanging it up on my wall next year.

Homeward bound

2019 Cycling Calendar: £14.95

https://www.lucypittaway.co.uk/

Bikes and Bloomers by Kat Jungnickel

While all the focus in women's cycle racing is on achievements in this contemporary era, some may want to know more about where it all began, and how women got into cycling in the first place. As you can imagine, like many issues around gender, it wasn't an easy task. In fact, back in the 19th century it was even a clandestine activity for the fairer sex.

So with that, women had to dress in such a way that they could hide their bloomers underneath their full flowing skirts and hitch up their costumes quickly when they wanted to go on a bike ride. Bike riding was quite frowned upon back in those days. Some even thought that that, as well as other sporting activities would have a detrimental effect on women's health. So many women felt they had to hide their secret interest in cycling from others. It took a groundswell of radical women to bring about the emancipation of women on bikes (in parallel to gaining the right to vote).  

Kat's book details this story of how this liberation came about, while looking through the prism of the various fashions made available by different female pioneers. It's quite a fascinating read.

Bikes and Bloomers: Victorian Women Inventors and their Extraordinary Cycle Wear - Goldsmiths Press (Hardback): £24.00

Available at https://www.waterstones.com/

A splash of colour

Tripper Day jersey and Neon Crush warmers

 I have been a fan of the clothing range from Primal for a few years. I have always had a penchant for bright colourful clothing when out on a bike - not just because it helps you be seen by other road users, but just because that's my taste.

The whole wearing black them has never really appealed to me. So it's been the fashion for a few years now, and various brands go for black, but in my humble opinion colour is what it's all about, and lots of it!

So, it you're after kit with lots of zany designs and colour you can't go wrong with Primal. There are jerseys armwarmers and socks (as seen above) in a whole spectrum of colours.

Neon Crush Thermal arm warmers: £20

Tripper Day women's jersey: £50

 https://www.primaleurope.com/

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Tips from the pro cyclists: Staying fit and warm in winter

It's that time of year when the days are colder, darker and wetter.....hardly the conditions that make you want to go out.

A few top riders I met at the recent Rouleur Classic have given their tips on staying fit and warm over the winter:

Lizzie Deignan, Trek Segafredo

"Layering is really important. It's always better to wear a few thinner layers that you can peel off than one thick heavy jacket, which you wouldn't be able to remove when you get hot.

When riding I never go out without a gilet, and I really love wearing my Santini tights as they are so comfortable as well as keeping me warm.

Keeping fit over the winter is just about setting yourself realistic goals of when you can get out on the bike. 

Meeting up with people helps because then you feel you have to get out because you don't want to let them down. That’s the best way to get out I think.

I would never ride when it’s icy or when it’s really really cold. Also, I don't ride if I have a sore throat, which you can often get in the winter.

I listen to my body more in winter than I do in summer because if you ride with a sore throat you get a cough and then you’ll have it for three weeks and there’s no point, so you just have to accept that sometimes it’s not possible." 

Coryn Rivera, Team Sunweb

"Being in California it never really gets that cold. At most I will wear arm warmers and a vest, probably!
However, when I come to my base in Holland and am preparing for the Spring Classics I train in some of the worst kinds of weather, having to adapt to the cold, the wind, and pouring rain, and deal with all that.

I got sick last Spring, from being in the cold weather, and learned that it's all about keeping your body warm and as dry as possible if it’s raining.

I’ve learned to change my jackets once I start sweating too much and it’s getting wet and cold. But definitely, I think the crucial things are hands and feet. If you can keep your hands and feet really warm that helps. 

Sometimes I ride with two sets of gloves in training, and I will start off with a heavier pair to warm up my hands but as soon as it begins to get a bit sweaty I’ll switch to a lighter glove to let it find that balance of my hands being warm and just kind of cooling rather than pooling sweat and once it gets too wet it becomes kind of difficult to warm up again.

So I switch between two sets of gloves when it comes to my hands and then for my feet I just wear a kind of windproof booty that is fleece lined. It makes it nice for your toes and sometimes when it’s really cold I’ll put some toe warmers on top of my shoe and underneath my booty to keep my feet warm and still be able to feel my feet.

The longest ride I do will be about for around four hours. That’s a pretty long time in cold weather. If it’s really bad weather I’ll do like two smaller loops and break it up and in between, switch to a dry undershirt and then head back out for the last two hours. Put I think that’s important to stay dry and not spend too long in wet clothes when you are doing a longer ride.

My favourite item of clothing is definitely my neck buff and the little scarf that I can put over my face, and my ears.

My head gets warm when I’m riding so I usually don’t like a skull cap or a head band, but when my ears do get cold I pull up the buff over my ears and my face and it keeps everything warm."


Alice Barnes, Canyon-SRAM Racing

I live in Manchester so Summer and Winter I’m just in Manchester. For the kind of races I do – I prefer the Spring Classic races – I don’t need long mountain climbs. I kind of need the Peak District where the weather can be bad.

When we get really bad weather I go on the (turbo) trainer or I go to training camps between December and February. 

I wouldn’t risk going out in really bad weather, as in ice and snow, because especially with things like Zwift now, there’s no need to. If you’re doing a 2-hour ride on a turbo trainer it’s probably better for you than doing three hours on the road in terms of pedaling and because it’s still really tough. 

If you are going out and it’s really cold I’d just say to layer up. There’s so many different clothes out there to buy. I quite enjoy having more thin layers rather than thick clothes. Put on mudguards too. I’d advise riding with a light all the time because you can never be over-cautious with safety.

My favourite piece of kit is actually bib-less longs. It's just because I always need to stop for a wee on a ride and at the end of the day if it’s raining or cold, with the bib-less longs you can just whip your bibs down rather than needing to take off your coat and your jersey. And because I want to wear my bib-less tights everyday, I end up washing them every day and then they wear out and get a bit thin. 

mountain biking is very good to do in bad weather because it’s safe whether it’s snowy or icy because it's off-road and you’ve got more grip. Also because you’re climbing so hard, but you've got less speed there’s not so much wind chill. When I went out mountain biking the other day it was actually pretty cold but we were all boiling just because it was so much more demanding. So if you need to go out, you can go mountain biking I guess. 

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Trail running in Cheshire, Yorkshire and in Bellagio Skyrace too!

Getting in lots of trail runs in preparation for Beachy Head Marathon, and doing my first trail running race in Italy

Over the summer and into Autumn I really got into trail running. It was spurred on by my failed attempt to make it to the Paris marathon.

Having done all that training, only to not use it I wanted something else to look forward to this year. I had considered doing a mountain marathon, but orienteering with the prospect of getting deserted on a mountain in Cornwall or the Lake District didn't fill me with excitement.

Preparing for Beachy Head Marathon

Eventually I plumped for the Beachy Head Marathon, which struck a good balance of being a challenge, while having signage. Also, with this being a trail run through the South Downs, I would never be that far away from a town or public transport that would get me to Eastbourne or Brighton.

Glad to reach the summit at Teggs Nose Country Park

So with this challenge ahead, I did a fair bit of trail running - around the North Downs, along the Pilgrim's Way, and of course the South Downs - around Devil's Dyke, Ditchling Beacon, and Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

Earlier in the summer I did a run in Cheshire around Macclesfield Forest and Teggs Nose Country Park.

I had been hoping to take part in a fell race that was organised in conjunction with the Sheep Dog Trials, but traffic got the better of me and I missed the start, so did my own improvised run instead, which included going along the Gritstone Trail. It was my first stab at doing a trail run with a very steep gradient, and I loved it.

Teggs Nose Staircase - a lift would've been nice! 

Then a couple of weeks ago while on my trip to Cycle Expo Yorkshire I did a run along the trails of the Yorkshire Dales at Kettlewell.

The initial part of the route went up the dreaded tarmacked climb that cyclists know as Park Rash. I then left the road to go up a steep bridleway up to the stars - well actually to Starbotton.

From there I returned to Kettlewell along a valley trail that was part of the Dales Way. It was a lovely run, especially as it was early on a Sunday morning, and with no one around at this point I had the place to myself.

Trail down to Starbotton after a long climb

I felt lucky too, because there had been a forecast for heavy rain, and I had gone out expecting to get drenched. But somehow the rain stayed away, and only began as I was going up the steps to enter the Youth Hostel.
The rain did get very heavy though, meaning that when I arrived in Harrogate later that morning to take part in the cyclocross race I knew it was going to be a mudbath - and it was!



Trail running Italian style

The following weekend I was in Milan for a weekend of cycling and running. It was mainly cycling that I did, but the most memorable event for me was a trail run called the Bellagio Skyrace.


I had been a little apprehensive about the competition because I had not done much of this sort of racing before - not even in the UK. It wasn't the distance that was the problem, but the altitude gain.

Looking at my Garmin records none of my runs had included more than 500m of climbing, and I was going to be doing double that amount. This could potentially kill my knees or my Achilles tendons, or both, as well as any chance of running the Beachy Head Marathon the following week. Would I be able to get around the race before the organisers packed away the signage and the finish gantry? Was this a really silly thing to do, entering this race as a non-fell runner? I was about to find out.

Around 600 of us lined up in the main piazza of this beautiful town on the shores of Lake Como, and at the gun we sprang out of the blocks running uphill into the forested peaks of this area known as Lario (latin for Como). Half of us were all set to do 14km with 1000m of climbing, while others were doing 28km with 1900m of uphill.

Getting ready for the off in Bellagio main square

Actually, everyone else set off at a fast enthusiastic pace, but I was quite conservative, conscious of the need to not go into the red, and save something for later. Also knowing that I would be running a trail marathon the following week, I really didn't want to wreck myself.

So, it must have looked a bit odd in front of all the townsfolk who had come out to watch us, seeing me all in race gear and with a number on, some 50 metres off the back of the pack. I wasn't going to let these things bother me though. The only problem was the road twisted a bit and at a crossroads, I had to ask some passers-by which way the other runners had gone.

For a time we were running along a road I was familiar with, as it was the cycle route up to the Madonna del Ghisallo sanctuary that I had ridden the previous day. Once we left the road and started running up the trail I began to catch people as a bottle-neck occurred and things were at a stand-still. Also, many people had already started walking as the trail became increasingly steeper.

I swapped places with this lady loads of times as I stopped to take photos

My plan was to run as much of the course as possible. I was able to do so for the first couple of miles, which went along a wide stony trail and then through a field.

As we got deeper into the forest, the trail became steeper as it zigzagged through the trees. It also became narrow and so we were reduced to walking as a single-file procession.

I would have run it if I could but it was too much energy to try and squeeze past people. In any case the path was so steep that I wouldn't have been able to run much faster than walking pace along this section.

The forest was beautiful, and it was great to be able to run through these trees that normally people only tend to see up in the distance at lake level.

Glad to reach the summit - and some wine was waiting just around the corner!

Once at the summit on Monte Nuvolone we ran through a specially erected gantry, marking the 980m above sea level apex.

From here it would be a short distance along the plateau before making our way back down to Bellagio.

I must say that although this was a race I felt that it would be wrong to come all the way over here without stopping to admire the view of Lake Como from an angle that I rarely get to see.

For this reason I stopped and took a few photos. In fact quite a few times I stopped to take photos, meaning that I lost a bit of time on the various people I'd managed to overtake, though I managed to catch them up as they continued to walk, while I chose to run.

I rarely see Lake Como from this angle - would've been rude not to snap it

Further along on the plateau of Monte Nuvolone I stocked up my energy levels at the feed station ready for the descent, which would be taxing on the legs. The marshals at the top jokingly asked me if I would like some wine.

I thought they were being serious (especially as I had previously drunk six glasses of wine at the Bacchus half marathon some weeks before). So I accepted the offer, thinking it was just a normal thing to do during races in Italy. But when they looked at me with a mixture of bemusement and incredulity, I realised this wasn't quite normal. They obliged by serving me a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, probably thinking I was an alcoholic or something. I just happily downed it in one before continuing my run.

Soon I regretted drinking wine as I was faced with a very tricky drop across some boulders. There were ropes cut into the rocks that we could hold onto, but I didn't really trust them and preferred to hold onto the ground to steady myself. Although it was only a short stretch, I found it a little unnerving. The mountain rescue team were on hand, giving tips but I felt more comfortable negotiating this stretch in my own way - even if it looked unelegant being on all fours.

Apart from that slight difficulty, the run back into Bellagio was straightforward technically provided you kept an eye out for the tree roots in the woods, and put your foot in the right places when running over the rocks, stones, and rocks on the stony trail, and you didn't bump into the trees or field furniture along the way.

By this time the number of runners had thinned out from the feed station onwards, with half the field having continued on to do the 28km-course up to Monte Primo (the hightest peak in the area), so it was easy to just settle into a natural pace and not have to worry about anyone on your tail, or trying to get past people. At this point in the race I felt fine physically, and not particularly fatigued which was a good sign. I had run very much within myself, which was what I had wanted to do.

The final run back into the finish line was on a gravel path along the side of Lake Como with lots of people - spectators and tourists - giving encouragement along this home straight. It felt quite special.

On this comparatively smooth stretch I was able to put in a bit of a sprint, so that in front of the spectators I might look a bit more athletic than I did on the outward run through the town. As I neared the finish line, the crowd cheered avidly, and that made me put in an extra spurt. Then I realised they weren't cheering for me, but for the first finisher of the 28km route! The winner was a guy from Rwanda who had basically run exactly twice as fast as I did. Hey ho!

At the finish line I congratulated one or two of the other runners I'd taken turns with overtaking through the race, and discovered that one of the runners was a woman from Fulham Running Club. She was there with a fellow club runner Daphne, who had finished a good few minutes ahead of us, and some other club mates who were doing the long route.

I was just so amazed to see other people from the UK doing this. Normally when I go to races abroad I end up being the novelty competitor from London. So it was good to meet others who'd had the same idea as myself. They invited me to dinner with them at their place near Bellagio, but I had already arranged to meet people back in Milan, so had to decline. Hopefully I'll see them at another race in the area in future.

All good at the finish line

This was definitely a fun race to do. Anyone who does regular trail runs or fell running would find this a breeze, and would probably prefer to do the 28km race. If you're not a trail runner, but run regularly the 14km is still doable, and on the really steep bits a lot of people walk it anyway.

It is one of the most beautiful locations you could choose for a running race, and it was well organised.

 Even for the post-race pasta party the marshals provided table service and you had a view of Lake Como as you wolfed down your farfalle followed by polenta, with wine.

My apprehensions about the race had been completely for nothing. It had all been pretty straightforward, and had definitely set me up nicely for the Beachy Head Marathon.



For those interested, this is the 14-km route on Strava

I can't believe I made the cut for this video. I can be found somewhere at 3mins 45, just after Daphne!
BELLAGIO SKYRACE 2018 - Official Video from URBANPRODUZIONI on Vimeo.


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My Tour of Lombardy: Como, Bellagio, Ghisallo, and ooh Sormano!

After a day riding in the flatlands of surburban Milan, I then tackled the the hills around Lake Como - specifically Madonna del Ghisallo and the Sormano climbs featured in the Giro di Lombardia. I could have plumped for one of many choices - Brunate, Intelvi, or nearby Switzerland to go up Morbio and around Mendrisio.

I was happy to go up the classic climbs as it had been five years since I last rode up these climbs. Also given that the last time I was up there was in my pre-Strava days I wanted to get this ride onto the app. Yes, I was shamelessly pandering to the saying, "if it's not on Strava it didn't happen!"

The drive up to Como was straightforward; parking was not. Como, especially on a sunny Saturday afternoon can get so rammed with locals and tourists that it's impossible to find any free parking in the street. On a previous occasion I'd had to drive around a lot, even though it was first thing on a Saturday morning. I eventually found a place to park for free - in Brunate, 500m above Como and after 3 miles of rather steep technical switchbacks and a close encounter with a runaway bus that was coming down from the village!

This time I wasn't going to go through all that palava, so I surrendered myself to pricey fees of multistorey car park on Viale Lecco.


The road to Bellagio

On cycling out of the car park, very quickly I was climbing as I took the road to Bellagio. It was a picturesque route that went along the side of the lake, with lovely views of Como behind me, with the dome of the cathedral dominating the skyline.

Not exactly Como, but nearby Bellagio!

This road rose up and down, twisting and turning while passing through small villages like Blevio and Torno. There are lots of places to stop and get a coffee or an ice cream, or even have a full sit-down meal by the lake if you really want.

The nearby village of Faggeto Lario even had a lido for anyone fancying a dip. One of these days I will do this route and stop off and have a slap up meal. But for today, I had to push on because I had a plan.

After around 20 miles I arrived on the edge of Bellagio where a right hand turn took me up the road to start the classic climb up to Magreglio where the Madonna del Ghisallo church is located. At this point I began to see even more cyclists than before on the road.


Smack my Switch back

The road up to Madonna del Ghisallo was roughly 10km, so not epic in length, but epic in landscape. In short, it's spectacular.

You do have to pedal hard though, and that's the snag - particularly if you've become lardy and sluggish like me!

Those initial 3 or 4 kilometres of steep bends were a shock to the system as the gradient kicked up suddenly. I was breathing heavily, and worried how I would get through it as this was only the start of the road. A few guys passed me and grunted words of encouragement as they ground their way uphill.

View of Bellagio from the Ghisallo climb

If I wasn't feeling great there was an old boy in a worse state than myself. He was breathing so hard I am sure they could hear him in Como.

I was worried he might have been exerting himself too much for his age, especially with the way he was weaving all over the road.

As I overtook him I said the customary "Ciao" while trying not to rub it in that I was having less difficulty than him on the climb. Soon the road levelled off and he as well as I found some respite from our efforts. At that point I looked behind and spotted Bellagio a long way down from where I had come. No wonder I had had to work so hard!

A couple of guys who had passed me earlier on the switchbacks had stopped at the side of the road to take photos. This was the last point that we would see Lake Como until the summit. Then we all tackled the winding road together - well together for 100m, after which I and the old boy were dropped.

It was a beautiful road that passed through woodland with its lovely autumn colours. It made me look forward to the next day when I was due to take part in a running race on trails through this area.

Almost at the summit of the Ghisallo climb

Soon, the road went downhill, passing a village with a pretty chapel and I stopped, erroneously thinking that I had overshot Madonna del Ghisallo.

But when I saw more riders breezing through, and the road going uphill again in the distance I realised I still had a few more kilometres to ride.

Once at the summit I heaved a sigh of relief, and felt satisfied that I had managed the climb, and I had even passed a couple of guys. Maybe I wasn't so unfit then.

The guys I passed reached the summit shortly after me, and we all congratulated each other and took photos. They were Italians from Turin, who had come to Como for the weekend, specially to ride in this area.

It was funny how they were asking me, a Londoner, about the route ahead. They were debating whether to return to Como via Erba, or take the infamous Sormano. When I told them they would be climbing the hard side of Sormano their decision was made. They would carry on straight down to Erba. My decision was made too. I would descend a little, but instead of going to Erba I would turn right and climb to Sormano to take on this Wall.

Meltdown on the Muro

After a look around the chapel with all its cycling memorabilia, and taking more photos of Lake Como I enjoyed the fast decent towards Erba, but half-way down turned sharp right to enjoy more uphill switchbacks to reach the village of Sormano. This climb was gentle, and a breeze compared with the effort to reach Magreglio.

Again, this was a popular Strava segment as lots of cyclists were on the road in both directions. I also saw some riders who I recognised from the Ghisallo climb when they passed me on the way up. If they were only just passing me now, that meant they must have taken an extended café stop at Ghisallo summit, given that they overtook me on the Sormano climb so fast.

Sormano village, where a beast awaits around the corner

On these types of twisty roads, like on any similar roads in scenic areas the world over, you get plenty of motorcyclists, and this road was no exception. There were loads of them on this sunny Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, they kept a healthy distance from me, so it wasn't bothersome.

Once I'd passed Sormano the landscape became more unkempt and desolate as it went through scrubland and then woodland.

Then I saw the sign for the Muro di Sormano, with its vital statistics laid bare on the ground for all to see. 1600m in length, average gradient 17%, maximum gradient 25%, and all the years this climb has been included in the Giro do Lombardia. Taking this narrow steep lane was not compulsory, as it was possible to stay on the main road and continue the longer and less steep way round. But hey, I didn't come all this way to miss it out. I had to at least attempt it.

It was clear that this was going to be tough, and not even the initial downhill at the start of the lane would lure me into a false sense of security.

As walkers in the woods saw me coming down the road they all commented in Italian saying words to the effect of "I hope you're ready for this, you will need very strong legs."

Don't be fooled by the downhill road. It goes to THE WALL

And they were absolutely right. This climb did not disappoint.

The initial section of road shot up just like a wall. Annoyingly, matters were not helped by a motorist who, in her wisdom tried to drive up this road, then on realising it would be too tough to drive, was trying to 3-point turn the car in the lane. Somehow, I managed to squeeze around her.

I heaved and pushed my way up, my heart pounding, quads burning as I honked out of the saddle; it had me gasping for breath. The gradient must have been a good 22%.

It then eased off - only slightly, but enough for me to be able to stay in the saddle and pedal at a snail-pace cadence.

I must have been moving at barely 2 miles an hour. The road continued along this painful slope, and I could see a bend in the road ahead, and hoped that around the corner things would ease off further. I needed some respite as I was pouring with sweat, and every small lump in the road was too much for me. I was right on the limit and thought I would either melt or combust or both!

Alas it wasn't meant to be, and the road continued at its relentless 17% gradient. After about 400m I put a stop to this purgatory on wheels by climbing off my bike and walking. I am just glad that my road cleats were grippy enough to be able to walk, as this road was not even easy to negotiate on foot.

I can't think of a harder climb than this in all the riding I've done in Italy. The hard side of Mortirolo is pretty tough, and I had a similar experience on that one, but that was only for a brief stretch, and to be honest I wasn't that fit. I've heard Zoncolan is difficult too, but I have yet to ride that one. After that, I would compare this climb with the steep climbs in England, like Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, possibly Winnats Pass in the Peak District, but definitely Wrynose Pass going up from Ambleside. The only saving grace about the Muro di Sormano is that being a narrow lane, it is generally traffic free, unlike the comparable climbs in the UK.

Time was marching on as I plodded through this forest, and the sun was beginning to set. As much as I was enjoying the scenery which mixed woodland with rock, it was still disconcerting not knowing when this road was going to finish. I knew I wasn't far from the main road but it was nowhere in sight and there I was all alone.

None of the riders I had seen earlier were on this road. It seems like they had taken the much easier and sensible option of riding the 5km detour along the very gentle climb known as Colma di Sormano. Maybe I should have done the same, but on all previous occasions that I had cycled this way I had opted for the Colma, and for once I just wanted to try the Muro. I made the immediate decision, though, that this would be the last time I ever "ride" along this road!

One other rider as crazy as myself was attempting this challenge too. It was an old boy in civvies and his bike had a dinner plate-sized cassette so he was able to spin up the road for longer than I managed. But even he gave up the ghost two-thirds of the way up. This Muro di Sormano takes no prisoners!

Eventually, I heard the sound of people shouting above, and getting in their cars. What a relief that I was getting back into civilisation! Once at the top of the road I looked back and marvelled at how far the road had climbed over the one mile stretch - even if I had only managed to cycle half of it.


Out of the Woods and Down to the Lake

Given that it was getting late I didn't bother to stop for a coffee. It was just a case of pushing on back to Como. In fact, I didn't have to push at all because from then on it was just one long descent through the Pian del Tivano, and the village of Nesso. Although the ride was effortless, it did require concentration as the switchbacks were very tight and steep. I needed to be mindful of oncoming vehicles as well as the vehicles that I caught up with.

Even though Lake Como was close by, there was no sign of it below, and I was constantly riding through wild remote woodland. At one point I wondered if I was on the right road.

Eventually the descent took me to the junction with the main road and suddenly the lake reappeared. Phew, I was on the home run. It was just a 15km ride back to Como where I celebrated with an ice cream.

Back to the flatlands at Como where an ice cream awaits

It had felt like a long afternoon, but that was more because of my "hillwalking" experience mid-ride.

I would definitely recommend this loop, though it's not necessary to do the hard option that I went for. You don't have to ride the Muro di Sormano. The Colma is pretty doable and it is also very pretty. Other options from Ghisallo are to leave out Sormano and drop straight down towards Erba, then veer off to Ponte Lambro and take a gently undulating road towards Tavernerio, Ponzate, Civiglio, followed by a fast descent into Como.

If you do go for the more testing loop, use a bike that has the biggest dinner-plate gears you can find, otherwise wear shoes that you can walk in!

Check out my route on Strava


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My Tour of Lombardy: Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Grande

After a settling day in Milan I hit the road doing proper bike rides. One day was an easy outing along the Navigli Grande and Pavese, the next day was a hilly ride around Lake Como and up Ghisallo.

Naviglio Day

In an ideal world this would have been my southern Lombardy bike ride, going past Pavia and into the Oltrepo Pavese area. I had it mapped out in mind, to get down to Casteggio and do a loop from there, taking in places like the hilltop village of Montalto Pavese, Salice Terme, and maybe even Zavartarello - places on the edge of Lombardy province, bordering on Piedmont and into the wine region that not a lot of people know about (and which I would say is a mini version of Tuscany).

Unfortunately, I wasn't actually feeling great and was on the verge of getting a cold, so had to take it easy rather than climbing too many hills. In any case time was not on my side. I made an attempt at a getaway in that direction, but the traffic first thing in the morning was pants, even though we were travelling away from Milan.

The start of the Naviglio Grande in central Milan

So with all of that conspiring against me I made an executive decision to stop somewhere near Chiesa Rossa and start my ride from there. This town is know as the official start line of the Milan-Sanremo professional bike race (rather than the ceremonial parade from Central Milan) and I decided to make it my official start too for my flat bike ride, rather than taxing myself in the hills.

These canal paths or Navigli are great cycle routes for if you're wanting to get out of town. There are three that lead from central Milan to small surrounding towns roughly 20 miles away. The Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Grande are near one another and both start from the Darsena channel near Piazza 25 Maggio among all the bars and restaurants. The third, Naviglio Martesana is more to the North-east of the city, past the Stazione Centrale.  Since the time I lived there they have been smartened up with the paths resurfaced, sign-posting put up and distance markings painted on the ground.

Resurfaced cycle path with signage

Naviglio Pavese

From where I parked I got onto the Naviglio Pavese and headed south towards Pavia. This canal path, which leads from central Milan to just outside the picturesque town of Pavia (which to me looks like little Florence), is a great place for riders of all persuasions. And that's what I saw along the way.

There were people using it as their commute to get to work, others were out for a leisurely bike ride, though not in great numbers given that it was a foggy Friday morning. Then there were the harder core club riders who rode it like they were on a mission, some perhaps trying to beat their Strava record. Whatever church the rider belonged to, they all said "Ciao"as they passed me.

Naviglio Pavese

This Naviglio passes various villages and hamlets, and if you have time there are a couple of churches, monuments, and relics from a bygone age of functioning canals you can visit. There's even a museum of coffee making machines nearby if that's your thing. But I didn't have time to do that during my ride.

Naviglio Grande

By the time I reached Certosa di Pavia the fog had become quite thick, and it was getting sketchy, even trying to see other riders a short distance away. So I turned around and headed towards Milan, which was bathed in sunshine, where at Binasco I left the Naviglio Pavese and cycled west to pick up the Naviglio Grande.

Trezzano sul Naviglio

The roads in between these two canal paths are to be endured rather than enjoyed. They're not so busy give or take the odd truck, but they are not particularly picturesque. There are plenty of factories and arable farms if you like looking at that sort of thing, and then every now and again you get a random prostitute near a lorry park. Oh, well. No, this aint no Tuscany - just a criss cross of suburban roads to get you to the various motorways; roads that take you through commercial and industrial areas that help make the Milan economy one of the strongest in Italy.

Thankfully, I was soon back onto the pretty Naviglio Grande, which has a suburban forest and picnic areas as well as ornate churches at Gaggiano and Trezzano. For those into open water swimming, something I have dipped my toe in, there is a swimming race from central Milan out to Abbiategrasso. The paths and surrounding areas are definitely pleasant, but the water might be another story!

One short section along the path that was closed for maintenance. With bollards blocking us off and heavy machinery in sight there was no way of passing through there, even on foot. So I was obliged to take a diversion. I could see a path that appeared to cut across fields to get around the the works and wondered if it was worth trying that option rather than making a 3-mile diversion, or riding along the very busy parallel road.

Gaggiano - nice day for a bike ride

It was interesting seeing the varying pieces of advice from the different local riders I asked. A few just said, "Absolutely not - you'll definitely get a puncture." They also looked like they wouldn't have even wanted the slightest fleck of dust on their flashy steeds. A couple of others just said, it is possible to get through but I had to "be very careful". In the end I took the short cut, and to be honest, I don't know what all the fuss had been about. The road surface was nowhere as bad as pave in Paris-Roubaix - not even a bit of Strade Bianche. These Italian guys were real snowflakes! I bet they don't ride when the sun's not shining either!

So I continued along my way and returned to my base in the sunshine near Chiesa Rossa. By the time I finished it was lunchtime and many more cyclists and club runs had come out, making the most of this very pleasant Friday afternoon.

I was pleased with my Naviglio ride, though I still have it on my list to ride in Oltrepo Pavese the next time I am in Lombardy - and I will even drink some wine.


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My Tour of Lombardy: Upcycle

Last weekend I spent time in Lombardy, Northern Italy. My base was in Milan, which was handy as my plan had been to go to visit places that were north and south of the city.

You may or may not know, dear reader, that I spent around 18 months in Milan a few years ago. It was when I had a medical copywriting job in an advertising agency over there, so I know the city well. I have fond memories, and left behind some cool friends. So I do like to get back there at least once a year - more if I could.

So this was my trip for 2018. As with the previous trips I've been on it was a fun-packed weekend, and always hard to fit in everything I want to do, and visit all the folks and places I want to see.

A Cinelli hire bike from the nearby Biciclette Rossignoli bike shop

The first thing I did on my arrival, after picking up my hire car, was to set up my bike and take it for a quick spin around the city just to be sure that everything was working okay. I have hired a nice road bike in the past from Biciclette Rossignoli in central Milan. I have also hired from a firm near Como.

Both outfits supply very good quality bikes, though I chose to bring my trusty Boardman because I was not sure what my movements would be and I thought that the shops might be closed on the day that I wanted to return the hire bike. Having said that, I would certainly recommend a renting, particularly if you want to try out a Cinelli or a Pinarello bike which might be nicer than your own road bike!

Being based in Rogoredo was convenient for me because it meant parking was not an issue, and I was close to the ring road (known as the Tangenziale) for when I wanted to leave the city.
However, it meant that my bike ride would just be around fairly ordinary neighbourhoods that didn't go near tourist attractions or anywhere noteworthy. I think that once you're outside the small central zone of the Duomo, Castello Sforzesco, Brera, Colonne San Lorenzo, and the Navigli everything else is pretty drab.

Naviglio Grande - one of the nicer parts of Milan

In fact, if you took a wrong turn you'd end up on a dirt track - apparently a road - called via dei Pestagalli which is quite a depressing sight, with disused industries and condemned buildings. I wouldn't recommend going there after dark!

So my ride was a pretty quick spin through the city limits up to the Naviglio Pavese and then across some creative roadworks just to tickle the Naviglio Grande, before turning back to make it in time to meet Filippo, the landlord of the studio I'd be staying in.

My evening was spent at Upcycle, a bicycle cafe that is basically Milan's answer to Look Mum No Hands! cafe on Old Street, London. Just as I went to the launch night of Look Mum Hands! back in 2010, I went to the opening night of Upcycle in 2013. Upcycle has very much the same feel as Look Mum. They are in similar kinds of areas - a little bit away from the centre of the city, but in up-and-coming hip neighbourhoods.

Upcycle bike cafe, Milan

Both venues frequently hold events about all aspects of cycling, and show major bike events on a big screen. The interiors are decorated with cycling-themed memorabilia, where you can have meals and snacks at rustic-style communal tables. Where Look Mum gives a nod to Belgian beers, Upcycle leans towards Scandinavian food. Look Mum has a bicycle workshop with mechanics, while Upcycle has a large space adjoining the cafe, used for holding events with conference-style audiences.

So Upcycle is where I was on the Thursday night. A book launch took place that evening, and it was quite a big event for the people from Team Cassinis Cycling Team, the club I joined while I lived there. A member of the team, Martin Angioni, had just written a book called 98 Reasons Why I Cycle (Le 98 Ragioni per cui Vado in Bicicletta), so this was his big gig. Mario Cocco, the club president interviewed him on stage, and read excerpts from the book, while making jokes.

Martin Angioni's book which I one day hope to read

I've gotta say I was pretty tired, after only having had a couple of hour's sleep the night before, and being my first day in Italy my Italian was very rusty to say the least! So I think I probably only caught half of what was being said - and that was partly because I did nod off at times.

I'm sure it was very interesting, but my bad - this was not the best day for me to attend a function that was exclusively in Italian! Still, it was a better effort than the last time I was in Milan and was meant to go to Upcycle for an event. On that day I similarly only had a couple of hours' sleep and then went on a long bike ride on my arrival. So when I arrived at my studio I was so tired I fell asleep and completely missed the evening event at Upcycle! [Note to oneself - don't go to bed at 2.30am when you've got a 7am flight!]

On this occasion, it was great to get there and see Barbara Bonori, who had been the women's cycling coordinator when I was in Team Cassinis, and who had organised the book launch, along with the publishers. She also organised a bike ride from the Vigorelli Velodrome up to Madonna del Ghisallo, which was due to take place a week later. Unfortunately I was not going to be in Milan for that.

I also met a woman who is the European Marketing Manager for Cinelli bikes. They are based just outside Milan, and it would have been really nice to see them and check out their bikes. That is something that I will definitely be doing on my next trip.

Then there were other familiar faces that I saw from the days when I rode with Cassinis, and I said a few words to them, including to Roberta and Massimo from Cicli Esposito.

So, although it had been a long day for me, and a testing evening for me, from a stamina point of view for me, it had been a good day and I was very happy to have met the old guys. Hopefully, it won't be too long before I see them again, I can spend more time with them, and my Italian will just roll off the tongue - facilemente!


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