Cycling Day Two - Gradara

Gradara

After much discussion we decided to join the Toodlers again for a 40 km trip to Gradara Hill Castle.  We looked carefully at the 60 km trip but the 40 km included what we had done yesterday, with only a 7 km increase on the way out, with a 8% grade, to another, further hilltop town.  Plus… we don’t know if we are quite ready.  We opted instead for Gradara that included a 300m rise (in the last 1.5 km) to the castle. 

I did make the trade up from my rental Hybrid to a Go-Fast Road Bike.  I am glad I took the easier ride as it allowed me to get used to the bike.  It handles differently, like moving from a sedan to a sports car.  For the first half hour I felt like I was going to lose it on the curves.  It is so light I could lift it with my two smallest fingers.  The tires are narrow enough to fit into an ATM Credit card slot but it is soooo much faster.  I found myself braking on the flats to prevent running up on the bike in front.  The only times we are free to go at our own clip is on the hills.  The leader gathers everyone together at the bottom, describes the turns and elevation, stresses how everyone is to ride at their own speed, and then releases the hounds.  I know it doesn’t sound like much but it can be exciting.  On our one and only serious hill, Deborah and I finished top three in the group.

The Countryside was flat or rolling hills.

Danielo was our guide once again.  Out of town a similar way, over the freeway and into the farmland.  We could see the picturesque hill town castle in the distance and slowly made our way there.  Being Monday, there were a few more cars on the road and a few near incidents in the traffic circles.  It is an odd dynamic.  Cars in the circle have the right-of-way but bikes in a line seem to take a civil right-of-way, albeit not a legal one.  Of the many cars that stopped in the circle for us, two did not.  The guide gave him a chewing out with his hand and we were on our way.

Danielo giving out the riding instructions.

Gradara town/castle has a 360-degree view of all the farms, villages and the Adriatic in the distance.  We stopped for an hour and toured the original castle (built in 1150) and explored the shops and café’s within the fortified walls.  When we finished touring, we returned to the wall entrance and sipped cappuccinos while awaiting the Toodlers to regroup.

Taking advantage of the rest stop.

Time to Go, really!

It Was Straight Up.

My new friend - One of the Stick People in the Fast/Far Group.

What goes up must come down so the return trip was much faster.  I lost my chain part way down and the group stopped while Danielo fixed the chain.  The first thing he did was bring out the rubber glove for one hand and of course some smart ass had to make a comment …. And soon we were all in stitches.

I think he said, "bend over" in Italian.

Back to the hotel we flew.  Danielo seemed to like to have his group back first for lunch at 2:30 pm.

After lunch, shower, and change we hit the beach for the rest of the afternoon.  Deborah and many of the others took an Italian cooking class before dinner while the rest of us drank German beer in the Italian sun.

Haven’t decided about tomorrow’s ride.  Dinner, drinks and decision to follow.

p.s. Phil, the most serious biker in our group did 105 km today.  This was in the space of 4 and onehalf hours.  It included two 8 km, 8% hill climbs.  I am not sure we will ever consider that to be fun.

p.s.s. Deborah met a City of Abbotsford employee she used to work with at the pool.  He flew over to bike with a friend but he had never biked before.  He was moving extremely slowly when last seen beached by the bar.  One of many Canadians here for bike week.