kimconyc

Haha, I will use this one for question and answer time on the next trip--I guess it's sort of an inside running joke amongst the pros as well as the spectators!


Roller skiers, runners, and even families! I'll never forget this mother and her young daughter (must have been at most 9 y.o.) climbing the Stelvio together! You'd be hard pressed to find that in the U.S. since we are generally blessed with more "luxuries".


Thanks, I wanted to take the picture of the fixie and I saw the girl riding by at the same time as the lady walking by so I waited to take the shot--just lucky timing.

Sure, I was using a Canon PowerShot S90, Adobe Lightroom and Photomatix for the HDR imaging. I wish I had an SLR with me because there is just way too much to take pictures of because of how the weather and lighting changes so quickly in the mountains over there.

I think if you are into photography as much as biking, planning a touring trip (with panniers and such) would be an excellent idea.

kimconyc

Riding up the Gavia--nice warmup climb to start out a 180k day.


Top of the Gavia. You can still see the old dirt road near the tunnel when you are descending down this side, where Andy and all the other riders had to climb through on their skinny tires, in the snow. These guys were hard men, or just totally insane.


On the way to Cavalese. This was probably the most fun I've ever had on a bike. It started out with a nice climb up to St. Caterina and the Gavia, Passo del Tonale, getting lost (on a 180km ride) where Andy asked some random guy, who escorted us, at a car shop for directions where we rode "illegally" to get back on track, and then two other guys and I hauling it to make it to the hotel before sundown. Everyone made it to the hotel safely and it was pretty epic for all I would say.


Gelateria in Alleghe.


Lago di Fedaia after we did the Marmolada climb. This was part of the Sella Ronda day with optional long loop as used in Maratona dles Dolomites.


Part of the Gruppo di Sella day.


Part of the Gruppo di Sella day.


Passo Valparola, part of the extended loop, after we did the big four Marmolada (a.k.a. Fedaia) > Sella > Gardena > Campolongo.

I think these photos have covered a lot of the scenery for the riding part of the trip. Maybe I'll sporadically add a photo here or there depending how bad the winter gets over here. Thanks for viewing.

Ci vediamo!

Blackdays

Wow, those pictures are beautiful.

ILUVUK

good lord, those photos are fantastic!

Forza

They just keep taking my breath away. Just gorgeous.

HigherGround

I had my own specific reasons for searching out this thread, but since it is such an excellent thread and it's the middle of winter, I thought it was bump-worthy for those who may have missed it originally and/or are stuck inside.

This is one of several outstanding travel threads that kimconyc has posted. If you're looking for some good reading, check out some of his others:

My Ride Up Passo Gavia and Extra Carnage

2012 Northern Italy Ride Report

So I took my bike out to Tucson, AZ and rode up Mt. Lemmon

escarpment

looks amazing, thanks for sharing.

eduardo76

*sigh*...

Dudelsack 

Usually this would provoke a "zombie thread" alert, but these pictures are so drop-dead beautiful, and in midwinter. Bravissimo!

Nachoman

Coincidentally, a group of us were talking this morning about doing the Hampsten Cycling and Cooking Italy tour. But probably not until September, 2014.

Homebrew01

Once in a while there are threads that deserve to be zombied.

qcpmsame 

Jeese, so beautiful, even the second time through looking and reading through this thread. Anybody know where he is now? No activity in a while, from him, maybe he is doing another tour.

Bill

renton

Thanks for the bump!

dgasmd

Nice timing!!

karenashg

Bumping this thread because:

1) How better to start the new year than with these amazing photos showing how awesome it is to ride a bike!

2) I just signed up for the 2014 Cinghiale Dolomites/Alps tour, and am both excited and wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into... Any words of wisdom/advice welcome, besides Train. A lot. On hills and mountains. (Luckily, we have a lot of those here in the Pacific NW!)

Smokinbbl

I am moving to Aviano Italy in June...gonna live there for at least 4 years! can not wait, one of the only perks for being U.S.A.F right now!

donrhummy

do you have a link to the company that does the tours?

Homebrew01

My guess is this ?

https://www.cinghiale.com/

kimconyc

Awesome!

Go to have fun! Don't over-train since the tour is in late August and it will not be a race. Advice from my experience is to learn to care for pasta and wine if you don't already and leave a few days/weeks after the cycling trip to do the tourist stuff if you want!

kimconyc

Here are some of my other Italy ride reports:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Extra-Carnage
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...s-and-Stuff%29

donrhummy

That looks it, thanks!

Niloc

wow gorgeous pics, I'm afraid if I was actually there I'd be hallucinating so much from the exertion that I'd barely notice the breathtaking scenery!

karenashg

Thanks! I think that work and other responsibilities will not make over-training an issue... But I am planning to put some good work in on some shorter steep climbs we have around here (1-2 miles) as well as do a few of the mountain passes. If nothing else, I find it helps me psychologically to know that "I've dragged my butt up ____, I know I'll make it up this."

And I am all set on the pasta and wine front--though maybe I'll need to put in a little extra practice with those too just to make sure I'm ready

hillcrawler

My life would have a meaning if i will be there with my bike somewhere in time.

karenashg

Bumping this thread again, because kimconyc's photos are amazing, and have inspired me to keep getting on the bike through the dark days of last winter, and I plan to use their inspiration again this winter.

Also bumping it because I did the Cinghiale Dolomites and Alps trip last month, and it was beyond amazing. I'm really hoping to go back next year. And the year after that. And... The trip was well-organized, Andy is so much fun, so nice, and rides so beautifully. (Riding up the Gavia with his wife Elaine, he came up to us, chatted a while, then disappeared up the road at what seemed the speed of light with complete ease. I asked her if she had ever seen him sweat riding--she said no...)

I had the joy of following his wheel down a couple of the descents--it was like getting a private clinic on descending. I had so much fun on the trip, and just a couple days in to it, could already feel that I was becoming a better cyclist.

In short, if you're considering going on this trip or any of the other Cinghiale trips, DO IT!

Also, if you're considering the Dolomites trip, put yourself in the mindset of a feeble grandparent, and go with that gearing for your bicycle. I trained with a compact and a 12-27, then put a 12-29 on for the trip. After the Fedaia day, I had more than one of the strong guys (definitely stronger than me, at least) look longingly at my bike and say they would have paid me good money for my 29 cog. I told them it wouldn't have been for sale.

And lower gearing than that would have been just fine...

I am not the photographer that kimconyc is, but I included some of my photos in my over-long blog posts that I wrote about the trip, starting with this one: Dolomites and Alps, Day 1 | Me Bike Dolomites One Day

If I get myself organized, I'll get some of my photos up on photobucket or something and posted here, but you know, real life, day job, etc...