Cycling in Asia

June 24, 2008

Day 9 – 109km – Mad Climb to Monte Grappa

We managed 109km on our final day which included a 28km climb up the challenging Monte Grappa. This was pretty amazing given that we had finished our major climb in the Dolomitis just the day before and it was our last day after cycling every day for more than one week.

You can view the ride here http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/6055423

The gradient over the first 8km was very challenging. I regularly was checking my Garmin to see what the scoop was and the numbers were almost always in the double digits. Cary was by my side initially and was conversing with me easily on a wide range of topics…needless to say my responses were limited to single words or the casual grunt as I had very little spare oxygen to provide more detailed responses! After the first killer 8km were completed we had a bit of a break with 5-7 degree grades for the next four kilometers. The lighter gradient gave our tired legs a break only to be hit with what George called ‘rolling hills’. This rolling hill included some gradients of 22 degrees and after so much climbing that was hard to handle. The hills rolled on to our first and only small stop at 20km of the 28km climb. We checked our directions and then pressed on for the final 8km. The final 8k was mostly civil with a side order of a killer grade. Alas I saw the sign for Cima Grappa (top of the mountain) with 2.5km to go…alright this should be easy I thought. Of course that was silly because the last 2.5km was probably an average gradient of 9-10 degrees and only the forces of mental telepathy carried me up the final kilometers. When I saw Sheldon and Cary there I asked if we were at the top and when they said yes I was greatly relieved. We were pressed to get back to the ICC for lunch so I quickly downed a strudel and cappuccino to get enough energy for the descent. 35km down to Borso del Grappa where I hit a maximum speed of 57km / hour. I was a bit conservative on this descent given that the wind was heavy and my carbon bike was blowing around like a kite at the start of the ride down.

The descent was very fast and thrilling!

Sheldon and Christine – Ready to Roll

It was extremely windy at the top…I was blowing all over the place!

Cary celebrating the climb

We had 7km to climb from here…..

Taking a break after a fast and cold descent

Posted by Jeff at 07:58 AM | Permalink

Day 8 – Dolomitis are Dynamite!

Dolomitis were dynamite! I was ecstatic to complete the climb to Passo Rolle without pulling my feet out of the clips once! Given that I have a 12-25 cassette my legs were very tired however the feeling of completing this climb which has been part of the Giro d’Italia was well worth the effort. I have no pictures from the climb (tough to take when you are working hard staying on your bike) however I managed to snap a few when I was on the descent to share the beauty with fellow cyclists.  To non-cycling people, this is one of the most famous cycling moutain terrains that has presented even pros like Lance Armstrong with ultimate challenges.  This was by far the best day of our cycling trip so far.  Check out the ride http://connect.garmin.com/activity/231809

We drove in the Italian Cycling Center van approximately 55km to reach a small flat 13km ride which took us to the base of Passo Rolle.  This 21km climb was going to be the biggest challenge of the trip so far and we were all excited to go.  Kim was on another No Crying Tour Ride but most of the group took this chance to visit the famous Dolomitis for this absolutely incredible day of cycling. I have loads of photos in this day because it was simply too beautiful.

Starting the ride to Passo Rolle

View of the last 2km from the Passo Rolle

Descending was incredible

Cold and Rainy weather was present for the first 4km descent

Spectacular Views

One of the Best Descents of the Trip!

The Motley Crew of Climbers

At the top of Passo Rolle

We all returned safely to the ICC after an awesome day of cycling in the Dolomitis. 

Posted by Jeff at 03:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Day 7 – Cardiologists Rule the Day

One of the great things about these cycling trips is that you meet all kinds of people from different backgrounds with the common interest of cycling.  Well similar to our experience in Vietnam we have met all kinds of great people on this trip and have really enjoyed their company.  Today’s ride was a variation of the Almond Cookie Ride since we had done part of that before and George wanted to keep things fresh and exciting for all the riders.  Today we planned to climb the Asiago Plateau which included an enjoyable 12km climb…though others say longer.  Today we were joined by one of George’s local friends named Franco. Franco is a 78 year old retired cardiologist who is still out pounding the pedals.  Each year on his birthday Franco climbs Montegrappa (a 28km killer climb) and George had told us of his climbing skills when we met up with him that morning.   Sheldon, who is also a cardiologist from the USA, was powering up the climb as per usual.  He quickly ascended the beautiful climb and dropped most of us at the very beginning.  He later reported to hear someone behind him and thought I was sitting on his wheel so he continued the quick pace up the climb. Finally he glanced back to get a look for himself who was chasing him and realized it was not me on his wheel but it was fellow cardiologist Franco who was leading the way up the climb.  These two cardiologists beat the pack by a wide margin and it made me wonder if they had some special advantage by being cardiologists!  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/234105 is today’s ride on the Garmin.

Franco and George at the top of the climb having a drink.

Cary and Jenny climbing with ease.

Nice climb!

Great views

A picture perfect day – group photo after the climb

Once again Kim went on another day long ride that included no crying and a train ride. She is getting to be a better rider though and one day will be able to keep up with Franco (78) and George (76).

Posted by Jeff at 03:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 22, 2008

Day 6 Leopoldo Ride

I have very few pictures from today’s ride as it was our fastest paced ride with Leopoldo, the owner of the local bike shop in Borso del Grappa.  Leopoldo is super fast and he guided four of us around the entire MonteGrappa.  Check out the ride here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/233215

As you can see the pace was 7km per hour faster than our other rides at the ICC.  The ride started like one of the first rides we had done upon arriving on the cycling trip.    It was funny at one point when Cary was trying to recall the name of the ride.

Cary:  I think they call this the Lake Ride

John:  I think we should call this the No Break Ride!

John’s remarks reflected the fact that despite the fast pace, Leopoldo never wanted to stop.  Leopoldo was a former racer and his skills were still very much in tact as he dragged the four of us around like mad.

Cary and John powering up Monte Grappa

Since I have no pictures from this ride I thought I would throw in a few random shots.

Nice climbs of Italy

This is where the ride started…I thought I would be able to take pictures all along this ride but had to focus on keeping up instead.  Kim managed to go on another No Crying Ride which focused more on touring and exploring rather than pounding the pedals.

I am not really sure why we did this but we decided to climb the first 3km of MonteGrappa after Leopoldo dropped us off for lunch.  We had an hour to spare so Sheldon and Cary were keen to get some more riding in and we all rode the first three kilometers of Montegrappa.  The switchbacks on this side of the mountain were very long so we had to pedal a long time before being given a reprieve by a turn in the switchback.  With probably and average gradient of 10.5% for the first 3km I am still wondering why we did this…however it was fun when we descended.

On a completely different ride, when we were climbing the Asiago Plateau, we decided to stop for a quick cherry break…it is cherry season in Italy and they were awesome.

The cherries had provided the energy boost to help us climb faster

Posted by Jeff at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Day 5 – Almond Cookie for Cappacino Joe?

The rain has stopped and we were back in the saddle again today.  There were two rides today, one called the Almond Cookie Ride which I joined while Kim joined the No Crying Ride lead by April, another American gal who leads rides for George sometimes.  Needless to say everybody was very happy to be able to ride today after being rained out on Monday.  The group has steadily grown in size…John and Pam finally received their bikes so they were happy, Cary and Jenny, Micheal from LA, Joe who loves cappacinos, Jim the surfer, David the ICC repeat customer,  Dr. Sheldon and Dr. Christine, Kim and I and our cycling leaders…a great group. 

Today’s ride included a great 6km climb near an old castle in Marostica.  One of the previous visitors to the ICC summarized this ride very nicely.  According to Len Colamarino:

The almond cookie ride. This ride covers about 46 miles, with some 3322 feet of elevation gain. There is one especially long stretch of steady climbing–probably 10 miles or so–but the grade is gentle enough so that the ride can remain social. The long, winding ascent takes you up and around the rim of the Asiago plateau. An exhilarating 10 mile descent follows. At the end of the climb we stop at a cafe with extraordinary almond cookies. The terrain and unique ambience of the area make a lasting impression.

Now this sounds great however we had a slight problem fulfilling the ride as above and missed out on the cookies.  One of the riders took a wrong turn on the climb and went MIA for a almost an hour.  We circled back, called his name, checked the steep edges but still no sign.  We finally decided to circle the entire group back to find Joe and met him after descending two kiliometers down.  When we met Joe he told us that he had taken a wrong turn and decided to have a cappacino….so no cookies but Joe had a cappacino!  Relieved that he was ok a few of us started calling him Cappacino Joe to recognize his disappearing act.  Despite the detour we managed to descend the 6km climb we had just done and that was very exciting.  On the way down we passed many cycling groups flying up the climb…it was a great cycling day.  No cookies though.  To see what we did ride check out http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/6060259

Castle in Marostica

Perfect weather for the ride. Montegrappa is in the background and we plan to climb this sometime this week.

Posted by Jeff at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Day 4 – Shopping in the Rain

It was cold and raining when we woke up today. There were three rides planned and not one of them took place. There was the scenic ride for the folks who just arrived and finally received their bikes after a US airline mishap, there was a fast and hard ride with Leopoldo, the local bike shop owner, and finally there was the slow-no-crying ride for Kim and George. At 7;30am however the phone was ringing and we learned that Italians are fair weather riders and Leopoldo was off for the daily ride. All the rides were cancelled because George also does not ride in the rain and instead he suggested that we all go to a cycling clothing factory to shop instead. Kim was immediately game for shopping and we all hopped in the bus and headed to the clothing factory. We emerged from the factory with massive bags of clothes and left 380 Euros behind…which was fine because we had the chance to buy some warm weather clothing which we needed very much given the cold temperatures we have been experiencing.

In the afternoon we returned to the Center and had another great lunch. The food here is excellent so I am not sure that we will end up losing any weight on this trip despite cycling daily. After lunch the weather was better so a few of us decided to go for a short ride up to Asolo again as it was truly a beautiful place which included a small climb to a cobblestoned square that was littered with cafes and expensive boutiques. The ride today included a 3km climb with some very steep sections hitting 21 degree gradients (unlike the other climb to Asolo we did which was easier). It could have been more but I had to keep my eyes on the narrow road instead of staring endlessly at my new Garmin 705 computer. The Garmin is very cool to have to record these rides and to know how much gradient I am fighting when I climb these hills and mountains. So despite all the rain we managed a 36km ride today with some great climbs and beautiful scenery.

Check out the ride http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/6059958

Descending Asolo

Kim shopping at the bike clothing factory…

Posted by Jeff at 08:24 AM | Permalink

Day 3 – Social Ride to Villa Emo

We first heard about the Italian Cycling Center from a guy we met in Vietnam on our biking tour there earlier this year. Bob Kunkel had nothing but good things to say about the cycling in Italy and he highly recommended the ICC for the combination of great rides and great food. The nice thing about being in a place at the base of a large set of mountains near the Dolomites is that there are literally dozens of different rides to do. We are located at the base of Montegrappa which will provide us with a challenging 27km climb to enjoy sometime this week. The Italian Cycling Center hosts mostly Americans and has been in business for more than 20 years. George has been running this place hosting numerous people over the years. George leads many of the rides here and he is a very impressive rider, especially when you consider that he is 76 years old! When you first meet him he seems a bit grumpy (which he is) but he warms up after a couple of days. Each day George also provides us all with a ‘reading of the menu’ session, in which he reads the food selections in English to the riders and they make their selections. If you miss the reading you either have to guess or you make George more grumpy. Not many people here speak English so we really value the translation services that George provides. Food here is top notch, as is the wine which flows at lunch and dinner.

Today’s ride was a social ride to a Venetian Villa called Villa Emo. The 60km ride included a stop at a famous tomb and the nice villa which was built in 1508. Villa Emo (www.villaemo.org ) was owned by the same family since 1508 until it was sold to a wealthy Canadian in 2004. The villa is now owned by an Italian bank.   In addition, we did a small 2km climb to a very cool village called Asolo.  Asolo has cobblestoned streets and it is a very popular climb with local and tourist cyclists.  After making the small climb (which Kim did without walking or crying) we spent time watching all the local people sipping coffees and watching the world go by.  Since it was Sunday there were plenty of cyclists on the roads everywhere.   Tomorrow we are planning a few rides of differing skill level.

On the way to Villa Emo

Well I think I finally understand how to use my Garmin so you can check out today’s ride including the map right here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/232507

Kim leaving Villa Emo

We visited this famous tomb but I cannot remember any other details about this….

cobblestone finish to the climb to Asolo

Locals in Asolo

Kim, Jenny David and Cary

Posted by Jeff at 07:50 AM | Permalink

Day 2 – 80km – Lake Ride & Hello Giovanni!

Today was the first group ride which took us through some amazing streets and up a small climb of 2km with some gradients reaching 12 degrees. The daily rides start at 8am each day and we all met for a very good breakfast at 7am to get fueled up for the ride. This was an exciting day for us because we had never had the chance to ride in a place with many climbs (Singapore is mostly flat) and it was one of Kim’s first rides on her new bike. The weather was very cold at 17 degrees celcius and we quickly realized that we did not bring suitable clothing for this unseasonably chilly weather in Italy.

We met up with Patricia an American gal who has lived in the area for the past 20 years and who helped lead the ride today. Seven of us traveled through very quaint villages, up small climbs and descents, around a lake and across a couple of interesting bridges. It was a tough initiation for some (Kim was crying near the end….well maybe just whining but it was not that cool) but provided us with justification for a nice hearty meal and good afternoon nap. After the ride was done we headed back to the hotel for our meal which was a pasta and wine filled feast that provided us all with a great recovery from the ride.

The highlight of the day was definitely our trip into Treviso. Treviso is 45km form Borso del Grappa and is the place where Pinarello bikes are made. Since Kim and I both ride Pinarello bikes it was very cool to go to Treviso and visit the Pinarello store. The bikes are really nice and we spent an entire hour looking around at the great things they have in the store. Before walking in however we experienced the true highlight of the day when we met the man himself…Giovanni Pinarello. Giovanni is the founder of the Pinarello bike company and he was a professional cyclist in his day. Although he only speaks Italian it was so nice to meet him in person and see the man behind our bikes and many of our friend’s bikes back in Singapore. Many people tend to get passionate about cycling so it was inspiring to see Giovanni still spending time in the store meeting his many fans and followers…he definitely has enough savings to retire. We left the store a few hundred Euros lighter but we have some very cool stuff…which is all part of cycling.

Kim descending along one of the climbs that is featured regularly in the Giro.

Narrow streets with great scenery

Patricia, Jenny and Cary

Light traffic was perfect for cycling.

Today was also the first day I was able to use my new Garmin Edge 705 GPS device. This device is very cool and allows you to track data about your rides and store it using a web based service.  Check it out….  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/231766  but please note that I did not have a clue  how to use it and we did not ride from Singapore to Italy!  The rest of the rides should be better.

The Pinarello Store in Treviso Italy.

Posted by Jeff at 06:57 AM | Permalink

Day 1 – 22km – Arriving at Borso del Grappa

We pushed off for our cycling trip after an exhausting few days of travel and work. I had barely landed in Singapore from a trip to Bangladesh when I had to run into the office for a series of planning meetings which dragged on until 7pm at night. Despite running late I still managed to get home to have a quick bite before lugging our two big bike cases and luggage down to the taxi. We arrived at the new Terminal 3 of Changi International Airport and waited in the lounge after shopping at the new shops in the terminal. After boarding the plane I fell asleep immediately (as per usual) and did not realize that we sat delayed at the Changi Airport for 1.5 hours. The flight to Milan from Singapore seemed to drag on forever so after getting bored of the in-flight TV and my video IPOD I thought I would re-read the pre-departure information from the Italian Cycling Center (ICC) www.italiancycling.com to refresh my memory on important tips. After landing in Milan we drove for three hours in a taxi to Borso Del Grappa where the cycling center is located. The taxi cost us 350 Euros which is a load of money (more than US$500) and when Kim and I reflected on that we both agreed that Europe is way too expensive and it would likely be our last trip there We are probably both a bit grumpy after the massively long flight so this was most likely just another one of our exaggerations. Our driver Matteo stopped off along the way for a quick break where we grabbed some espressos and some of the best sandwiches we have ever had. After we arrived at the ICC we checked out a few of the rooms and assembled our bikes before riding to the Best Bike Store with Javier who was just wrapping up his final day at the ICC .  We also went with Jenny and Cary who had also just arrived that day from Cheyenne Wyoming.  Since Kim and I were about to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary I decided to buy her a 12-27 cassette to help her climb the hills and mountains easier…I later referred to this as the ‘anniversary gear’ as Kim seemed to be spinning in this gear almost every time I saw her!

Arrival at Borso del Grappa –

Our welcoming sandwiches upon arrival in Milan.

Riding the streets near Borso del Grappa

Bridge along the ‘Lake Ride’

Posted by Jeff at 06:23 AM | Permalink

January 02, 2008

Welcome to our blog….

Welcome to our new blog.  Kim and I decided to use this blog to share our travel experiences with family and friends.  In January we will be visiting Vietnam for an exciting cycling tour and we look forward to sharing the exciting details with all of you!
Having recently started cycling in Singapore, Kim and I decided to sign up for a cycling trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh.  The 1300 km trip will be done over a period of 10 cycling days and we will stop in seven different cities.  Starting in Hanoi, we will stay at the Sofitel Plaza Hotel (http://www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/3553/fiche_hotel.shtml ) before starting our cycling.  After Hanoi, we will stay in nice hotels in Hue, Hoi An, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang and Da Lat before finishing up and resting at the bustling city of Ho Chi Minh.  After traveling almost 130km per day, we will no doubt take pleasure in many massages, cold Vietnamese beers, carbohydrate packed noodles and some good times.  There are 14 people going on this organized tour so we will be sure to meet other interesting people from around the world who enjoy cycling and travel!
We will do our best to update this after each exciting cycling day.
Kim & Jeff

http://www.discovervietnam.com/hanoi.html

Posted by Jeff at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (708)