Light headed notes on real estate and high altitude living in Mammoth Lakes, California
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Gran Fondo Sportful
The before,
and after
pictures of my wife Barbara and me at the 131 mile Gran Fondo Sportful bike race through the Dolomites out of Feltre, Italy last summer. Hard to tell but one of us made the podium!
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I'd like to do some riding in Italy. Did you bring your bikes with you or did you rent?
We've taken our bikes on three cycling trips to Europe. We rode a lot and there's nothing like having your own bike. But there are several considerations—airline charges, bike boxes and transport once you're on the Continent. British didn't charge on our flight to Geneve. Swiss charged $250 for the return but not outbound leg. Continental charged $90 each way per bike. Check with your airline and get something in writing. A Swiss staffer told me over the phone we would not be charged.
You'll want to pack your bike in a sturdy bike box. Trico Sports makes a good one. Borrow one if you can. They're nearly indestructible and collect dust in someone's garage most of the time. Last trip our hotel in Geneve stored our boxes for 3 weeks. We leased Peugeot Partners—roomy, efficient brand new diesel utility wagons—through Auto France and the Peugeot Open Europe repurchase program. They'll carry two boxes and your gear but it's less hassle if you can get someone to hang onto the boxes while you're out on your travels.
If you decide to rent a bike bring your pedals and your saddle.
Thanks for answering my first question. I have another one. How hard do you think it would be to rent a good quality road bike over there? I don't think I want to deal with hauling my bike over there.
Try to rent a bike near where you'll be staying. Check the internet for your location. Bring your own pedals, shoes, gloves and helmet. A friend took a 2 week cycling camp in Majorca and he was able to rent a nice bike cheaply. Still, if you're going to be spending many hours on your bike there's nothing like having your own perfectly fitted frame.
4 comments:
I'd like to do some riding in Italy. Did you bring your bikes with you or did you rent?
We've taken our bikes on three cycling trips to Europe. We rode a lot and there's nothing like having your own bike. But there are several considerations—airline charges, bike boxes and transport once you're on the Continent. British didn't charge on our flight to Geneve. Swiss charged $250 for the return but not outbound leg. Continental charged $90 each way per bike. Check with your airline and get something in writing. A Swiss staffer told me over the phone we would not be charged.
You'll want to pack your bike in a sturdy bike box. Trico Sports makes a good one. Borrow one if you can. They're nearly indestructible and collect dust in someone's garage most of the time. Last trip our hotel in Geneve stored our boxes for 3 weeks. We leased Peugeot Partners—roomy, efficient brand new diesel utility wagons—through Auto France and the Peugeot Open Europe repurchase program. They'll carry two boxes and your gear but it's less hassle if you can get someone to hang onto the boxes while you're out on your travels.
If you decide to rent a bike bring your pedals and your saddle.
Thanks for answering my first question. I have another one. How hard do you think it would be to rent a good quality road bike over there? I don't think I want to deal with hauling my bike over there.
Thanks
Try to rent a bike near where you'll be staying. Check the internet for your location. Bring your own pedals, shoes, gloves and helmet. A friend took a 2 week cycling camp in Majorca and he was able to rent a nice bike cheaply. Still, if you're going to be spending many hours on your bike there's nothing like having your own perfectly fitted frame.
Post a Comment