Club Member Spotlight:
Tour Perspective and Summary by E. Lee

On June 1, 2007 we joined a cycling tour in progress in the Trentino region of Italy. This area of Italy was part of Austria before World War I. Most signs are in German and Italian. The owner of Hotel Rosenbaum, Herr Pristinger, told me he is still German in his heart. The group started on May 27th from Basel, Switzerland. Our portion of the trip went through the regions of Trentino and Veneto along with cycling around Lake Garda and ending on Punta Sabbioni, located on the pennisula east of Venice on June 15th. Participants brought their road bikes while some had their touring bikes. The bikes were part of our check-in baggage. In total, Ken rode 550 miles and I did 500 miles; he climbed 10,000 feet more elevation than me, though.

FFBC readers: Club members John and Wendy, Pat and Bob were also on this tour. You'll recognize them in the photos. They signed up for the entire three weeks.

We were met in Basel by our Swiss friend, Fredy, who drove us to Nalles, Italy: a five hour drive. We stopped in Austria to stretch our legs and have a snack before crossing into Italy. Our Swiss cycling tour leader, Lauri, called to say Fredy's son, Adrian and Sy and Bob from Colorado had not yet returned from their ride up the Stelvio Pass. They had called from the top and said it was snowing and they would make their way back soon. It was now 8:30 p.m. and the three of us looked for cyclists who might still be on the road because it was nearing nightfall and was raining. We got to Hotel Rosenbaum at 9 p.m. and the Stelvio trio arrived just minutes before we did. They left at 10 a.m. that morning to ride and much to the relief of their wives and the group, they returned safely albeit damp and hungry.

This is our third trip with Laurenz (Lauri) and Corinne Gsell of Bike and Hike, Switzerland. http://www.bikeandhike.ch/indexE.html This year's group is the largest one we've been a part of: 29 people. We saw friends from previous tours and met new ones. These folks are among the fittest people I've met and are outstanding models of good health and fitness! Lucia, our Bluesmobile driver, and Aranka the Gsells' dog joined us on the tour. Fredy and Adrian served as ride leaders and sweep with each switching off after a week. Having them on the rides was a comfort--they were there if you needed help. Fredy owns a high-end bicycle shop near Basel: http://veloschrade.ch/; click on Team.

The Trentino region with the Dolomites in view is a spectacular place to cycle. The days were cool and the routes were very scenic. Country roads with vineyards covering entire hillsides, seeing castles and towns built on hilltops, rolling emerald color hills with some steep grades to satisfy a billy goat climber's craving. An unusual sound this year was the cuckoo bird calls we heard while riding. The first time I heard it, I thought it was somebody's cuckoo clock until I noticed there were no houses nearby, but the cuckooing continued. Never would have known Italy has cuckoo birds because didn't hear them in Germany and Austria (the sounds from the clocks don't count). At times, it was as if the birds were telling us we're coo koo for riding up the grades.

The ladies enjoyed a ride together to Riva at Lake Garda. We were on bike paths by the canals with the locals riding their mountain bikes. We also encountered men riding in their Speedos and sandals---no bike jerseys for these manly men! If you've driven in Italy, you know that the petrol stations have autogrills to get a drink or snack. You know you're in a cycling friendly area when there are bicigrills (bici is short for bicicletta: Italian for bicycle).

The Veneto region was warmer and there were afternoon thundershowers. Thunder could be heard rolling in the distance and dark clouds would fill the sky. We appreciated these because it would cool things down so we could continue our ride. One rain shower caused the group to seek refuge under some trees and what luck! The trees were loaded with cherries and were a nice snack while waiting for the cloudburst to pass.

The Hotel La Rosina in Marostica is owned by a former pro cyclist. He built a chapel dedicated to cyclists --- it's a beautiful modern structure that juts out of the hillside. Marostica hosts annual chess tournaments with people and live horses as the pieces: http://www.bed-breakfast-italy.com/medieval/chess.htm. The Giro d'Italia has passed through this area and in front of La Rosina in previous years.

The La Rosina was booked with a wedding and the owner arranged for us to have dinner at his four star property: La Palma. This oasis of a hotel resort was in the middle of an industrial area and there was nothing around it. Someone mentioned that Lauri must be giving Lucia directions because we were driving around and around for over an hour before we found the place. We were seated in a dining room overlooking the garden and a wedding was in full swing outside. The singers starting singing "YMCA" and of course, several of us got up, started to sing and letter along with the wedding and their guests. I have an excellent video of Colorado Larry doing his best dance moves during this moment. Soon, the brother of the bride came into our room and invited us to join his sister's wedding. He didn't speak much English, but he belted out a few lines of "Born in the U.S.A." just to show us he was serious about his invitation. A bunch of us joined them in dancing and to watch a video and slideshow of the couple. San Diego Tom took up a generous collection of Euros to buy the newlyweds a couple bottles of vino as a gift.

Dozens of fully decked out cyclists were riding in the surrounding areas to Asiago (like in the cheese), Asolo, Bassano, and to the Monte Grappa war memorial:

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Monte-Grappa&qryMountainID=2577

On the way to Valeggio, we rode by the shoreline in Bardolino after a thundershower and nice lunch. The paved bike path disappeared and became sandy, gravel, with exposed tree roots from underneath. It was more suited to mountain biking. On uneven surfaces, I usually click out of the pedals and use the solid portion of my shoes to pedal which results in a clicking sound. Colorado Chuck asked if I was having difficulty clicking in and to which I replied, "No, I don't like the road surface." From that moment on, Chuck nicknamed me ClickClick. In the following days, if he was riding from behind, he'd say "C'mon ClickClick!" He's offered to take me on their Colorado area mountain bike routes so I can experience true rough roads. Vancouver B.C. Bill told me that when the group decided to split up (one took the shoreline and the other rode on the main road--I was in the latter group), the path's rocky, uneven surface equated to a year's worth of experience on a mountain bike. I know my skill set better than anyone else; I prefer a mountain bike instead of the road bike on unpaved surfaces.

We rode to the cities of Vicenza, Verona, Padova and Venezia on the last week. It was very hot and humid. A major accomplishment by Ellie, Corinne and Laurie: they rode their first 100K ride on one of the days. We rode on the main roads with heavy truck traffic --- something I would never do here. Italians may be aggressive drivers, but their driving skills are levels above drivers here and they really do share the road. It's also normal to expect vehicles on bike paths as well as being passed by cars that were as close as a foot from my front wheel. None of the roads had glass; potholes and ruts--yes, but no glass.

We were riding to Stellavena, just outside of Verona, when our group missed the turn and descended all the way down into the wrong valley. We reclimbed up to try to hook up with the route we missed and rode up steep climbs and on freshly asphalted road--it was still steaming. The steep descent into Stellavena had severe hairpin turns. Ever see a hairpin that goes left and right? Instead of a T-intersection, there was this type of hairpin turn. I braked so hard I was almost at a complete stop in those turns. It was a memorable descent because there were so many granite quarries among the vineyard covered hillside and there were yards of huge cubes of uncut granite waiting to be sliced into future countertops and tile. We heard workers inside the factories calling out to cheer us on the bikes.

In Vicenza, the Teatro Olimpico was a highlight for me. The wood and stucco stage and statues made to look like stone were atonishing. In Verona, we did Rick Steves' walk from Piazza Erbe and lunched at Brek during a heavy downpour. At the next table, a couple from Ireland were enjoying a break from the rain and after a while, Nancy, Chuck and Christian joined us. In Padova, the restored Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel was another highlight---wished I had my binoculars to see better.

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/g/giotto/index.html

Although we had been to Venezia 20 years ago, it was a good revisit to Piazza San Marco and finally tour the Doge's Palace and Correr Museum. We followed Rick Steves' guide and went to the prison under the Doge's Palace. These cells are at water level or below---yuck, there were no lights back then and can't even imagine when the water level rose and washed into the cells. Ken climbed up to the window and took pictures of the Bridge of Sighs from the back side. Venetian architecture is so beautiful and unique--nothing like it elsewhere. Neighbor islands Burano and Torcello provided relief from the wall-to-wall people on Venezia. Burano surprised us with its multi-colored homes, each painted a different color from its neighbors. It reminded me of travel photos I'd seen in books. The church in Torcello is the best place to see the mosaics close up without the tour bus loads of people in Venezia.

The pastas (with a few exceptions) at the dinners were fresh made by a person; unlike here where it's part of the marketing and falsely labeled as homemade (yes, I can tell). The crespella served by Gigi in Valeggio was my favorite: the pasta looked like a zucchini blossom and it was stuffed with an asparagus and cheese filling. The risottos were outstanding: creamy and made with deep flavored broths of mushrooms or meat. I could tell the rice spent hours luxuriating on the stove before it was coaxed into a gourmet serving. Prosecco is reasonably priced (compared to home) and Fredy treated the group's arrival in Valeggio with bottles of this bubbly Italian wine. Ken brought home grappe to try: a prosecco and chardonnay versions. Overall, I didn't find the meats or the fish as good like on previous trips to Italy. The salumi and proscuitto are excellent. Gelati were good, although we both missed the stretchy gelato in past trips found in the Marche region and Milano. The mango and limone flavors are my favorites. Tiramisu is a Veneto region specialty and each place served its own version of this dessert--much to our happy stomachs. I continued my tradition of photographing the food served at our dinners -- wish the aromas could emit from them so you could really get a full sense of the dishes.

A related item: we ate at Brek in Verona and Padova. It's sort of like a cafeteria in a Whole Foods-like setting without the 500% markup prices. This is a new concept over there; self service eateries are not common place. Pastas, pizzas, entrees are cooked to order. Beer and wine are on tap and you fill the carafe yourself. We enjoyed this change of pace from the usual panini at the bars.

Christian surprised all with his generous and elegant gift of Murano wine glasses. They are banded in gold at the top in a beautiful scroll pattern and the glass has a swirl pattern. A classy treasure to commemorate our trip and for future toasts to Christian and the 2007 Basel to Venice cycling tour group's health. Cheers and in Italian: cin cin!

Great Rides, A Barbeque And Shopping At Discounted Prices – A Cyclist’s Paradise, by Wei Sun

Well over 60 FFBC members and their invited quests took part in the Sports Basement Rides and Barbeque event held on Sunday, August 19. This event was born when Scott Regan, FFBC Race Team member, introduced Robert Chang of the Sports Basement to Karen White. One idea led to another and the day was set.

For this event, Jim Herman planned four routes of various distances and climbs starting from Sports Basement’s Sunnyvale location on . For each route, different paces were arranged to enable members of all levels to participate. FFBC Board and members quickly embraced the event and volunteered their time.

For the shorter routes, the rides rambled along Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road to Stevens Creek Reservoir through predominantly flat terrain. For those cyclists intent on a challenge for the day, Jim treated them to a route that traversed north to Alpine Road, Westridge Drive and Arastradero Road.

On one of “harder” routes led by Mike Williams, Brad Baldwin noted: “The ride…went up Montebello and we were all rewarded with great views of the valley.” Karen, who led a group on a 25-mile loop to Stevens Creek, said that this event “introduced many FFBC members to Sports Basement and to routes they had never ridden before.”

Jim Herman, architect of the day’s routes, along with Karen White, Jan Green, Dan Amaral, Ron Mitchell and Mike Williams, led the various rides that day without a hitch. Let us take this opportunity to express our sincerest appreciation for their help in making this event happen.

After the ride, Robert Chang and the staff at Sports Basement treated all FFBC members to a delightful barbeque described as a “smorgasbord” and a shopping spree with 20% off their already discounted prices. At that bargain, it would be foolish not to have a third floor pump as backup for the second car, 3 additional pairs of arm warmers, a new pair of Sidi cycling shoes for the fall season and a set of Mavic Ksyrium ES wheels for that special loved one, namely yourself.

Levity aside, the shopping enabled members to stock up on needed equipment, clothing and other sundry items to enhance their cycling or other athletic experience.

More importantly, as Karen pointed out, the event was “a chance to catch up on members they don't usually see on the rides they are normally on.”

Again, let us applaud Sports Basement for sponsoring the event and those FFBC members who helped to make it a smashing success for all who took part.

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