Why cycle? Why not? It’s Good for You

Thanks for the contribution from David Wold, as follows:

Why cycle? Why not? It’s good for you.
By David Wold

Cycling is one of my passions. Whistling down a road through engaging countryside. Listening to the sweet hum of the tires on the asphalt. Observing the seasons. Smelling their various fragrances. Breathing fresh out-of-doors air. Clearing my mind. Thinking thoughts, sometimes relevant, sometimes not. Companionship. To boot, experts claim cycling is an excellent way to stay healthy.

These are some of the reasons why I cycle. If there are more or better reasons for doing it, let me know. I’m a willing listener.

Companionship is another reason I cycle. My cycling pals are just as eager as I am “to get out there”. The numbers of world threatening problems we’ve solved during our rest stops are innumerable.

The countryside and the seasons

Cycling, like the year can be divided into seasons. Clearly, the most desirable seasons for doing it are spring and summer. At least they are when I do most of my cycling.

I live in Säffle, Sweden a rather insignificant dot on the planet which lies at 59° 6.613', 12° 52.662 to be exact. That’s about the same as Anchorage, Alaska if that’s your point of reference. In any case, Säffle is pretty far north.

The cycling season here begins in April, with a little luck. The roads then can have the odd patch of ice, and the ditches are still snow filled while the snow in the fields has melted enough to reveal a little plowed earth.

Studded tires are a good choice when riding under these circumstances. With studs, it’s possible to ride in January, February and March if you dress for the cold weather. I do. Swedes say, “There is no bad weather only poor clothing.”

After April comes May! My God, what a difference a month makes. Winter with its last chance to reveal its chilly head gives way to sunshine. Young crops shimmer a soft light green in the fields. Wind-still water reflects the tree-lined shoreline and the blue enhanced-by-clouds sky. Spring flowers pop up in rapid succession.

First out is the butterbur, then the blue and white anemones. Soon yellow dominates the countryside with fields filled with blooming dandelions and buttercups and the ditches with marsh marigolds.

When riding at this time of year, I’m happy I have a nose. Lilacs and blossoming fruit trees are cause to slow down for a pleasant whiff. Passing by a farmyard or a field fertilized with manure can be cause to hurry on. Everything from the fragrance of lilacs and blooming fruit trees to the stink of manure is part of riding. I wouldn’t miss any of it.

From midsummer to the Winter solstice

At mid-summer everything is in bloom. So are Swedes. Midsummer is a big deal and the wild flowers available then play a big part in ceremonial celebrations.

Midsummer poles decorated with birch branches and wild flowers are erected for Swedes of all ages to dance around. Young ladies fashion midsummer crowns from wild flowers. They also place seven different wild flowers under their pillow to give rise to a dream about the man they will marry. It’s a magical time of year here.
The flipside are the complainers lamenting that from midsummer forward darkness is on its way. But that’s part of living this far north, I guess. And why not enjoy the beauty of this season while it lasts. There’s no reason to complain about things that you can’t change.

Light, particularly sunlight, is a must among Swedes. In the absence of it, they light candles. I‘m not kidding. At Advent, in the beginning of December, when it’s night more than day, the country is alive with light, artificial though it is. At the winter solstice, the days get longer and the squabblers turn into optimists.

During September, the fields and ditches slowly turn to brown. Leaves and the temperatures fall. As autumn approaches, the smells along the roads change from blooming flowers to the stinking manure farmers spread on their fields to nourish next year’s crops. Oh well. That’s part of the game.

Around mid-October, it’s time to change from short-sleeved jerseys and shorts to long-sleeved and long-legged attire.It’s colder out there but there’s still a lot to experience while on two wheels.

Performance enhancers

Cycling moves slowly. Riders in the Tour de France at their best average about 40 km per hour over a total distance of some 3500 km. My average speed is about half that during my tours around Säffle and the occasional week or two in Italy.

But I’m also about twice or three times the racers’ age and I’m not of their ilk. For me, cycling is much more than peddling as fast as I can to reach a finish line before everybody else.

Racers we now know used performance enhancers, and hopefully this is a thing of the past. The only performance enhancer I’m involved in is wine. And that’s only in Italy, where my cycling is almost exclusively where lovely wines are carefully nurtured.

Obviously, wine is readily available there. Is it a performance enhancer? Debatable. On the other hand, I find long downhill rides with a little buzz on are very, very enjoyable. Then there are the uphills. What goes down also goes up.

That’s the reality you experience when riding in Italy. At the cima, as it’s called in Italy, or summit, as it’s called in English, enough of the last enhancer is worn off to allow enjoying another one just down the road.

In Sardinia, where I cycle under the auspices of SardiniaCycling, the enhancer can be a Cannonau, a lovely red wine. Or it can be a beer. My favorite there is Ichnusa.

In the north of Italy, I select a Chianti Classico or other red wines produced from Sangiovese, the typical grape of Toscana. In the beer department, it’s Birra Moretti.

Once I asked a bartender while in Bosa, Sardinia for “Una Birra Moretti grande, per favore.” After his eyes rolled back into place after a brief visit in the back of his head, he tossed his hands in the air in typical Italian fashion, and in a voice not unlike the Godfather’s, he rasped, “Eh! Questa non è Milano.” So when in Sardinia, do as the Sardinians do. Drink Ichnusa. On the other hand, there isn’t much else to choose from.

Cycling is good for you

Recent studies suggest that exercise can be as effective as many frequently prescribed drugs in treating some of the leading causes of death, including heart disease and diabetes.

If you ask me, physical activity is invigorating and makes me feel raring to go. I believe that cycling in the fresh air, with friends or alone, has a positive effect on mental health and stress levels.

These are all of the reasons why I cycle. What are your reasons for doing it? If you don’t do it, the benefits of it are so plentiful that it’s worth giving it a whirl. Just do it. At whatever level that suits you best. Why not? I’m quite sure you won’t regret it.

Sidebar

Regular physical activity is regarded as essential to a healthy lifestyle and is linked to a wide variety of physical and mental benefits including:

•    Reduced risk of or protection against Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), high blood pressure, cancer (in particular colon cancer) and diabetes

•    Stronger bones and increased muscle strength

•    Better balance, suppleness and mobility

•    Improved sleep

•    Better maintenance of a healthy weight and reduced risk of obesity.

Companionship is another reason I cycle. My cycling pals are just as eager as I am “to get out there”. Here I am drafting my pal Erik in Toscana with www.gustocycling.com

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.

Tuscany with Marty Jemison

Marty Jemison, one of the principals of Marty Jemison Cycling Tours (http://www.martyjemison.com/), rode professionally in the European peloton for seven years, six with the US Postal Service team. He completed Tour de France twice, in 1997 and 1998. Marty also won the 1999 US Pro Championships, earning him the coveted Stars 'n Stripes national champion's jersey.

For Italy, Jemison offers tours in Tuscany and for the Giro d'Italia. Private group and luxury tours can also be arranged. Cycling tours to France and Spain are also on the schedule.

Photos: from a Jemison Tuscany tour

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Family and Friends in Tuscany

Christin Kyle wanted us to create a custom trip for family and friends. She turned to Great Explorations (http://www.great-explorations.com/) to create a trip in the Tuscany region. This is her story:

"This was a trip to look forward to. I’d managed to convince a group of family and friends to try an active vacation in Europe, and Tuscany was the destination of choice. I asked Great Explorations to create a custom trip for our group of 10; after a great first-time cycling trip in Provence with the company a few years back, I was ready to cycle the hills (and reap the rewards) of Tuscany and wanted to bring friends.

After counting the word ‘hill’ seven times in the Tuscany cycling trip itinerary on the Great Explorations website, I grew a little anxious and called GE to investigate. My dilemma? Though there were a few of us on this trip who might want to crank out the mileage (including my boyfriend who sought a daily work-out), most of the group’s cycle training would be modest at best. With our varied goals and fitness levels, was this trip really going to work?

The GE travel advisor assured me that we’d have daily route options to allow people to ride the pace and the distance they enjoyed. The support van, whose primary role was to move our luggage between hotels, would also be there to provide a lift along the way if necessary. The flexible nature made this trip seem like the right fit and Great Explorations assured we’d have the ‘trip of a lifetime’. We signed up!

We arrived in Tuscany in late October and were rewarded with sunny, warm weather throughout the week. Siena, the quintessential Tuscan town, was our starting point and we were greeted there by Great Explorations owner (and our guide on this trip), Robbin McKinney. We were fitted with our choice of brand new Cannondale bikes (racing for me and my boyfriend and hybrids for the others) which were finely tuned and ready to ride. Each came with a handlebar bag with map cover so we could easily follow the detailed route instructions and maps.

Day 1 started with a ride north out of Siena…happily downhill! Within a few kilometers we were in the vineyards of Chianti, passing through the rows of sun-ripened vines. Just before lunch, we had our first real hill to climb and some of the group opted to ‘stretch their legs and walk a bit’. We were all rewarded at the top with cold drinks and a Great Explorations lunch with delicious bruschetta appetizers, hearty soups and home-made pastas washed down by some Chianti red. With renewed energy, we continued on (and up) to Radda, and then to our final destination of Castellina, a wine making village in the Chianti region. We checked into the luxurious Palazzo Squarcialupi, and found our luggage waiting in our rooms. Formerly a palace from the 15th century, this distinctive hotel has been lovingly restored with large comfortable rooms, swimming pool and gardens, and a boutique spa. The family who owns the hotel still carries on the wine trade - Chianti Classico is made in the cellar with grapes from the surrounding countryside. Robbin had organized a wine tasting on this first night, where a wine expert gave an introduction to and explained the nuances of Chianti wine. Afterwards, we continued to a nearby restaurant that was filled with locals (always a good sign!) and our table was waiting for us, laden with appetizers of prosciutto, salads and breads. We heartily celebrated our first ride, elated with our achievements of the day.
For Day 2, Robbin described two ride options: a ride to San Gigminano, or one he thought would be more suitable for our group. A few of us chose the latter, taking in an interesting castle in Meleto and the village of Gaiole in Chianti, while others did a different, shorter option, electing to visit Radda and return to Castellina early afternoon for a cooking course in a farmhouse that Great Explorations had rented.

We began Day 3 with a 10km descent to the charming village of Monteriggioni, skirted by medieval ramparts over 500 meters high with 14 four-sided towers. Picture a miniature San Gigmignano, but without the crowds. We lingered over lattes and visited local art galleries. The afternoon ride included a moderate climb but the distance was modest and we arrived in Sovicille and our next hotel, the 200 year old Villa Cennina, a former monastery in the hills south of Siena. Robbin brought in a chef who taught us to make fresh pasta and sauces and then we all sat down in a candlelit dining room to enjoy the meal we helped to cook ourselves!

From Sovicille we began Day 4 by heading further south, across a dramatic region known as the crete. Much of the ride was along a tiny road that wasn’t on any maps, but was beautifully paved and rolling through views we will never forget. Along the way, we stopped to visit an eccentric sculptor who invited us into his castle for a private tour of his art collection. After arriving at Asciano, some of us continued with an optional ride to Monte Oliveto monastery and some took a shuttle there in the van. This side-trip was well worth it as we took a private tour of the famous fresco cycles that were painted by Signorelli and Sonoma in the 15th and 16th centuries. Back in Asciano we checked into the family-run Hotel Le Pace, and later enjoyed dinner at a restaurant in town that had recently opened.

On Day 5, some of the group was interested in the museums in Asciano and the rest of us left early towards Pienza. Robbin had made plans for us all to meet up at a spot just past the
village of Castlemuzio, where a sumptuous surprise picnic was waiting and we lazed away part of the day there.

An afternoon stop included a visit to another monastery - where the English Patient was filmed. In Pienza, we checked into the luxurious Hotel Il Chiostro, with lovely views over the countryside. We were on our own for dinner and followed recommendations from the Travelogue we’d received on arrival in Tuscany. A satisfying end to another dream day in Italy…

Day 6 already?! For our final day of riding our route began on a winding road to Montepulciano, where we were led to an enoteca for olive oil, cheese and wine tasting. After a visit to a local museum we continued on to what was probably our favourite ride of the week, the corkscrew descent to Monticchiello and the incomparable restaurant of Le Porta, where Robbin had reserved us a table on the terrace overlooking a fine slice of Tuscany. Although we could have sat here all afternoon, we knew the last hill climb to Pienza would take some energy so we set off, well-rested and fuelled for the trip. We arrived back early enough to do some shopping, and enjoyed a final dinner in the Il Chiostro dining room.

Reflecting back on this adventure, I can honestly say it was a trip of a lifetime, for the entire group. We’re hooked on ‘active vacations’ and will be back for more… "

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Tandem Touring in Tuscany

Rob O. sent these beautiful photos taken during a 2008 tandem touring trip in Tuscany. The trip was organized by PennyWise Cycle Tours (http://www.pennywisecycle.com/) which specializes in tandem bicycle tours.

The two week tour took riders to Castellina, San Sano, Monteriggione, Colle di Val dElsa, San Gimignano, Volterra, Casole dElsa, Murlo, Castello Bibbiano, Abbazia di Monte Oliveto, Montalcino, Pienza-Piccolomini, Montepulciano, Cortona, Lucignano, Asciano, Arbia, San Leonino, and Sienna.

Photos: Rob O. completing his assembly of his S&S coupled tandem, what 20 tandems look like, images from the trip, S&S tandems packed (2 cases=1 tandem) for the return trip home

p.s. An S and S Coupling™ is a precision lug that is installed in a bicycle frame which allows it to be separated in two parts for easy transportation. A new frame can be built with the lugs, or frame can be retro-fitted. The manufacturer of S&S couplers has an excellent website: http://www.sandsmachine.com/

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

"The Amazing Ride" in Val d’Orcia, Tuscany

This following guest article is written by Marco Vignoli, owner of I Bike Tuscany, http://www.ibiketuscany.com/, a cycling tour company specializing in the Tuscany region and single day bicycle trips for visitors to Florence.

"My favourite ride is a ride in the Val d’Orcia, in the southern part of Tuscany. For all that I have cycled all over Italy and in other countries, I am so fond of this ride that I can think to call it nothing other than, simply, “The Amazing Ride.”

There’s something about the combination of gentle dirt roads profuse with wildflowers and striking vistas over deep, farmed valleys that cannot disappoint. In the spring, the scent of yellow ginestra strongly perfumes the air. The olive trees and other foliage offer gentle shade as you ride; you can lose yourself in the feeling that you alone are drinking in the scented air and the pretty clusters of waving poppies by the roadside. As one cycles an arc around deepening valleys, neat fields below line up in a quilt of patches in shades of yellow and pale sage. When clouds pass they shadow the valleys, bringing sky and earth just a little bit closer together, but the sun is always warm on your back.

There’s a particular moment that I remember from a ride last spring. I was turning away from the deep valley views and crisscrossing a farm on a twisting road with a gentle ascent. To my left and right were only planted fields and to the left an ancient farm building. I could hear the breeze moving the grass beside my feet as I pedalled. It was a space to perfectly accommodate a human being held within his or her own thoughts, propelled by his or her own energy.

I hope I’ve conveyed to you the measure of this ride that is so special to me. It’s the kind of ride on which you can experience the best feeling of being alone – of being alone with your legs and your bicycle and a diverse but welcoming landscape. It encompasses much that I think of when I think of this, my home region of Tuscany – traditional farms producing great olive oil and wine, the best of local food to be enjoyed in a leisurely lunch with one’s legs sprawled out under the table in a tiny cafe, and quiet country roads traversing orchard to forest. It’s a small oasis of peace where one deeply…breathes."

Photos: by Marco Vignoli; Marco is to the left in group photo

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Montepaschi Strade Bianche, Eroica Toscana Results

Swedish rider Thomas Lövkvist of Colombia-Highroad won the 3rd edition of this 190km race on Saturday which has 57.2 km of "strade bianche" (white gravel roads) in Tuscany. Despite missing his line in a turn and going off course (see photo) Lövkvist still managed to arrive first in Piazza del Campo in Sienna. Arriving 2nd and 3rd were Fabian Wegmann and Martin Elmiger.

The strade bianche sections and lengths:

1: at km 35.0 for 13.5 km

2: at km 53.9 for 5.5km

3: at km 82.3 for 11.9km

4: at km 95.2 for 8.0km

5: at km 132.4 for 11.5km

6: at km 163.7 for 3.3km

7: at km 170.4 for 2.4km

8: at km 176.7 for 1.1km

Total length: 57.2km

Keep in mind that us mere mortals can also do this course as part of the next "L'Eroica", for amateur cyclists, on October 4, 2009. More details at the official website (also in English): http://www.eroica.it/. My understanding is that the course is also now completely marked so it is possible to do this ride on your own during a visit to Tuscany.

Photos: race photos, by Bettini, from 7 March 2009

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com