Photos taken on your cycle.

Wishbone Ash

Myself on the Stelvio Pass this morning:

Thargor

Do your tyres slip much on road conditions like that?

Wishbone Ash

Thargor wrote: »

Do your tyres slip much on road conditions like that?

If you mean when climbing - no.

I took it exceptionally easy on the descent partly because I was shivering uncontrollably and had no feeling in my frozen hands making braking difficult and partly because it's very technical and the surfaces looked very greasy.

Wishbone Ash

A few pics from the Gavia Pass this morning:

Wow you're on some adventure from the looks of it !!!!!

Wishbone Ash

Deleted User wrote: »

Wow you're on some adventure from the looks of it !!!!!

No - just a few days in Bormio courtesy of Mrs WA.

I'm back in work Saturday but I might get a chance to make another gallop up the Stelvio in better weather tomorrow morning before the flight home tomorrow evening

cjt156

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

A few pics from the Gavia Pass this morning:



]

Granny gear, yeah? Pfft; lightweight...:D


Seriously, though, looks fantastic!

neris

whats the story with that stoney grassy road? dont see that kinda stuff on the giro

Borderfox

neris wrote: »

whats the story with that stoney grassy road? dont see that kinda stuff on the giro

They are keeping that for the Junior Tour this year

Mercian Pro

A few shots from Ventoux last week:

neris

Ah here, this is becoming a bit of a "mine's bigger then yours" contest

Wishbone Ash

neris wrote: »

whats the story with that stoney grassy road? dont see that kinda stuff on the giro

It's part of the now disused section which has been by-passed by a tunnel. The tunnel is long, twisty and unlit with a 9% gradient and is very disorientating by bike. The disused section is still accessible (unofficially) by bike and by foot.

(I'm open to correction but I think it was still being used in the 1988 Giro which produced that iconic image of Andy Hampsten making a break in the snow with ice forming on his legs and Bob Roll almost dying of exposure on the descent).

See here: http://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/italy/4956-old-gavia-road.html

Eamonnator

Going off topic, but worth it, I think.
A piece here about that stage in 1988:

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/the-day-the-hardmen-cried-hampsten-and-the-gavia/

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

.....(I'm open to correction but I think it was still being used in the 1988 Giro which produced that iconic image of Andy Hampsten making a break in the snow with ice forming on his legs and Bob Roll almost dying of exposure on the descent).....

That now disused dangerous section can be seen for a bit (about 20 seconds in) on this footage of that infamous stage of the '88 Giro:

Wishbone Ash

A few pics from the Stelvio Pass yesterday morning.

I'd likely have to stop half way down to change my break pads

magicbastarder

WA only cycles up hills, never down.

aloyisious

That put's the V in the shade

Wishbone Ash

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd likely have to stop half way down to change my break pads

Brake pad wear is the least of your problems compared to red hot rims and trying to remember that (on a rental) the brakes are the opposite way round.

magicbastarder wrote: »

WA only cycles up hills, never down.

Yes, I'm a crap descender. Often when I think I'm pushing it on the switchbacks or entering the dark tunnels another cyclist will pass me as if I was standing still.

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Brake pad wear is the least of your problems compared to red hot rims and trying to remember that (on a rental) the brakes are the opposite way round.

I thought the Italians had right front breaking like us?

EDIT: Or did you hire in France?

Wishbone Ash

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought the Italians had right front breaking like us?

EDIT: Or did you hire in France?

Rented in Italy (Bormio). I've never rented a bike anywhere outside Ireland/UK which had the front brake on the right.

Just thinking now that, although I've rented in the US several times, I can't recall what way the brakes were. (It was never an issue there as most rides were flat IIRC).

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Rented in Italy (Bormio). I've never rented a bike anywhere outside Ireland/UK which had the front brake on the right.

Just thinking now that, although I've rented in the US several times, I can't recall what way the brakes were. (It was never an issue there as most rides were flat IIRC).

it's likly to do with the side of the road driven on now i think of it. As I'd front brake on the right in Australia and UK and left in the US and France.

G1032

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I thought the Italians had right front breaking like us?

EDIT: Or did you hire in France?

I've only two bikes, both bought from bricks and mortar in Ireland and both have left hand front braking. This is unusual so I gather!!

Brian?

G1032 wrote: »

I've only two bikes, both bought from bricks and mortar in Ireland and both have left hand front braking. This is unusual so I gather!!

Both of my bikes have front brake on the left. One irish in origin, one American in origin.

It only makes sense. Front shifting and front brake on the same side.

mr spuckler

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Rented in Italy (Bormio). I've never rented a bike anywhere outside Ireland/UK which had the front brake on the right.

Just thinking now that, although I've rented in the US several times, I can't recall what way the brakes were. (It was never an issue there as most rides were flat IIRC).

did you do much cycling there? I've only ever done Stelvio from the Bormio side, have in-laws living in Bormio. am hoping to go back next summer and get a few more spins in.
looks like you got a glorious day for it too, was 6 degrees at the top when I did it in August a few years ago! thankfully was still bright and clear though as had been p1ssing rain the previous day when I drove up for a recce.

Wishbone Ash

mr spuckler wrote: »

did you do much cycling there? I've only ever done Stelvio from the Bormio side, have in-laws living in Bormio. am hoping to go back next summer and get a few more spins in.
looks like you got a glorious day for it too, was 6 degrees at the top when I did it in August a few years ago! thankfully was still bright and clear though as had been p1ssing rain the previous day when I drove up for a recce.

I did the Stelvio 2.5 times and the Gavia twice (3 days cycling). The first time I went up the Stelvio the weather was awful. Icy cold rain throughout the climb and 1 degree at the summit. As I was soaked to the skin, I couldn't stay warm even on the climb. (See pics on previous page). I was shivering uncontrollably on the descent. Coldest I ever been. The tips of two of my fingers turned black that afternoon - I'm told it's a sign of onset of frostbite. The weather was dry after that so I did the Gavia twice - cold but dry. I did the Stelvio again on Friday and it was much better - still very cold at the top but no rain.

Gavia is probably more dramatic and scenic than the Stelvio but slightly lower in altitude. I was hoping to do the Mortirolo but didn't have time. Did it in the car and it looks absolutely vicious in places. It's very narrow and seems to go on forever. Plenty of cyclists doing the walk of shame on it.

gmacww

Deleted User wrote: »

it's likly to do with the side of the road driven on now i think of it. As I'd front brake on the right in Australia and UK and left in the US and France.

A cycling historian (yes they exist) told me at a cycling event that it goes back to years gone by when hand signals were always supposed to be done with the outside hand. So that meaning your inside hand was on the left in the UK and Ireland but obviously on the right in Europe. Hence why the back brake is historically that way. It's more and more common now though that bikes come with a "euro" setup. I flipped both my bikes to euro quite some time ago for the very reason of rental when abroad.

Mercian Pro

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

A few pics from the Stelvio Pass yesterday morning.

Amazing photos and cycling WA. That first one looks like it's been tilted somehow.

Bet you're really sorry you missed the drizzle on the Club 2 Counties Challenge though 😉

Wishbone Ash

Mercian Pro wrote: »

....Bet you're really sorry you missed the drizzle on the Club 2 Counties Challenge though 😉

Couldn't get the day off work!

magicbastarder

nothing as spectacular as the above, just a nice evening for a spin to howth.