Day off waiting for a bike shop to open

Bassano del Grappa old town

So a day off today. Didn't intend it but ended up being a nice day looking around an old city.

To the flat lands!

Cruising around Bassano del Grappa

From sharp, rugged peaks to lush green flat (ish) lands gret day! I heard Italian cyclists singing to themselves, have a new best climb, and couldn't find accommodation again. Was still a great day even if the end was a bit frustrating.

Some more Giro classic passes

Well a bit of an easier day, but still three of the Giro classic passes done and am still taken by the scenery. These passes have been around since climbs started in the Giro, unlike ones like Zoncolon which are relatively new to the scene. Today, I also got mistaken for being Italian, Rose developed a knocking sound, and I had to drown myself in a fountain in a town square as I was so hot.

3 Passes 1 Day

Top of Passo Giau

Another great day of sunshine and hills in the Dolomites. Three passes done, all over 2,000m, and 3,000m in total ascended again for the third day on the trot. It seems I never left the ski fields though, or the overbearing rocky peaks, but am positive I saw Alberto Contador so that was a little different.

Big sky riding in the Dolomites

Big mountains and a Rifugio

Wow, another big climbing day for me today but I saw up close and personal the Dolomites, which are very much worth going out of your way for if you like that sort of thing.

Monte Zoncolan, Monte Crostis double.

Zoncolan and Crostis done. At the top of Moonte Crostis (the road anyway) just under 2,000m up

What a day! Two big climbs done in a mixture of rain, mist, wind and sun. Monte Zoncolan lived up to its hype and was a constant 12%+ gradient, but Monte Crostis was a little wolf in sheep's clothes. Still, they were both worth the ride, even with the not so perfect weather.

Maintenance Day

Looking busy...

Day off the bike today here in Villa Santina. Don't know if it was needed but just trying to be prudent as I don't want to spoil this ride with an injury, or overdoing it early on. It did give me some time to plan the route ahead though, do some bits and pieces to the bike (still can't find that squeak in my pedals), and have a little lie down in the afternoon which is always nice.

Finding Italy

Well first time in this country, and it is overdue. Today was a bit different in that my purpose was to relocate near Mont Zoncolan and Crostis which involved some uphills, some downhills, some proper pasta for the first time,  and a lot of trouble finding accommodation which meant going further away and farther down hill than I wanted. But still, there were some great moments of course and an all round superb day again.

Grossglockner Hochalpinstrasse

Looking down on on the road up to the top of the Grossglockner Pass

What a day! Skirting up a valley through small towns, seeing the World Champs for Grass Skiing, watching Austrians go about their business on a sunny Saturday, finally seeing other people wearing helmets, climbing to over 2,500m and being surrounded by behemoth mountains where ever the eye looks. Unforgettable!

Kitzbuheler Horn....done!

The view from the top of Ketzbuheler Horn

Boom, one down! Certainly didn't start out easy on this trip going from New Zealand straight into a Category 1 climb off the bat, but may as well jump in the deep end and see what happens...and I did it! So happy.

And we are underway....

Man, what an awesome day! Today was all about heading south and into the Alps, but it was awesome to actually finally to get going.

Rose fashionably late as always

Yusssss, she has arrived! It took all day but Rose has arrived. Am so happy, there was a point mid afternoon where I started to think of worse case scenario and at what point I would just go out and buy everything new and just get going. Luckily it didn't come to that though! 

Something's missing

Easing into holiday mode in a Beer Garden in Erding

Wie gehts? So after a great start to the trip and two good 12 hour flights I arrived into Munich this afternoon. Unfortunately, Rose did not. Delays in getting into LA meant there was not enough time to go through customs, retrieve luggage, recheck luggage, go through customs again and have Rose make it to the plane's hold. It was a close call for me too - you know you are cutting it fine when you start to hear your name being called on the loud speaker. Oh well, what can you do?

It's business time!

Today is the day! Everything all packed into the cardboard bike box nice and snuggly with copious amounts of bubble wrap and the whole thing weighed in at a measly 11kgs - awesome. Flew through check-in with no additional fees for the oversize box, so that was a weight off my shoulders too (many thanks Air NZ). So now it is waiting to board, and fingers crossed the two hour connection in LA is long enough to recheck my bike box in time for my connecting flight to Munich.

It's getting real!

A little bit of New Zealand travelling with me

One day before I go, things are getting real! Today was a relaxing day of spending time with Holly, saying goodbye to people, and creating some sunny Auckland memories.

Apparently all you need for two months away cycling?

Only two days to go! "Finalised" the kit I am taking now....finalised is in quotation marks as to be honest there are still things I am questioning that are not in there but could be, and things that made the cut but shouldn't have. There is more about what I am taking on The Rig page. 

Successful test run with Rose fully laden this morning.

The last run up to One Tree Hill - taken from the Garmin Virb camera

Only three days to go before I am off. Went out for a little test run this morning with all my bags on fully loaded just to see how Rose ran with them on. I guess have left it a little late to do that but I was confident she would be all over it, and she was. 

You spin me right round...

Tightening up the cassette - to exactly 40NM as manufacturers specifications of course

Only four more days until I leave now! Changed out the rear cassette on Rose today to make sure I can still spin my way up the mountains of France and Italy, particularly as they will be mah-hussive compared to what I am used to and I will be carrying an additional 7ish kgs with me. Took off the 12-25 cassette that came with Rose and replaced it with the 11-32 cassette from Candy - thanks for the loan Candy! That should do the trick when coupled with the compact crankset up front.

Hmmm, what to take?

With only five days to go before I fly out today has been spent getting a few last minute preparations all done, most importantly the final selection on what I am actually going to take with me on the bike. Although I had a list, it is different placing it all out in front of you and seeing it in the flesh - part of you thinks that it doesn't seem much and I need more, the other thinks that it looks like too much it won't all fit on the bike!