When I need to design a bike route in an area I've never been before, there are several things I do. First, I Google the larger towns/cities at the beginning/end and attach the words cycling route I.e. "Bologna to Ferrara cycling route". Sometimes this search will pull up a tour day that someone has already done and entered into some sort of online journal. I also check the sites Ride with GPS and Map My Ride. If I am still coming up empty, I will get on Google Maps or Microsoft MapPoint and design a route. I try to stay on secondary or frontage roads (less traffic) and follow waterways like creeks and rivers, or railroad routes (reasonable grades). I have a Garmin 705 and Patty has a Garmin 800. Both of us bought the City Navigator micro sd card which inludes detailed maps of Italy and Greece. I would be the first person to tell you that I don't utilize my Garmin to its full capabilities, but I will be creating and downloading any routes I think we might use. The other day I plugged the sd card into the slot and downloaded the route from Bologna to Ferrara...when my Garmin asked me "Where to?" and I responded with a click on the above route, it told me I was a little more than 5600 miles to the start...fortunately a plane ride will take care of a big chunk of that.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Links to Other Adventures
www.50centuriesin50statesin50days.blogspot.com
www.walkingwithwired.com
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=645&v=ZQ
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
A Pile of "Memos to Self"
Patty and I have a handful of accommodation reservations to make and a
lot of routing to do before we leave in 12 days, but we'll get it all
done...about an hour before we head to the airport.
We are flying into Rome and will be staying with a Warm Showers host before moving to other quarters. Warm Showers is a world-wide organization that hosts bicycle tourers. I have stayed with a couple dozen Warm Showers hosts over the years and found them to be wonderful, adventurous people, full of good information and great traveling stories. Who better to know where the nearest bike shop is, the best route out to the Etruscan Ruins, the best gelato?
I have a couple of days left to substitute in the school district where I work. I have been teaching a lot more than riding. It has been great for the gelato fund, but not so good for my fitness level. This past weekend, I went with a group of about 30 other cyclists up the Columbia River Gorge. We rode between 50 and 60 miles per day, climbing around 3000' each day, in sunshine and good company. And I.feel.great.
We'll be packing the bikes in large plastic bags and leaving one pannier on the bike and keeping one pannier as a carry on. It looks like it will be about 25 pounds...no camping gear as we are mostly using air b&bs. Let the savoring begin.
We are flying into Rome and will be staying with a Warm Showers host before moving to other quarters. Warm Showers is a world-wide organization that hosts bicycle tourers. I have stayed with a couple dozen Warm Showers hosts over the years and found them to be wonderful, adventurous people, full of good information and great traveling stories. Who better to know where the nearest bike shop is, the best route out to the Etruscan Ruins, the best gelato?
I have a couple of days left to substitute in the school district where I work. I have been teaching a lot more than riding. It has been great for the gelato fund, but not so good for my fitness level. This past weekend, I went with a group of about 30 other cyclists up the Columbia River Gorge. We rode between 50 and 60 miles per day, climbing around 3000' each day, in sunshine and good company. And I.feel.great.
We'll be packing the bikes in large plastic bags and leaving one pannier on the bike and keeping one pannier as a carry on. It looks like it will be about 25 pounds...no camping gear as we are mostly using air b&bs. Let the savoring begin.
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