On day 15, I rode 21 miles from Sant'Andrea Bagni to Salsomaggiore Terme. It was the first time I didn't need to ask directions on a ride! I spent day 16 exploring Salsomaggiore, which is a beautiful spa town about 70 miles southeast of Milan. It was my second time in the town but the first time I really got to spend time there (the first time I visited two years ago it was for a pass-through/overnight). Salsomaggiore really is one of the prettier towns I've seen here in Italy. It's surrounded by incredible natural beauty. However, Salsomaggiore is a pretty heavy tourist town and it highlights one of the pitfalls of Italy (and everywhere else for that matter). If you are a tourist in a touristy town, they won't treat you very warmly. There were times I didn't feel all that comfortable in Salsomaggiore -- not from a safety standpoint -- just in terms of feeling like an outsider.
Today, on Day 17, I had a pretty unique experience. I was scheduled to ride from Salsomaggiore to Milan, which is about 70 miles. When I arrived in the town of Vicenza, which is roughly 40 miles from Milan, I noticed that the bridge which crosses a big river was closed. After speaking with a few people I figured out there's only one other bridge nearby but it's on a superhighway and not be ridden by bike. I was told by a local that I needed to take the train. I went to the ticket office at the station and explained that I needed to bring my bike on the train to Milan. Luckily, a train left in about an hour.
When I arrived at the platform, I noticed a big collection of bikes with touring packs. I started speaking with the people who were riding the bikes. Turns out there was a big cycling convention/trip a few miles from the train station. The people spoke very little English but we were able to communicate well. I told them I needed to get to Linate airport and in typical Italian style they went above and beyond in helping me. One guy got out his iphone and showed me the route from the train station in Milan. Another person said they would get off at the stop with me and take me halfway to the airport. He pointed me in the right direction and I got there no problem. I never expected to take the train while I was here but it was a cool experience to chat with these people in Italian and to have them help me so much.
When I arrived at the airport, I was relieved to get my bike packed away (I left it at the airport and will pick it up just before me flight). The trip was an incredible experience overall but riding alone definitely takes its toll mentally dealing with trucks and cars whizzing past you all day. For the next two days, I'm just a plain vanilla tourist in Milan. I'm flying home on Tuesday. I'll post a recap of the trip in a few days.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Day 14: Montecchio Emilia to Sant'Andrea Bagni (37 miles)
Today's ride was relatively short but not so easy. It was the first time I did some climbing (probably about 1k feet -- nothing too killer but enough to get the blood pumping, especially in the heat). Also, whereas yesterday's ride had one turn in 50 miles, today's had like 30 turns in about 35 miles. Needless to say, I was asking for a lot of help from locals.
Yesterday's experience with the computer guys (who didn't ask me for money after spending 15 mins fixing my laptop) got me thinking about the Italian economy. I mean, the amount of economic activity here pales in comparison to the U.S. People just kind of hang around all day. It's not like they are lazy, they just don't obsess with constantly being busy. Sure, once in a while someone will buy something or require services, but commerce just seems to be so matter of fact here. It makes you wonder how their economy can sustain itself. Italy faces demographic issues even worse than the U.S. I believe (in terms of an aging population) so they have even more headwinds for growth. When you combine this reality with a more relaxed attitude (living life to the fullest and in the moment), I guess it sheds more light on the economy here. In reality, I think Italians are blessed with fertile land and they basically live off the benefits of it.
I'm only in Sant'Andrea for one day. Nice little town in the foothills of the mountains. Tomorrow I'm headed to Salsomaggiore where I spend two days before heading back to Milan on Sunday and then I fly home on Tuesday. It's been a great trip but I'm definitely looking forward to being home soon.
Yesterday's experience with the computer guys (who didn't ask me for money after spending 15 mins fixing my laptop) got me thinking about the Italian economy. I mean, the amount of economic activity here pales in comparison to the U.S. People just kind of hang around all day. It's not like they are lazy, they just don't obsess with constantly being busy. Sure, once in a while someone will buy something or require services, but commerce just seems to be so matter of fact here. It makes you wonder how their economy can sustain itself. Italy faces demographic issues even worse than the U.S. I believe (in terms of an aging population) so they have even more headwinds for growth. When you combine this reality with a more relaxed attitude (living life to the fullest and in the moment), I guess it sheds more light on the economy here. In reality, I think Italians are blessed with fertile land and they basically live off the benefits of it.
I'm only in Sant'Andrea for one day. Nice little town in the foothills of the mountains. Tomorrow I'm headed to Salsomaggiore where I spend two days before heading back to Milan on Sunday and then I fly home on Tuesday. It's been a great trip but I'm definitely looking forward to being home soon.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Day 13: Bologna to Montecchio Emilia (53 miles)
Today's ride was a walk in the park compared with the last two. The conditions were perfect. It was about 75-80 degrees and there was no wind. Just to highlight how much of a difference heat can make on a ride, today I drank ONE waterbottle in roughly 50 miles. Whereas I estimate I drank 15-20 in the 75 mile ride I did in the blazing heat a few days back.
While today's ride was relatively easy physically, I did have one issue with the route. It was almost too easy. I only needed to make one turn. But I forgot if the turn was before or after the city of Reggio. So I decided to stop in a relatively high-end bike shop I saw before Reggio. When I entered the store, there were five guys working on the bikes etc...When I walked in they all just stared at me. First I asked them if they spoke English. They all laughed. Then I told them I spoke a little Italian and asked them "quale la strada justa per Montecchio Emilia?" which translates to "where is the road to Montecchio Emilia". What ensued was classic Italian comedy. These guys argued for like 10 minutes back and forth as to which was the best way to Montecchio Emilia. Mind you, this place was only like 10 miles away. Yet each guy had a different opinion. And then each guy changed their mind on their opinion. Finally one guy steps in and tells me how to go. Just as he's finishing and I'm confirming back the directions another guy steps in and says "NO NO NO -- this is the right way". He overrides the other guy with new directions. Again, the town I was going was like 10 miles away and these guys were arguing which left turn I should make. One guy wanted me to turn like a 1/4 mile earlier than the other guy did. Yet they were arguing about it like it was an opinion about the existence of god. The best part is both roads led to exactly tht same spot. Italians are so funny when it comes to giving directions.
In Chioggia, the hotel owner had to change some network settings on my computer in order for me to gain access to their network. My computer worked okay in Ravenna but I had problems using the wifi connection in Bologna. When I arrived at my hotel today, I had the same problem. So I suspected my settings needed to be reset. But I didn't know how to fix it. Fortunately, there was a computer repair store next to the hotel here in Montecchio Emilia. Unfortunately, they didn't speak much English. This was going to put my Italian to the test. I brought my dictionary with me. I explained to them I only spoke a little Italian. I tried to explain my problem. They said they understood perfectly. They came back to the hotel with me to test things out and they fixed the problem. They were pretty good computer technicians because I didn't even explain to them that it was probably an issue with the settings (this would be way too sophisticated/nuanced for me to say in Italian). They narrowed down the problem themselves. When I asked them how much I owed them, they smiled, waved their hands, smacked me on the back and told me it was their pleasure. Italians are so mint.
I'm only in this town one night. It's just a pass through town to another destination. But I think it's like the Parmesian Reggiano capital of the world. When I entered the town there was traffic circle with a huge statue of a chunk of cheese and 10 foot cheese knife. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight so I can check out some of the cheese. Here's some pics of the cheese and knife:
While today's ride was relatively easy physically, I did have one issue with the route. It was almost too easy. I only needed to make one turn. But I forgot if the turn was before or after the city of Reggio. So I decided to stop in a relatively high-end bike shop I saw before Reggio. When I entered the store, there were five guys working on the bikes etc...When I walked in they all just stared at me. First I asked them if they spoke English. They all laughed. Then I told them I spoke a little Italian and asked them "quale la strada justa per Montecchio Emilia?" which translates to "where is the road to Montecchio Emilia". What ensued was classic Italian comedy. These guys argued for like 10 minutes back and forth as to which was the best way to Montecchio Emilia. Mind you, this place was only like 10 miles away. Yet each guy had a different opinion. And then each guy changed their mind on their opinion. Finally one guy steps in and tells me how to go. Just as he's finishing and I'm confirming back the directions another guy steps in and says "NO NO NO -- this is the right way". He overrides the other guy with new directions. Again, the town I was going was like 10 miles away and these guys were arguing which left turn I should make. One guy wanted me to turn like a 1/4 mile earlier than the other guy did. Yet they were arguing about it like it was an opinion about the existence of god. The best part is both roads led to exactly tht same spot. Italians are so funny when it comes to giving directions.
In Chioggia, the hotel owner had to change some network settings on my computer in order for me to gain access to their network. My computer worked okay in Ravenna but I had problems using the wifi connection in Bologna. When I arrived at my hotel today, I had the same problem. So I suspected my settings needed to be reset. But I didn't know how to fix it. Fortunately, there was a computer repair store next to the hotel here in Montecchio Emilia. Unfortunately, they didn't speak much English. This was going to put my Italian to the test. I brought my dictionary with me. I explained to them I only spoke a little Italian. I tried to explain my problem. They said they understood perfectly. They came back to the hotel with me to test things out and they fixed the problem. They were pretty good computer technicians because I didn't even explain to them that it was probably an issue with the settings (this would be way too sophisticated/nuanced for me to say in Italian). They narrowed down the problem themselves. When I asked them how much I owed them, they smiled, waved their hands, smacked me on the back and told me it was their pleasure. Italians are so mint.
I'm only in this town one night. It's just a pass through town to another destination. But I think it's like the Parmesian Reggiano capital of the world. When I entered the town there was traffic circle with a huge statue of a chunk of cheese and 10 foot cheese knife. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight so I can check out some of the cheese. Here's some pics of the cheese and knife:
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day 12: No Bologna
Bologna was one of my favorite cities the first time I visited Italy. This time, not so much. The seed was planted when I was chatting with a woman in Ravenna who said to me "Bologna is an armpit of a city". Strong words!
While I still like Bologna overall, I see her point. The city is filthy in some areas but there are some very nice areas as well. It does have a great energy though, which is what drew me to it in the first place. It has an incredible art museum called Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna with some impressive religious paintings. There also aren't that many tourists here, which makes it appealing. One of the things that put me off on Florence two years ago was the amount of tourists there (said the tourist).
I'm staying at a great hotel here, the people are very friendly. I told the women at the front desk the coca cola story and they said it's just as cheap as in the U.S. at the supermarket. I just saw a "supermarket" (it's more like a big bodega) and they're right. Also, bottled water is absurdly cheap. I got two 1.5 litre bottles for 58 cent Euro. They usually cost like €2-€3 each in Tobacco shops and cafes! In retrospect I could have done a better job on saving money this trip. I still have some time left so I can put some of the things I've learned to good use. I don't want to frontrun my final summary post of "lessons learned on the trip" so I'll just stop right here.
While I still like Bologna overall, I see her point. The city is filthy in some areas but there are some very nice areas as well. It does have a great energy though, which is what drew me to it in the first place. It has an incredible art museum called Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna with some impressive religious paintings. There also aren't that many tourists here, which makes it appealing. One of the things that put me off on Florence two years ago was the amount of tourists there (said the tourist).
I'm staying at a great hotel here, the people are very friendly. I told the women at the front desk the coca cola story and they said it's just as cheap as in the U.S. at the supermarket. I just saw a "supermarket" (it's more like a big bodega) and they're right. Also, bottled water is absurdly cheap. I got two 1.5 litre bottles for 58 cent Euro. They usually cost like €2-€3 each in Tobacco shops and cafes! In retrospect I could have done a better job on saving money this trip. I still have some time left so I can put some of the things I've learned to good use. I don't want to frontrun my final summary post of "lessons learned on the trip" so I'll just stop right here.
Day 11: Ravenna to Bologna (48 miles)
Man, is it getting hot. I think it hit 95 degrees today. Riding in the heat is a bear. I left early in order to avoid the hottest part of the day but even at 9am the air is roasting.
I stopped in a little town called Massa Lombarda for a drink on the way to Bologna. The people were so friendly there. I had a five minute conversation with a woman in Italian. She was asking about my journey, etc... and I was able to hold my own.
I think I'm starting to take the next step in my knowledge of Italian. I'm beginning to understand the structure of the language and can construct sentences and phrases on my own. But just like in life, if you get too confident with your language skills you are bound to get knocked down a peg quickly. So I'm taking things slow and staying humble.
When I was in Ravenna I ran into two guys from Austria who were touring Italy. I told them how much I paid for a room (€50) and they laughed at me. They stop in random small towns along their route and pay like €15 a night each. If my Italian improves enough, on my next trip I may just wing it on hotels and use the same strategy. If you can avoid staying and eating in the big cities you can probably cut your trip costs in half or even up to 75%.
I stopped in a little town called Massa Lombarda for a drink on the way to Bologna. The people were so friendly there. I had a five minute conversation with a woman in Italian. She was asking about my journey, etc... and I was able to hold my own.
I think I'm starting to take the next step in my knowledge of Italian. I'm beginning to understand the structure of the language and can construct sentences and phrases on my own. But just like in life, if you get too confident with your language skills you are bound to get knocked down a peg quickly. So I'm taking things slow and staying humble.
When I was in Ravenna I ran into two guys from Austria who were touring Italy. I told them how much I paid for a room (€50) and they laughed at me. They stop in random small towns along their route and pay like €15 a night each. If my Italian improves enough, on my next trip I may just wing it on hotels and use the same strategy. If you can avoid staying and eating in the big cities you can probably cut your trip costs in half or even up to 75%.
Day 10: Ravenna Rocks
I'm in love with the town of Ravenna. It's not a town that you really hear all that much about. It's kind of an under the radar sea-side town to the south of Venice and east of Bologna. And truth be told, there's really not that much to say about it. It's famous for its murals and definitely has some historical significance. But it's not necessarily a place you would target if you went to Italy.
Yet there's just something about it. It has a great vibe. It's the perfect size -not too big, but just big enough. The people are friendly, happy and welcoming. The food is very good and cheap. And there are some beautiful and tranquil hidden areas if you take the time to look.
But I may not be alone in my admiration for Ravenna. The travel guide I have says that most people go to Ravenna just to see its murals but realize it's a pleasing medely of shops, restaurants and piazzas. Additionally, when I arrived in Bologna (yes I know I'm jumping ahead a bit), a tourist was asking a local what his favorite city in all of Northern Italy was - he answered "Ravenna!".
Let's keep Ravenna our little secret though, okay?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenna
Yet there's just something about it. It has a great vibe. It's the perfect size -not too big, but just big enough. The people are friendly, happy and welcoming. The food is very good and cheap. And there are some beautiful and tranquil hidden areas if you take the time to look.
But I may not be alone in my admiration for Ravenna. The travel guide I have says that most people go to Ravenna just to see its murals but realize it's a pleasing medely of shops, restaurants and piazzas. Additionally, when I arrived in Bologna (yes I know I'm jumping ahead a bit), a tourist was asking a local what his favorite city in all of Northern Italy was - he answered "Ravenna!".
Let's keep Ravenna our little secret though, okay?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenna
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Days 6, 7, 8 and 9
Hello. I'm sorry I've been away so long. I'm taking an online math teaching course and needed to dedicate most of my time to it. Here's a recap of the past few days.
Day 6: Pinarello for a Day
Treviso is the headquarters of famed bicycle company Pinarello. It's a small and surprisingly not well known brand in Italy - but in the United States people love Pinarello's high end status and beautiful style/craftmanship.
I started the day by visiting the company's retail store, which is located in the middle of the city.
I was fortunate enough to meet Giovanni Pinarello, who started the company building bicycles in the late 1940s at the age of 15. Giovanni is a very nice but definitely old man who doesn't speak much English and keeps repeating the same stories about his cycling career in Italian.
I spoke with one of the Pinarello daughters about getting a tour of their factory. Luckily they were able to give me a quick view of things. Normally they require advanced notice but I explained I send an e-mail but never heard back. The factory is very impressive.
The carbon frames are made in Asia (mainly because they don't have access to high end carbon fiber here) and the painting and assembly are both done by hand in Italy.
I met Fausto Pinarello (current President of the company) and Miguel Indurain's head mechanic (who still works at Pinarello) and got a good shot of them working on a bike.
Day 7: Treviso to Chioggia (51 miles)
Today was a relatively easy 51 miles. Once again I did a lot of pre-work on the route and it paid off big time. I discovered one of my favorite cycling roads in Italy, via Brenta. It sprouted off SP53 near Corte along the river and was like 10 miles of cycling heaven:
I pulled off the road to grab a drink in Rosara, a small town, and the townspeople were shocked to see an American. One guy said I was the first American he ever met and he wanted to name the main street "via Jeff" in honor of my visit. He didn't speak any English but said his daughter did so he brought me to his house to have a chat with her. It was all a pretty cool experience.
As I was entering Chioggia, I noticed I had no choice but to take a pretty big highway into the town because it's basically surrounded by water and there's only one way in. I was sitting at the entrance to the highway ramp stressing about having to ride on it and looking around to see if there was another way. Just as I was about to bailout and head back to find an alternate route, an Austrian man and woman both riding hybrid bikes with no helmets cruised past me onto the highway. I felt like a wuss. I followed them onto the highway with my tail in between my legs.
Day 8: Making Friends in Chioggia
I had a great day off in Chioggia. It's a beautiful town right on the Adriatic Sea, just south of Venice. It's much less touristy and just a short boat ride to Venice if you want to visit for the day.
I needed to sit in the hotel lobby in order to access the internet connection for my online class. It was a blessing in disguise as I made friends with the hotel owner, Fausto. He put me in touch with two friends, Beppe and Paolo, to show me around town. We went to some "locals only" restaurants and bars. One of the guys, Beppe, was a local math teacher -- pretty funny stuff. I exchanged e-mails so hopefully we'll keep in touch. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture with them.
Day 9: Chioggia to Ravenna (75 miles)
Today was a surprisingly difficult ride. While there was a highway that went directly to Ravenna and would take about 60 miles, I decided I wanted to go by smaller roads to avoid traffic. While i found some absolutely gorgeous cycling roads, it may have not been the best decision in retrospect.
Here's why. Today I ran into heat and headwinds, two of the three H's that are a cyclist's worst nightmare (the other being hills). The roads I took were through farmland so there were no trees to block the sun and wind. On the previous 75 mile ride I did, I probably drank a total of 4 or 5 total water bottles. On this ride I think I drank 15-20 water bottles. I was going through water like it was water. Miles 50-60 were a huge struggle. The temperature was over 90 degrees, the wind was blowing fierce and the sun was beating down on me. I could barely crack 12 mph. For the last 15 miles I no choice but to take the bigger highway into Ravenna. When I arrived there I realized I probably should have taken it the whole way. Why, you ask? Because there were TREES on it. The trees block the wind and sun. It felt 20 degrees cooler and I could ride like 17 mph. The scenery on the smaller roads was so beautiful, it might have been worth the effort:
Plus, I found a great little market in the town of Mezzogoro and bought some fantastic meats and cheeses for lunch. I can't even put into words how good the grapes were!
Day 6: Pinarello for a Day
Treviso is the headquarters of famed bicycle company Pinarello. It's a small and surprisingly not well known brand in Italy - but in the United States people love Pinarello's high end status and beautiful style/craftmanship.
I started the day by visiting the company's retail store, which is located in the middle of the city.
I was fortunate enough to meet Giovanni Pinarello, who started the company building bicycles in the late 1940s at the age of 15. Giovanni is a very nice but definitely old man who doesn't speak much English and keeps repeating the same stories about his cycling career in Italian.
I spoke with one of the Pinarello daughters about getting a tour of their factory. Luckily they were able to give me a quick view of things. Normally they require advanced notice but I explained I send an e-mail but never heard back. The factory is very impressive.
The carbon frames are made in Asia (mainly because they don't have access to high end carbon fiber here) and the painting and assembly are both done by hand in Italy.
I met Fausto Pinarello (current President of the company) and Miguel Indurain's head mechanic (who still works at Pinarello) and got a good shot of them working on a bike.
Day 7: Treviso to Chioggia (51 miles)
Today was a relatively easy 51 miles. Once again I did a lot of pre-work on the route and it paid off big time. I discovered one of my favorite cycling roads in Italy, via Brenta. It sprouted off SP53 near Corte along the river and was like 10 miles of cycling heaven:
I pulled off the road to grab a drink in Rosara, a small town, and the townspeople were shocked to see an American. One guy said I was the first American he ever met and he wanted to name the main street "via Jeff" in honor of my visit. He didn't speak any English but said his daughter did so he brought me to his house to have a chat with her. It was all a pretty cool experience.
As I was entering Chioggia, I noticed I had no choice but to take a pretty big highway into the town because it's basically surrounded by water and there's only one way in. I was sitting at the entrance to the highway ramp stressing about having to ride on it and looking around to see if there was another way. Just as I was about to bailout and head back to find an alternate route, an Austrian man and woman both riding hybrid bikes with no helmets cruised past me onto the highway. I felt like a wuss. I followed them onto the highway with my tail in between my legs.
Day 8: Making Friends in Chioggia
I had a great day off in Chioggia. It's a beautiful town right on the Adriatic Sea, just south of Venice. It's much less touristy and just a short boat ride to Venice if you want to visit for the day.
I needed to sit in the hotel lobby in order to access the internet connection for my online class. It was a blessing in disguise as I made friends with the hotel owner, Fausto. He put me in touch with two friends, Beppe and Paolo, to show me around town. We went to some "locals only" restaurants and bars. One of the guys, Beppe, was a local math teacher -- pretty funny stuff. I exchanged e-mails so hopefully we'll keep in touch. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture with them.
Day 9: Chioggia to Ravenna (75 miles)
Today was a surprisingly difficult ride. While there was a highway that went directly to Ravenna and would take about 60 miles, I decided I wanted to go by smaller roads to avoid traffic. While i found some absolutely gorgeous cycling roads, it may have not been the best decision in retrospect.
Here's why. Today I ran into heat and headwinds, two of the three H's that are a cyclist's worst nightmare (the other being hills). The roads I took were through farmland so there were no trees to block the sun and wind. On the previous 75 mile ride I did, I probably drank a total of 4 or 5 total water bottles. On this ride I think I drank 15-20 water bottles. I was going through water like it was water. Miles 50-60 were a huge struggle. The temperature was over 90 degrees, the wind was blowing fierce and the sun was beating down on me. I could barely crack 12 mph. For the last 15 miles I no choice but to take the bigger highway into Ravenna. When I arrived there I realized I probably should have taken it the whole way. Why, you ask? Because there were TREES on it. The trees block the wind and sun. It felt 20 degrees cooler and I could ride like 17 mph. The scenery on the smaller roads was so beautiful, it might have been worth the effort:
Plus, I found a great little market in the town of Mezzogoro and bought some fantastic meats and cheeses for lunch. I can't even put into words how good the grapes were!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Day 5: Verona to Treviso (87 miles)
Today was a long riding day that reinforced a lot of touring/cycling rules.
I wasn't expecting the ride to be 87 miles but I needed to make some detours in order to find strade secondaria per Treviso (secondary roads to Treviso). This is my first rule of touring. The smaller the road, the better. Unfortunately, I didn't do so well following this rule today. I ended up on the autostrada or something similar I believe. When this happens you definitely get a contact high and start ripping it on your bike (exceeding 20mph) but it's a treacherous game because cars and trucks are passing you at likely 60-70mph. All we cyclists need really is a shoulder to cry on (pardon the double meaning) but still it's very stressful to be on those types of roads. When a guy in a truck screamed at me something to the effect of "mafabafaguoloio"...I realized it's a road I shouldn't be on. The challenge in touring is finding the small roads because maps just don't show them. And Italians, god bless them, they know about as much direction as they can see in front of themselves.
Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to ride through the center of each town because it will then put you on the smaller roads to the next town, and so on. The problem is you get sucked into the ease of the bigger roads, which have less traffic circles and chances of getting lost.
The second rule that was reinforced this ride is what I like to call the "law of twenties". Each 20 mile increment in cycling becomes progressively more difficult. For example: 20-40 miles is pretty easy; 40-60 miles becomes challenging; 60-80 starts to put definite pressure on your muscles and limbs; and 80-100 miles it feels like body parts are going to start to fall off. Combine the physical feeling of being on mile 80 with the mental feeling of being lost and rain falling from the sky and you can imagine how I felt toward the end of the ride. Luckily, the rain stopped and I found my way pretty quickly. Things can change in an instant when you are on your bike (and in life).
My Italian is progressing but it's definitely two steps forward and one back. At this stage I would say that I'm pretty proficiet at asking and answering most things. However, if someone tries to break into a conversation, I'm toast. Had a pretty funny encounter today with a waitress at a restaurant. When she gave me my bill, I saw that my 0.5 litre glass of coke was €5! I just wanted to point out an interesting tidbit of how much more expensive coke is in Italy. But unfortunately, I got way ahead of myself because there's no way for me to communicate any type of tone to the conversation. At this stage, it's similar to trying to communicate tone by e-mail or IM. I practiced what I was going to say in my head. This was going to be a tall order trying to put two relatively difficult sentences together in my head. I fired away (ps, this may not be written correctly bc the study guide I'm using is listen-only so I'm not sure how to spell certain words!):
ME: Mi scuzzi (excuse me)
HER: Si (yes)
ME: Le posso dire cualcozza? (Can I tell you something)
HER: Si (yes)
ME (pointing at my check): Nelle Stati Uniti, due litre de coke solo costa un euro!
(In the United States, two litres of coke only costs one euro!)
HER (with a perturbed look): Well, siamo en Italia (Well, we are in Italy).
ZING!!! She obviously thought I was complaining. But doing my best Larry David impression, I was determined to explain to her that I only told her because it was an interesting fact. This was going to be difficult.
ME: Allora, Senora, solo digolo era tropo caro perque interesante (I only say it's expensive because it is interesting).
She smiled and said "va bene", which means "it's okay" but I have no idea if she actually understood what I was trying to say!
I wasn't expecting the ride to be 87 miles but I needed to make some detours in order to find strade secondaria per Treviso (secondary roads to Treviso). This is my first rule of touring. The smaller the road, the better. Unfortunately, I didn't do so well following this rule today. I ended up on the autostrada or something similar I believe. When this happens you definitely get a contact high and start ripping it on your bike (exceeding 20mph) but it's a treacherous game because cars and trucks are passing you at likely 60-70mph. All we cyclists need really is a shoulder to cry on (pardon the double meaning) but still it's very stressful to be on those types of roads. When a guy in a truck screamed at me something to the effect of "mafabafaguoloio"...I realized it's a road I shouldn't be on. The challenge in touring is finding the small roads because maps just don't show them. And Italians, god bless them, they know about as much direction as they can see in front of themselves.
Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to ride through the center of each town because it will then put you on the smaller roads to the next town, and so on. The problem is you get sucked into the ease of the bigger roads, which have less traffic circles and chances of getting lost.
The second rule that was reinforced this ride is what I like to call the "law of twenties". Each 20 mile increment in cycling becomes progressively more difficult. For example: 20-40 miles is pretty easy; 40-60 miles becomes challenging; 60-80 starts to put definite pressure on your muscles and limbs; and 80-100 miles it feels like body parts are going to start to fall off. Combine the physical feeling of being on mile 80 with the mental feeling of being lost and rain falling from the sky and you can imagine how I felt toward the end of the ride. Luckily, the rain stopped and I found my way pretty quickly. Things can change in an instant when you are on your bike (and in life).
My Italian is progressing but it's definitely two steps forward and one back. At this stage I would say that I'm pretty proficiet at asking and answering most things. However, if someone tries to break into a conversation, I'm toast. Had a pretty funny encounter today with a waitress at a restaurant. When she gave me my bill, I saw that my 0.5 litre glass of coke was €5! I just wanted to point out an interesting tidbit of how much more expensive coke is in Italy. But unfortunately, I got way ahead of myself because there's no way for me to communicate any type of tone to the conversation. At this stage, it's similar to trying to communicate tone by e-mail or IM. I practiced what I was going to say in my head. This was going to be a tall order trying to put two relatively difficult sentences together in my head. I fired away (ps, this may not be written correctly bc the study guide I'm using is listen-only so I'm not sure how to spell certain words!):
ME: Mi scuzzi (excuse me)
HER: Si (yes)
ME: Le posso dire cualcozza? (Can I tell you something)
HER: Si (yes)
ME (pointing at my check): Nelle Stati Uniti, due litre de coke solo costa un euro!
(In the United States, two litres of coke only costs one euro!)
HER (with a perturbed look): Well, siamo en Italia (Well, we are in Italy).
ZING!!! She obviously thought I was complaining. But doing my best Larry David impression, I was determined to explain to her that I only told her because it was an interesting fact. This was going to be difficult.
ME: Allora, Senora, solo digolo era tropo caro perque interesante (I only say it's expensive because it is interesting).
She smiled and said "va bene", which means "it's okay" but I have no idea if she actually understood what I was trying to say!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Day 4: My Verona
Spent the day checking out Verona today. It's an interesting city with impressive architecture and a very storied history. I'm a bit tired right now so here's the Wiki link if you feel like reading up on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona
I liked Verona a lot but can't say I fell in love with it. If you've ever done a search to buy an apartment or house, you know that vibe you get when you first walk in the door and say "this is it". I think it's kind of the same situation for Italian cities -- it's all about the feeling they give you when you roam the streets and interact with the people. So far my favorite cities have been Lucca, Bologna and Ravenna. I'm returning to two of them this trip so it'll be interesting to see if I still feel the same way about them.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Treviso, which is the headquarters of Pinarello -- perhaps the most revered cycling company in the world. Maybe if I have a few too many wines I'll be coming home with a new custom bicycle frame?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona
I liked Verona a lot but can't say I fell in love with it. If you've ever done a search to buy an apartment or house, you know that vibe you get when you first walk in the door and say "this is it". I think it's kind of the same situation for Italian cities -- it's all about the feeling they give you when you roam the streets and interact with the people. So far my favorite cities have been Lucca, Bologna and Ravenna. I'm returning to two of them this trip so it'll be interesting to see if I still feel the same way about them.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Treviso, which is the headquarters of Pinarello -- perhaps the most revered cycling company in the world. Maybe if I have a few too many wines I'll be coming home with a new custom bicycle frame?
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Day 3: Bergamo to Verona (75 miles)
Today was simply a classic Italian touring day - the kind of day you dream about.
Last night was probably a good omen for today. When I was at dinner, I met two guys from Spain, Josè and Salvatorè, that were in Bergamo for a shoe convention. They invited me outside for a Cuban cigar and some grappa and we chatted about life. The only downside to meeting them was they were speaking some Spanish to me (I studied Spanish in high school and college so I know it a bit). But it was confusing now to speak Spanish because it's so similar to Italian. Up until that point I was able to keep Spanish and Italian pretty much compartmentalized but unfortunately now I think the seal has been broken.
Given my experience on Friday riding from Milan to Bergamo without a map, I did a lot of work on today's route last night. I identified smaller roads to take etc...and it paid off big time. The weather was beautiful and the roads had only a few cars. As I was leaving Brescia (which was about 30 miles into my 75 mile ride), a cyclist rode up beside me and we stared chatting. He took me on a hidden bike only route to Largo di Garda. He taught me some new Italian words and we exchanged e-mails so we could learn each other's language. Riding with him was an awesome experience. Here's a picture of us right before we descended to the lake behind us:
I guess it's just human nature, but I'm sitting here laughing at the fact that I had such a great day and my post is so short. I was so excited to write about all the details but I'm just going to keep it short and sheet. Oggi era un giorno molto buono (today was a very good day).
Last night was probably a good omen for today. When I was at dinner, I met two guys from Spain, Josè and Salvatorè, that were in Bergamo for a shoe convention. They invited me outside for a Cuban cigar and some grappa and we chatted about life. The only downside to meeting them was they were speaking some Spanish to me (I studied Spanish in high school and college so I know it a bit). But it was confusing now to speak Spanish because it's so similar to Italian. Up until that point I was able to keep Spanish and Italian pretty much compartmentalized but unfortunately now I think the seal has been broken.
Given my experience on Friday riding from Milan to Bergamo without a map, I did a lot of work on today's route last night. I identified smaller roads to take etc...and it paid off big time. The weather was beautiful and the roads had only a few cars. As I was leaving Brescia (which was about 30 miles into my 75 mile ride), a cyclist rode up beside me and we stared chatting. He took me on a hidden bike only route to Largo di Garda. He taught me some new Italian words and we exchanged e-mails so we could learn each other's language. Riding with him was an awesome experience. Here's a picture of us right before we descended to the lake behind us:
I guess it's just human nature, but I'm sitting here laughing at the fact that I had such a great day and my post is so short. I was so excited to write about all the details but I'm just going to keep it short and sheet. Oggi era un giorno molto buono (today was a very good day).
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Più o Meno
So far, I’ve been surprised by my ability to communicate in Italian. I’m guessing it’s the same for all languages, but Italian definitely falls into the 80/20 category (i.e., you use 20% of the words/phrases 80% of the time). One phrase that gets used repeatedly is più o meno, which means “more or less”. If you ask a question asking for a specific answer regarding time or distance, there’s a high likelihood that an Italian will respond più o meno. It’s almost as if nothing is exact here.
I was successful in two missions today. First, I got my tubes. However, I almost made a costly mistake. By way of background, there are a few different kinds of valves. In the U.S. we almost exclusively use presta valves. However, in Europe I believe they use multiple types. As I was walking away from the bike shop I decided to check the valves to make sure they were long enough for my rims. I noticed they weren’t presta. When I went back to the shop the owner said they didn’t have presta valves. But he looked and found some. Phew.
As far as the maps go, I couldn’t find the right compromise between weight and convenience; however, I did come up with a unique solution. The problem with the maps is they are too unwieldy. Thus, my plan was to photocopy the areas I needed but the stores won’t let you make copies yourself. Trying to direct a shopkeeper on what to photocopy would be pushing my Italian language abilities way too far. An atlas would work well because I could show a shopkeeper the page I wanted photocopied. But atlases are huge and there’s no way I could carry one on my bike. I was a bit perplexed but thought maybe I could lookup the maps online, do a “print screen”, save it as a jpeg and then download it to my Blackberry. Guess what? It WORKED. I can even zoom and scroll. This is what touring is all about. It’s an adventure that requires patience and ingenuity. At times it can seem frustrating but the rewards are awesome when you overcome obstacles.
A bit off topic but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention food considering I’m in Italy. So far my meals have been very good. Yesterday I went to my favorite pizza place in Italy, Capri da Nasti and had a pizza with bacon and onion. For lunch today I asked a bookstore employee for a recommendation and she gave me a pretty good place nearby. I’d have to say my discussion with her was the best I’ve had so far. I understood about 90% of what she was saying and it wasn’t as if she was babying me. She was full out talking and giving directions.
I was successful in two missions today. First, I got my tubes. However, I almost made a costly mistake. By way of background, there are a few different kinds of valves. In the U.S. we almost exclusively use presta valves. However, in Europe I believe they use multiple types. As I was walking away from the bike shop I decided to check the valves to make sure they were long enough for my rims. I noticed they weren’t presta. When I went back to the shop the owner said they didn’t have presta valves. But he looked and found some. Phew.
As far as the maps go, I couldn’t find the right compromise between weight and convenience; however, I did come up with a unique solution. The problem with the maps is they are too unwieldy. Thus, my plan was to photocopy the areas I needed but the stores won’t let you make copies yourself. Trying to direct a shopkeeper on what to photocopy would be pushing my Italian language abilities way too far. An atlas would work well because I could show a shopkeeper the page I wanted photocopied. But atlases are huge and there’s no way I could carry one on my bike. I was a bit perplexed but thought maybe I could lookup the maps online, do a “print screen”, save it as a jpeg and then download it to my Blackberry. Guess what? It WORKED. I can even zoom and scroll. This is what touring is all about. It’s an adventure that requires patience and ingenuity. At times it can seem frustrating but the rewards are awesome when you overcome obstacles.
A bit off topic but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention food considering I’m in Italy. So far my meals have been very good. Yesterday I went to my favorite pizza place in Italy, Capri da Nasti and had a pizza with bacon and onion. For lunch today I asked a bookstore employee for a recommendation and she gave me a pretty good place nearby. I’d have to say my discussion with her was the best I’ve had so far. I understood about 90% of what she was saying and it wasn’t as if she was babying me. She was full out talking and giving directions.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Just One of Those Days
To say my first day of touring alone was an adventure would be an understatement. The flights were very smooth and easy but from there it was all downhill (or uphill – not even 100% how that cliché goes or if it even makes sense).
When I dropped my bike case off at the X-ray machine, a TSA worker looked at me strangely and asked “what’s in here?”. I told him a bike and he just shrugged. I figured the odds were good they were going to open the box, which is disconcerting because it’s not the easiest thing to pack and close. Sure enough when it came down the luggage conveyer belt I knew it had been opened because of the way the straps were closed. I held my breath a bit when I opened the box and sure enough there was a ding in my top tube and a bunch of black marker on my rims. Not sure how either got there. I can’t think of how my top tube could have been dented other than them just doing it purposefully but I guess I’m just being paranoid. The ding sucks to look at but it really doesn’t affect the ride of the bike.
The bike went together relatively smoothly except for one thing. I snapped the valve stems on two tubes. I’ve never done this before. It was one of those very frustrating bike moments. I was sweating my stones off putting this bike together in the airport and couldn’t get my tires to inflate properly for about 15 minutes. Finally I got things fixed but now I’m down to just one spare tube. I need to go buy a few more today.
In the past two tours Ed has photocopied maps for us to use each day for our rides, which has worked very well. This year I figured I’d go high tech and use a website that creates cue sheet directions automatically from point A to point B. It sure seemed pretty slick, but what a friggin’ disaster they are. The main problem is the website uses very official names for roads etc…and when I asked Italians for help they looked at my directions and were very confused because they didn’t recognize the names of the roads. When I say it took me an hour to figure even the right road to get out the airport it’s not an exaggeration. Getting around Italy by bike is difficult for two reasons. First, there are traffic circles every mile or so and it’s not always so evident as to how to keep on the same road/the signs can be very confusing. This is why a map helps so much since you can identify towns on the way to your route that you can head toward. The second reason it’s difficult to get around Italy by bike is because you could ask five Italians the direction to a town and get 10 different answers.
God bless the Italians, they are truly the best people on earth. When I say I stopped to ask directions 25 times it wouldn’t be an exaggeration. I actually did pretty well with my Italian, although I did notice that some people were easier to understand that others. One gentleman at a gas station insisted on giving my free soda and bottled water when I told him about my trip. He refused to take my money. Italians will always go out of their way to help you. They are never in a rush or too busy to engage you in conversation.
The road I took to Bergamo was concerning because it had a limited shoulder and cars and trucks were whizzing by at 50 to 60 miles an hour. I pulled to the side of the road several times to make sure it was okay to ride on the road and people reassured me it was. I did have to laugh at one point because as I was asking a gas station attendant, an old guy with a big clunker bike and wicker basket cruised by on the road at about 5 miles per hour. I guess that answered my question.
I finally found Bergamo but that was the easy part as it turns out. As I approached the city I was utterly confused as to where my hotel was. No one has heard of the street or the hotel. Finally, I bought a map from a newsstand. I guess it was Murphy’s Law in a sense but when I had a hard time understanding the newsstand owner who didn’t speak a lick of English. When I was plotting my course to get to my hotel he kept shaking his head no and pointing me a different way. But his way seemed very indirect and confusing so I just rode away map in hand, determined to go my way. About 5 minutes later the sky opened up and it just started pissing rain. I’m trying to read this huge street map (you know one of those kinds that folds up like 20 times and you can never get it to refold properly) and it’s a race against time until it disintegrates from the rain. As I’m riding my route I can see why the gentleman was shaking his head. The way I was going had huge hills and roads that were paved with big and awkwardly shaped stones that were impossible to ride on because of the grade and slickness of the roads. I was now 45 miles into what was supposed to be a 35 mile ride and my legs were burning since I got only about 2 hours of sleep on my flight and had about 11 hours of flight travel time (including the layover). As I approached the top of the big hill I looked at my map and laughed as I realized why the newsstand guy told me not to go this way. I was now about to descend back down the hill on the other side. Basically I did this hill (calling it a hill just doesn’t seem right – it was more than a hill – more like a mini-mountain) for no reason. I could have simply ridden around it like he suggested. I finally found my hotel just as my map disintegrated from the rain.
Despite all the adventures and mishaps, I’m here and I’m safe.
Need to buy maps and tubes today!
When I dropped my bike case off at the X-ray machine, a TSA worker looked at me strangely and asked “what’s in here?”. I told him a bike and he just shrugged. I figured the odds were good they were going to open the box, which is disconcerting because it’s not the easiest thing to pack and close. Sure enough when it came down the luggage conveyer belt I knew it had been opened because of the way the straps were closed. I held my breath a bit when I opened the box and sure enough there was a ding in my top tube and a bunch of black marker on my rims. Not sure how either got there. I can’t think of how my top tube could have been dented other than them just doing it purposefully but I guess I’m just being paranoid. The ding sucks to look at but it really doesn’t affect the ride of the bike.
The bike went together relatively smoothly except for one thing. I snapped the valve stems on two tubes. I’ve never done this before. It was one of those very frustrating bike moments. I was sweating my stones off putting this bike together in the airport and couldn’t get my tires to inflate properly for about 15 minutes. Finally I got things fixed but now I’m down to just one spare tube. I need to go buy a few more today.
In the past two tours Ed has photocopied maps for us to use each day for our rides, which has worked very well. This year I figured I’d go high tech and use a website that creates cue sheet directions automatically from point A to point B. It sure seemed pretty slick, but what a friggin’ disaster they are. The main problem is the website uses very official names for roads etc…and when I asked Italians for help they looked at my directions and were very confused because they didn’t recognize the names of the roads. When I say it took me an hour to figure even the right road to get out the airport it’s not an exaggeration. Getting around Italy by bike is difficult for two reasons. First, there are traffic circles every mile or so and it’s not always so evident as to how to keep on the same road/the signs can be very confusing. This is why a map helps so much since you can identify towns on the way to your route that you can head toward. The second reason it’s difficult to get around Italy by bike is because you could ask five Italians the direction to a town and get 10 different answers.
God bless the Italians, they are truly the best people on earth. When I say I stopped to ask directions 25 times it wouldn’t be an exaggeration. I actually did pretty well with my Italian, although I did notice that some people were easier to understand that others. One gentleman at a gas station insisted on giving my free soda and bottled water when I told him about my trip. He refused to take my money. Italians will always go out of their way to help you. They are never in a rush or too busy to engage you in conversation.
The road I took to Bergamo was concerning because it had a limited shoulder and cars and trucks were whizzing by at 50 to 60 miles an hour. I pulled to the side of the road several times to make sure it was okay to ride on the road and people reassured me it was. I did have to laugh at one point because as I was asking a gas station attendant, an old guy with a big clunker bike and wicker basket cruised by on the road at about 5 miles per hour. I guess that answered my question.
I finally found Bergamo but that was the easy part as it turns out. As I approached the city I was utterly confused as to where my hotel was. No one has heard of the street or the hotel. Finally, I bought a map from a newsstand. I guess it was Murphy’s Law in a sense but when I had a hard time understanding the newsstand owner who didn’t speak a lick of English. When I was plotting my course to get to my hotel he kept shaking his head no and pointing me a different way. But his way seemed very indirect and confusing so I just rode away map in hand, determined to go my way. About 5 minutes later the sky opened up and it just started pissing rain. I’m trying to read this huge street map (you know one of those kinds that folds up like 20 times and you can never get it to refold properly) and it’s a race against time until it disintegrates from the rain. As I’m riding my route I can see why the gentleman was shaking his head. The way I was going had huge hills and roads that were paved with big and awkwardly shaped stones that were impossible to ride on because of the grade and slickness of the roads. I was now 45 miles into what was supposed to be a 35 mile ride and my legs were burning since I got only about 2 hours of sleep on my flight and had about 11 hours of flight travel time (including the layover). As I approached the top of the big hill I looked at my map and laughed as I realized why the newsstand guy told me not to go this way. I was now about to descend back down the hill on the other side. Basically I did this hill (calling it a hill just doesn’t seem right – it was more than a hill – more like a mini-mountain) for no reason. I could have simply ridden around it like he suggested. I finally found my hotel just as my map disintegrated from the rain.
Despite all the adventures and mishaps, I’m here and I’m safe.
Need to buy maps and tubes today!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Nerves Kicking in a Bit
Riding to the airport today I was thinking to myself "what the f*ck were you thinking planning a solo bike tour in a foreign country?" I think the weather forecast (I hate riding in rain) and the anxiety of checking in so much baggage was getting to me given the potential for additional hefty baggage fees. I'm feeling a bit better here sitting at the gate having had no issues checking my bike etc...
I also got a chance to check the price of IFN which has been a huge success so far (knock on wood - this is likely the top now that I've mentioned how well it's doing!). I know only 1.5 to 3 people read this blog so the odds of anyone else having bought it are slim. But if you did, sit tight -- I think this is just the beginning of a huge multi-year run.
I also got a chance to check the price of IFN which has been a huge success so far (knock on wood - this is likely the top now that I've mentioned how well it's doing!). I know only 1.5 to 3 people read this blog so the odds of anyone else having bought it are slim. But if you did, sit tight -- I think this is just the beginning of a huge multi-year run.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A True Adventure Brewing
As I was finishing packing for my solo Italy tour today, I decided to check the weather and it's looking like a true adventure. Plenty of rain forecasted early in the trip. And not just plain ol' rain, but serious thunderstorms.
I have to say I've been fortunate overall so far in my bicycle touring experiences and especially with regard to the weather. I'm probably due for some serious rain and pain. Should be interesting.
I really have no expectations for this trip other than to soak up some Italian goodness (food, culture and people). To be honest, while I've made great strides on my Italian language studies, I have VERY low expectations about my ability to speak Italian while I'm there. I've been practicing my "deer caught in headlights" look because I plan on using it often.
On a lighter note, I'm planning another tour in August with Dr. Ed. Bought the plane tickets yesterday and will try and book a few of the hotels before I leave. The route starts in Amsterdam, goes through Belguim and France and ends in Paris.
I'll try to post as often as possible while I'm in Italy.
Ciao for now.
-the Bully
I have to say I've been fortunate overall so far in my bicycle touring experiences and especially with regard to the weather. I'm probably due for some serious rain and pain. Should be interesting.
I really have no expectations for this trip other than to soak up some Italian goodness (food, culture and people). To be honest, while I've made great strides on my Italian language studies, I have VERY low expectations about my ability to speak Italian while I'm there. I've been practicing my "deer caught in headlights" look because I plan on using it often.
On a lighter note, I'm planning another tour in August with Dr. Ed. Bought the plane tickets yesterday and will try and book a few of the hotels before I leave. The route starts in Amsterdam, goes through Belguim and France and ends in Paris.
I'll try to post as often as possible while I'm in Italy.
Ciao for now.
-the Bully
Monday, June 1, 2009
If You Want Something Done Right...
I just completed my first real true bike repair and the high is beyond words.
While fixing a bike may on first blush appear easy because of its relatively simple design, it is truly a reflection of Newton's law of motion (to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). Thus any tweak you make will likely result in another tweak...triangulation at its best.
I've been riding my touring bike a bit to make sure it's ready for my trip to Italy this week. For as long as I can remember, my back brake keeps sticking/won't release properly. It often results in the brakes rubbing against the wheel rim, which is never good because it creates resistance and requires more effort. I was always blaming it on my rear rack/which seemed to interfere with the brake's movement. However, the brake still doesn't work correctly even with the rack off, which kills this theory. This weekend I was at Dr. Ed's place making a few last minute adjustments to the bike and he noticed a problem with the brake as well. I needed to head home so I told Ed I'd take care of the brake on my own.
The issue with these brakes is that they are cantilever brakes which have a ton of adjustment points and can get very frustrating because of their relative complexity. I've admittedly tried to fix them several dozen times to no avail. I've even brought them to several bike shops which have kind of half fixed them and talked me into the fact they are fixed.
This morning I became a man on a mission. I studied the front brake action, which works perfectly, and then compared it to the back. Long story short, I finally identified the issue but then I had to figure out a way to fix it. I took the brake off the bike, disassembled it and studied the mechanism. About halfway through I wanted to cry and bring it to my bike shop but I persevered. I finally figured out how to make the adjustments that were needed and now it works like a charm. I can honestly say the amount of satisfaction I have right now is incredible.
Hopefully this is a good omen for the trip.
While fixing a bike may on first blush appear easy because of its relatively simple design, it is truly a reflection of Newton's law of motion (to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). Thus any tweak you make will likely result in another tweak...triangulation at its best.
I've been riding my touring bike a bit to make sure it's ready for my trip to Italy this week. For as long as I can remember, my back brake keeps sticking/won't release properly. It often results in the brakes rubbing against the wheel rim, which is never good because it creates resistance and requires more effort. I was always blaming it on my rear rack/which seemed to interfere with the brake's movement. However, the brake still doesn't work correctly even with the rack off, which kills this theory. This weekend I was at Dr. Ed's place making a few last minute adjustments to the bike and he noticed a problem with the brake as well. I needed to head home so I told Ed I'd take care of the brake on my own.
The issue with these brakes is that they are cantilever brakes which have a ton of adjustment points and can get very frustrating because of their relative complexity. I've admittedly tried to fix them several dozen times to no avail. I've even brought them to several bike shops which have kind of half fixed them and talked me into the fact they are fixed.
This morning I became a man on a mission. I studied the front brake action, which works perfectly, and then compared it to the back. Long story short, I finally identified the issue but then I had to figure out a way to fix it. I took the brake off the bike, disassembled it and studied the mechanism. About halfway through I wanted to cry and bring it to my bike shop but I persevered. I finally figured out how to make the adjustments that were needed and now it works like a charm. I can honestly say the amount of satisfaction I have right now is incredible.
Hopefully this is a good omen for the trip.
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