Finding a good route is often a challenge. If you ask a local person where is a good place to ride, they often will suggest a bike path that runs for maybe a few miles. They have no sense of how far you can go when you ride for several hours. So the trick is to talk to a local cyclist.
For Sunday's ride, I wanted to go towards the mountains. A little Internet searching led me to Michael Barry's (U.S. Postal - Discovery - now T-Moble) website. He's one of those pro riders based in Girona during the season, and he happened to have 2 suggested routes -- both involving some climbing.
I was prepared with 2 Snickers bars, a packet of Gu, and 2 full water bottles.
Here, as in Germany, roads aren't marked North-South-East-West, nor are they laid out in a grid pattern. They're marked by what town they lead to. This is great if you know that Llagostera is on the way to Tossa de Mar. If not, you're stopping a lot to look at maps. On the bike, this actually works out pretty well, since you only have to remember a few towns and not a bunch of turn-by-turn directions.
That's how it worked out for this ride. Once out of Girona, the road climbed gradually for maybe 10 miles, then more steeply. I pulled out the map a few times, just to make sure I was headed to the right town.
About halfway into the ride is the 9km (5.6 mile) climb to St Marti Sacalm -- a climb that many of the pros use as a test to measure their fitness. It's a bit early in the season for a climb that long (or for fitness tests), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. The view from the top was worth the sore knee later.
(I think that is the start of the Pyrenees way off in the distance)
Back in Girona after almost 4 hours on the road, I stopped in a tapas restaurant. I was ready to say, "I'll take one of everything" but showed a little restraint -- 3 tapas plates followed by an espresso. Great way to end the ride and the weekend.
3 comments:
Man, Brian... I'll be dreaming of your ride while on the fixed trainer for a few hours in my basement. Enjoy!
j. lowry
I'll be dreaming of it also. Back in Germany, it's gray, wet, and dreary. So it's back to the trainer for me too.
Hey Brian it is 16 degrees F (now that you think in C) windchill is 3 degrees. How you like them apples. Sure makes your weekend seem even better doesn't it? Oh the drudgery of winter and the hum of the trainer in the basement. I don't know John or you but about 1 hour of riding on the trainer is all I can stand anymore! Take a lot of pictures, I can't wait to check them out.
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