2016 On the road today...

[jekyll man]

Steady spin around the Cheshire lanes avoiding all the sportive arrows
(and also finding a few hills)
Untitled by jekyll man, on Flickr

[ultyguy]

Lake Como looking down at Bellagio?

Indeed, a recognizable classic but still darn beautiful!

[ajmit3]

I was at the Amy Gillett ride in Victoria , Australia . Maybe 5000-6000 riders there , was a really good event. I wonder how many people do Sportifs in Europe . Average bike was like $5,000 USD seemed everyone had carbon wheels . People had travelled 3,700 km to take part.

There was a weird bike with a non solid top tube between the head tube and top tube but I can't find a photo ! Trying to up load photos now

[ultyguy]

The big ones like l'etape du Tour can be 15,000 + and yes people spend a ton of money kit where they could go much faster if they just got fitter.

[jekyll man]

@ ajmit3

Theres a few here in the UK that get entrants in the 1000s (ride london etc) where its a lottery getting in, but there's that many events all charging a premium each weekend that participants are spread around fairly thinly. I'm guessing most are less than 400 entries.

It's saturated now. Uk is small so a lot of them encroach on the same areas, and often at the same time. Last few weekends, theres been 2 or 3 events all using the same area.

I'm lucky where i live in that i get to ride in a great scenic part of the country all the time (the weathers often a different matter!); its great that others get to see the area as well, but most are run by professional sportive organisers, and very little actually goes back into the locale.
You cant go anywhere without seeing direction arrows on practically every telegraph pole that haven't been collected in.

[Rondje]

The biggest in The Netherlands is the Amstel Gold Race (1 day before the real race) max amount of participants on 15.000 (I think), always maxed out and it's a lottery every year to get in. Then there are a lot of smaller ones where the amount of people vary from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the event.

Ronde van Vlaanderen was maxed out last year on 16.000 participants.

[Norregard]

On the big sportives (Gold Race and Ronde) there are way too many participants to be fun. On one hand you have the 'cowboys' who think they are riding in a pro peleton making the road unsafe, and on the other hand you have the casuals who put foot to ground on each hill. I've done the RVV 3 times but I've given up on that one. Gold Race is a bit better because the route follows different loops depending on the distance you're riding, so the 15000 participants are spread out more. But on the hills it's equally frustrating to not be able to just ride your own tempo.

[otoman]

alright, thanks...
I made an album, all of 21 photos...
https://goo.gl/photos/CWjL8G4PkjisZCJWA

does that work?
And I'm sorry, I dont like to click on links to see something

OMG, Basilic.... Those photos. Thank you.... Keep 'em coming.

And find some 13 y.o. They'll tell you how to get the photos up on the forums.

[velomane]

Wednesday ride...

Wow, that vanishing point. Great shot!

[Tugboat]

Brought my bike with me for an explore of Melbourne. Didn't pick the best week weather wise though...

[kingtom]

The normally sunrise-ride to the office...

[Nefarious86]

Wednesday ride...

Wow, that vanishing point. Great shot!

New background!!

[MichaelB]

Heaven (Ghisallo)
..
Hell (Muro di Sormano)
...
Como doesn't disappoint
...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Snap on all 3 - just came back from a 2 week euro trip and spend 4 days in Pognana Lario and loved every minute of it.

Even managed a great ride via Lake Lugano and Monticello into Switzerland and did a lap of the 2009 WRRC couse.

Epic doesn't quite describe it.

[MichaelB]

Here are some pics of my trip - 5 days in Dolomites based in Canazei, 4 days around Lake Como and then final 5 days in Bourg St Maurice

In summary : Brilliant, awesome scenery, Unbelievable roads, waaaaay to short, any climb in Aus now is just a small pimple ...


Cormet de Roseland (from Bourg St Maurice)


Muro di Sormano - Steep doesn't quite cut it as a desceription ....


Passo Fedaia (from Canazei) - first time over 2,000m on a bike


Almost at the top of Passo della Stelvio (from Prato allo Stelvio) - still a few hairpins to go. 5 of 48 I think !!


Made it !!!! - - highest point of the trip 2,758m (only 2,050m higher than the highest point in Adelaide ....)


Coffee stop before tackling Passo Pordoi from Arabba


Downhill from Passo Fedaia (towards Caprile)


Recycling the Gazzetta dello Sport after a wet ride

[bearsdidit]

dinner the other night: