My afternoon's ride of 8th DEC. 2008

Here are some pics of the little afternoon's ride that i did the 8th Dec. 2008 in the firsts Appennini hills near home.

part 1

14,20 pm the bike is ready to start


After few kms i took the little and old road called Via Fondè


Then in Via Montebello, before the asphalt section


after 2 kms the asphalt ends and begins the dirt section


end of part 1

It looks like a pretty nice time of the year to be riding out your way.

part 2

The Caponord parked in the road near the torrent Idice's bank


Signs of "civilization" over the bank, bad thing 'cause we're into a Regional Park area


after 1 km i've stopped the bike near the pedestrians' bridge over torrent Idice


the bridge


and a view of the torrent from over it


end of part 2

These roads now are covered by icy snow, and the weather forecast reported that snow will come again in the next days.

part 3

The last, for now, pic of Via Montebello dirt "and no-muddy" section; the others of the slippery section i will show at the end of the RR, because i did them on the way back to home


So i went up on the hill called Settefonti (seven springs)


the road surface is perfect for a Caponord


from the top of the hill you can see the Pianura Padana (Padanian Plane, the biggest plane of Italy formed during the centuries by the river Po and its tributaries); it isn't the right day, a grey hat covers all


And now: Via del Pilastrino


the dirt begins after few meters


end of part 3

part 4

In via del Pilastrino there's a Panoramic View area


where i parked the Caponord in front of the Calanchi (calanques) dell'Abbadessa (italian medieval word that means: feminine abbot)


sorry for the deep shadows




end of part 4

Great report. I've only done some backpacking through italy, but would love to tour on a bike someday!

part 5

Different kind of vehicles, from One Horsepower to 98


Ended to take pics it's time to go to Ozzano dell'Emilia


this backroad is narrow and, sometimes, slippery


another narrow backroad named Via delle Armi.
Here the Caponord in Via delle Armi with the little village of San Pietro in the background, now this pic is my new desktop


end of part 5

part 6

From San Pietro i took a backroad called Via della Quercia (oak), another road that begins with asphalt and became dirty






another view to the plane


end of part 6

part 7

The dirt road to Palesio is a bit slippery in the shadow


from Palesio, between Varignana, to go to Casalecchio dei Conti on Via Cà Masino


Playing with my shadow


here begins a little gravel section


then i returned back to Mercatale travelling on the Via Emilia, built by the romans in 187 B.C., and the SP7 till Mercatale where is the end of Via S.Leo (the prosecution of Via Montebello where i was before) http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strada_Statale_9_Via_Emilia
(SORRY, IS IN ITALIAN!)

end of part 7

part 8

Via S.Leo's dirt section begins wet


then continue straight and dry


till this wet, and slippery, muddy section covered by the trees (Sorry it isn't an "on move pic" because the only moving thing was my hand!)


that ends in this other straight and wet section with a lot of potholes.


This was the last pic, the road that i did to return to my house you can see it in parts 2 and 3.

end of part 8 & end of my little trip's RR

Ciao, Gino.

Wonderful places, and great bike!!