stage 3 - Ste Marie de Cuines - Bourgoin-Jallieu

today I will not make a good endorsment for Garmin.  yesterday the navigator (what I keep attached to the bike, which gives me the route, the temperature and many other little things more or less useful) has stalled.  blocked at 59 km to arrival, 38 degrees, etc.  I couldn't even turn it off, I had to wait for the battery to discharge completely, to get it started again.  luckily I also have the routes on the phone, but I have to stop to watch them.
 today I was unable to start the live tracking.  someone asked me if I had taken a day off, instead I spent the first hour and a half of stage trying to start it, then I had to give up.  I'm very sorry for those who expected it, in the end I think it's a Garmin server problem, because my GPS connected correctly to the phone, and everything worked, except live tracking.  I hope that tomorrow will be fixed by itself.
 for the rest, a beautiful descent to Chambéry, the Savoy mountains are beautiful, practically enormous vertical woods, surmounted by impressive granite stacks.  and below, wheat fields.
 after Chambéry I found the cycle path that led to Lake Bourget, where I dropped my bike on the shore and took a bath, fully dressed.  it was one of the two best moments of the day.  the other was when I was ready to climb the col du chat, because the tunnel that runs through it is forbidden to bikes, and instead I discovered that next to the car tunnel there is another smaller one, for the  bikes.  500 meters in altitude and I don't know how many kilometers saved.  and in the tunnel it was pretty cool ...
 when I got to the other side, the navigator was finally reset, and I discovered that there were 41 degrees.  the temperature has never dropped.  never.
 the path of the Rhone (ViaRhôna) is beautiful, sometimes shady, but today there was no way to enjoy it.  the Rhone valley was an oven.
 at the end of the stage I felt fresh, I looked at the GPS and said 38 degrees.  cool indeed.
 now it's cloudy, I hope the weather is finally changing.
 day 3
 ridden 160km (337 total)
 height difference 857 (total 3440)
 total collected 1330 (675 km donated)
 drunk 6.5 liters
 pissed twice.

this travel is supporting Emergency.it. to donate, visit this page. donating 25€ or more you can receive a daily email with a link to follow my position while I ride. email me at this address to subscribe.
also check my instagram page for daily pics

day 2: Avigliana - Ste Marie de Cuines

first day of REAL cycling. the valley into Susa is totally flat, with no special views, just the collection of names that are famous now in Italy, because if their struggle to preserve their territory from the constructionof the new high-speed train line.
at Suss, I need to decide if I'm taking the train (an option I seriously considered yesterday, because of the hot temperatures), climb the Montcenis from the main road, or diverge to Novalesa, a secondary valley crossed by the old road. I take this. the temperature is fresh today, cloudy sky, 25 C degrees. plus, the route is slightly longer, which *should* mean less steep. Novalesa looks like an ancient mountain village, just few stone houses that once were stables and barns, with some signs promoting ancient wall paintings, an abbey and other things worth a visit. I don't visit, I climb. just after, the most terrible hairpins I ever rode. I thin I counted 9, if was able to count. over 13% I couldn't keep down the front wheel, and I couldn't push any harder. I have to admit, I stepped off three times to push. it was the first time ever I did it, but I had no options. after the village of Montcenis, some kms of light descent wasted some 150m of climb, but I enjoyed it.
back on the main road, there was a lot of traffic, mainly custom motorcycles and choppers. the climb is not hard, bit its incredibly long. and when you think you're at the top, there's more. on the pass it was cold, I got prepared putting on extra clothes, but after less than a km I had to take all away, as it was 41C on the French side! and windy! luckily it was all down till the end, I enjoyed some good speed, even if with head wind.
sainte marie de cuines is just a town hall, a church and single houses scattered around, kept separate with very large and well cured lawns. just one restaurant, basically a pub serving three standard plates. I'm not worried going to sleep before 10.

day 2
cycled 152km (total 177)
climbed 2209 (total 2583)
raised 1196 total (596 km donated)
drank 6.5 liters
peed once

this travel is supporting Emergency.it. to donate, visit this page. donating 25€ or more you can receive a daily email with a link to follow my position while I ride. email me at this address to subscribe.
also check my instagram page for daily pics

day 1/2: Sacra di San Michele

first day, or better, first half-day of cycling. it seems like three separate days in one, working in the morning, travelling in the afternoon, and cycling in the evening.
needless to say, it was incredibly hot. everybody knows and we're all fed with listening stories about how much hot it is, but I want to write it just for the record. it is hot.
the plan was to climb the Sacra Di San Michele from Avigliana, then proceed to collect Braida and descend the other side. The climb starts easy, a 6% for 6 km. hot, but all in the shade, and regular. then, half way up, an illusive descent, then the hard part. 6 km at 9%, hot, never slowing down. and hot. so when I get to the Sacra, I don't feel like climbing the 2 extra km to the top, so I just go and enjoy the view, and come down the same way.
avigliana is a nice village close to a lake, but not facing it. so, the lake is surrounded by trees and restaurants and sail clubs. it could be nice, but it feels like they don't really know what to do with it.

day 1
cycled: 25km
climbed: 574 m
raised: 1122€ (561 kms donated)

this travel is supporting Emergency.it. to donate, visit this page. donating 25€ or more you can receive a daily email with a link to follow my position while I ride. email me at this address to subscribe.
also check my instagram page for daily pics

question time

when I explain my plan to friends, they naturally start asking questions, especially the non-cyclists. I'll try to resume them here, with my answers.

Q: are you comfortable cycling alone?

A: yes, I've done this many times across Europe, and even if I enjoy group rides, I also love to spend time on my bicycle alone. it is a good time for thinking, relaxing, and be totally dedicated to my feelings, both physical and emotional. plus, Europe is the safest place to cycle, I can easily find assistance if needed, and possibly some travel pals

Q: how many kms will you ride daily?

A: the longest stage will be 180km, the shortest will be the first one: 136kms while passing the Alps

Q: where will you pass the Alps?

A: I'll be climbing the col du Mont-Cenis, approx. 2100m.

Q: what are you bringing with you?

A: although this will be a long ride, it will take only one week, so I will not need much. just a couple of cycling shorts and jerseys, a couple of t-shirts and a sweater will be fine. and a piece of soap to wash them. also, I'll be cycling most of the day, so I'll not need more than this. on the technical side, I'll bring a few tools for small repairs, spare inner tubes, lights, GPS, camera and phone. that's all. less is more.

Q: your travel will be a charity cycling, raising funds. will the donations pay your travel?

A: no. I'm paying  the travel myself, this is part of my annual leaves and I do it for passion. any sum donated will go directly to Emergency.it. donating through this link will allow me to know who is donating, and check how far I am from the target.

Q: what accomodations will you use? will you be camping?

A: no, I'll sleep in small hotels. I have done camping in the past, but always with shorter stages, allowing more time to set the tent and relax. now I'll be cycling all the day, and I'll need as much rest as possible. plus, I'm not 30 anymore (it was fun, anyway)

Q: what if it rains? do you have a raincoat?

A: I have some winter gear, but I'll use it only for descending from the mountains. if I'll encounter some light rain, I'll just get wet, and then dry again when the sun will come back. it's summer, and I'm not made of sugar... in case of heavy rain I'll look for some shelter and wait for it to be over.

Q: are you using a super technical bicycle?
A: no, I'm using an old road bicycle, with a steel frame built in 1988, that I have used for all of my previous travels. it's comfortable, reliable and simple, that means that it should have less risk of breakdowns, and if anything happens, I'll be able to repair it myself or to find a mechanic able to do it. also, I love vintage bycicles, and I like to demonstrate that they're still very valuable.

Q: how can I follow your ride?

A: anyone donating at least 25€ will receive a daily link via email, through which they will be able to see my movements as I ride. unfortunately this is technically possible only for 50 mail recipients, so the sooner the better! you'll need to send me an email to let me know your email address. also, I will post photos on instagram with the hashtag #pedalaconme, and I'll update this blog every evening.

if you have more questions, please ask them in the comments below, and I'll update this post with my answers!

Days to start: 3
kms cycled: 0km
funds raised: 255€
virtual kms donated: 127kms

a good reason

I'm adding a good reason for this travel. I have travelled alone many times, but always feeling the need for contact and support from my friends, thinking that every evening I'd have something to tell, and be proud of a goal reached. this time I'm increasing my motivation by adding a challenge: have people cycling with me from home, supporting my effort with a contribution to a cause.

this is why I have opened a fund raising initiative, collecting donations for Emergency.
Emergency has been providing free, high quality medical and surgical assistance to victims of war and poverty since 1994, treating 10M patients now.
I think this is a very good reason to join me in supporting their hard work.

you can donate any amount you can, spread this initiative to your friends, and follow my daily updates on this blog.
let's reach the goal of raising at least 2€ for each km I'll be riding!
all the donors contributing 25€ or more will receive daily a link to follow my position in real time, so you will really be able to cycle with me! please send me an email on pedalacolmatte@gmail.com to subscribe.

Days to start: 8

kms cycled: 0kms
funds raised: 102€
virtual kms donated: 51kms

A new adventure

so I'm starting a new adventure. years after the last cycle trip - the last real one, with a lot of miles, bikepacking, with no one to hand me a water bottle when it's hot.
after a cycling trip with friends, with a support van carrying luggage, water, snacks, air pump and - sometimes - cyclists, we thought about doing Milan to Paris, with the same group. then life got in the middle, the program blew up, but I kept the will to do it, even alone.
Milan to Paris was not new to me, so looking for an alternative I got into a peculiar story, about the line of Saint Michael.
the story goes that the archangel, while fighting lucifer, struck a sword blow, cutting a straight line on earth, and along this line seven monasteries, or sanctuaries, have been built. so, there are seven places, dedicated to Saint Michael, all perfectly aligned. Skellig Michael in Ireland, St.Michael Mount in Cornwall, Mont-St-Michel in Normandy, Sacra di San Michele near Turin, Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia, on Simi island in Greece, and Stella Maris in Haifa, Israel.

(small technical digression: this line is clearly a straight rhumb, so if you draw it on a globe instead of on a flat map, it will appear as a curved line. if it was a orthodromic - or great circle - route, it would be a real straight line, but it woul not connect any of the five intermediate monasteries. sorry, I have just broken this legend)

legend or not, it seems to me a great excuse for a bicycle travel. cycling across the islands is quite complex, and as I love cycling in France, I took a decision: I'll start from Sacra di San Michele, near Turin, and I'll get up to Mt-Saint-Michel, in Normandy.