Tuscany Bikin
Wine + Bike Ride + Tuscany = Vittoria
My buddy Mike and I decided to go bike riding in Tuscany. We signed up with a bike tour that covered the area. The group was headed up by Andy who is a pretty rad Scottsman who loves to ride bikes. The ride itself was 13 miles through the Chianti region.
We started out atop a Tuscan Village and toured through the wine cellar of a 12th century castle learning about and sampling the wine and olive oil the family makes on the estate.
From the castle we rode our bikes through the region and every where you looked was bright and vivid colors of this amazing place. Stopping for lunch at a family run restaurant and enjoying conversation coupled with more and more bottles of wine made in the area.
After lunch the ride continued with views of the sprawling landscapes, winding roads, vineyards, villas, and olive groves. There was one optional hill that Mike and I decided to try out, which turned out to be the hardest hill I’ve ever done. Very steep and 950 meters up (3,116 feet). I was told to basically pedal on the easiest gear just fast enough that I wouldn’t fall over. As we started up the hill we could see thunderclouds in the distance that were heading our way. A nice drizzle as my heart nears exploding heading up this beast. After what seemed an eternity, we made it to the top and hi-fived. Accomplishment.
The rain came down hard the last 20 minutes of the ride. It was a bit hard to see with the force of the rain but I didn’t mind it and loved the refreshing water wash over me. What a way to finish a great ride.
