[CR] L'EROICA registration and other Questions

(Example: Framebuilders:Brian Baylis)

Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2011 10:40:56 -0800
From: "Bob Freitas" <freitas1@pacbell.net>
To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] L'EROICA registration and other Questions


Kevin You brought up some good questions and I thought I would chime in. Tire and Gearing selection, I think you can ride almost any tire as long as it is not to ''Vintage'' I saw lots of flats on tires that should have been home hanging in the garage or basement. If you feel comfortable riding on loose surfaces with a narrow tire then you could do it. I saw quite a variation of surfaces on my previous visits. Sometimes sections were deep gravel then the same spot the next year the gravel was mostly gone. I have used 32mm Paselas (the same pair on all 3 visits) but saw much narrower tires being used (23 or 25mm) Gearing is probably more conditioning and personal preference. I have seen as many bikes with half step gearing as I have 52/42. I have always taken triples and even though I promise myself not to walk in spots it always happens. It may be a hydration issue as the road leading to the Restoro at 50kms is dry. I recommend keeping your bottles filled, even if you have to take water from faucets of houses on the course (I was saved one year by some Southern California Honeymooners who stopped me to ask what all the bikes were about.) I have always used my San Francisco Wheelmen jersey which gives a clue to my origin and has led to many memorable moments including spontaneous renditions of ''I left my Heart in San Francisco'' with heavy Italian accents. Multilanguage conversations with English to German to Italian and back are pretty common. I have always ridden the 75KM course (which I consider difficult) what I do not know is if this same course is covered by the longer distance riders as they head out on their 135k or 200k rides? Do the longer riders have to deal with less ''farm machinery'' level roads? Registration this year seems to require you to make a payment first (by Payal or other means) then go back and register. I belive they will publish the list of registered riders on March 1st. I believe the 500 spots being held for ''Foreign'' riders will be long gone by then. In 2007 we had a CR List lunch on Saturday afternoon (Thank You .Dale) and hope to do the same this year. I have a room at the Fonte Hotel in Gaiole and it makes a good home base. As in the past I will try to arrive on Wednesday and will be leaving on Monday. I recommend you do a reconnoiter ride to see what the Strada Bianchi is all about especially if you do not have any dirt road riding experience (again you need to train for the event and fire road riding is good training) Dave"The Marco Polo of Bicycles'' Benson had good coverage of his L'EROICA adventures on his blog. I have not seen a very good report in any of the magazines so would discount what you read (even if they quote me)

BOB FREITAS
                                                            L'EROICA DREAMING in MILL VALLEY, CA USA